A
comparison with the corresponding table in the report for 1904 shows
that the number of mines producing gold and silver has decreased
somewhat. Of placer mines, exclusive of Alaska and the Southern
Appalachian States, 1,334 were reported in 1904 and 1,163 in 1905. Of
deep mines, exclusive of the same regions, 1,905 were reported in 1904
against 1,873 in 1905. This represents a total decrease of 203. The
total, in part estimated, number of mines in the United States in 1905
is 4,216.
In
the matter of tonnage different results are shown. In 1904 the total
tonnage from deep gold and silver mines, exclusive of the Southern
Appalachian States, was 19,229,746 short tons, but the above table
shows that, with the same exception, the quantity in 1905 was
20,837,012 short tons,.or an increase of 1,607,266 tons. This great
addition to the tonnage of 1904 is distributed among nearly all of the
States. Decreases are shown in Oregon, Washington, and Wyoming, and a
slight decrease is noted in California also, partly due to a lessened
copper output in Shasta County. The increase in Idaho and South Dakota
is very small. In Utah the ore production increased by 464,000 tons,
due to the great development of the copper mining industry, chiefly in
the Bingham camp. In Montana the Butte copper mines were responsible
for 377,000 additional tons. In Arizona the Bisbee copper camp and
other developments caused an addition of 374,000 tons of ore. In
Colorado, Cripple Creek and Gilpin County added to their tonnage of
1904. The total increase in Colorado was 170,000 tons. The States
mining over 1,000,000 tons of ore rank as follows: Montana, California,
Arizona, Colorado, Utah, South Dakota, Idaho, Alaska.
