remained
about constant. All the mines are situated in the Black Hills, and the
total yield of gold for the year was $6,913,900. The silver product was
small.
Utah.—An
increase of about $1,000,000 is recorded in the production of gold for
1905, which attained $5,140,900, and was mainly caused by larger
shipments from Tintic and Bingham districts, as well as from the Camp
Floyd district, in Tooele County.
The
very notable decrease in silver of about 2,000,000 ounces was caused by
the difficulties of unwatering the Park City mines in Summit and
Wasatch counties. The total silver for 1905 is estimated at 10,319,800
ounces.
Washington.—An
increase of $42,100 brought the gold production of Washington up to
$370,000. This increase is mainly due to mines in the Pierre Lake
district, Stevens County, in the northeastern corner of the State.
Republic district, in Perry County, and the Mount Baker district, in
Whatcom County, in the northwestern corner, furnished the bulk of the
remainder. Most of the small silver production is derived from the
Chewelah district, in Stevens County.
Wyoming.—The
small yield of gold in Wyoming represents an increase over 1904, due to
the activity of the Atlantic City district in the Wind River Mountains,
Fremont County.
Southern Appalachian Stales.—These
States, including Alabama, Georgia, Maryland, North Carolina, South
Carolina, Tennessee, and Virginia, maintained an aggregate output of
$380,500 in gold and of 110,300 fine ounces in silver, the most
striking changes from 1904 being an increase in silver from the copper
ores of Tennessee and a decrease of gold in South Carolina. Increased
activity in quartz mining was noted from Alabama and Maryland, In North
Carolina many mines productive in 1904 were closed, but the yield from
the lola mine, in Montgomery County, compensated for this. At present
the two most important gold mines in the South are the Haile, of South
Carolina, and the lola, of North Carolina.
Michigan.—The
greatly increased copper production of Michigan resulted in a greater
output of silver as a by-product. The Director of the Mint estimates
the silver from this source at 253,011 fine ounces.
Missouri.—The
lead from the ores of southeastern Missouri contains from 1 ounce to If
ounces per ton of silver. A total quantity of 12,900 ounces waa
recovered from this source.
MINES REPORT.
By Waldemar Lindgren. INTRODUCTION.
For
several reasons it has been deemed necessary to publish the reports
from the mines in the form in which they were received by the officers
of the Geological Survey. In the first place, the reports contain a
wealth of important information collected at first hand concerning the
production of counties and mining districts, and it was not considered
advisable to force these figures by making them agree with the final
estimate. It is believed further that these figures should be made
public, because they represent the miner's answer to the apparently
simple yet actually complicated question of the distribution of
metallic products among the various States and Territories.
The
replies to the inquiries sent out to the producers have continued to
meet with a gratifying response, and estimates have been necessary only
in comparatively few cases. With the exception of Alaska, over 98 per
cent of the production of gold and silver tabulated below is based on
direct returns, and less than 2 per cent is estimated. The estimates
include two large mines, one in California and one in Colorado, which
have refused replies; a number of small mines from which, for various
reasons, no replies could be obtained; and, further, the production of
transient placer miners
