heavy
producer of dredging gold. The contribution from the copper ores was
somewhat over $300,000. Labor troubles in some of the quartz-mining
counties during 1907 are likely to diminish still further the
production of the deep mines.
The
silver production was not large, 1,220,641 ounces, but showed an
increase of 144,467 ounces, due to heavier copper production in Shasta
County.
Colorado.—Colorado
produced $23,210,629 in gold, a decrease of $1,813,344. More than half
of the total gold is derived from the telluride veins of Cripple Creek
in Teller County. San Miguel free-milling ores contribute nearly
$2,500,000. The smelting ores of Lead-ville in Lake County yield
$1,500,000 and the partly free-milling ores of Gilpin County over
$1,000,000. San Juan County and Ouray County both approach the
$1,000,000 mark closely. Important diminution in output was recorded in
Teller and Ouray counties, but this was partly offset by gains in San
Miguel and other counties. Siliceous and dry ores amounted to 67 per
cent of the total tonnage and were the source of over 96 per cent of
the gold product. The placer output was comparatively small. The
outlook for 1907 does not indicate the probability of great increase,
if any.
Colorado
produced 12,216,830 ounces of silver, an increase of 717,523 ounces.
The smelting ores of Lake County lead in the output with nearly
4,000,000 ounces, while in their order Pitkin, San Miguel, Mineral,
Ouray, San Juan, and Clear Creek are next in importance, the first
three exceeding the 1,000,000-ounce mark. A higher price increased the
value of the product. The increase was chiefly due to the veins of San
Juan, San Miguel, and Mineral counties. On the other hand, the yield of
the Leadville and Aspen deposits diminished. About 50 per cent of the
silver product was derived from siliceous or dry ores, 28 per cent from
lead ores, and 17 per cent from zinc or zinc-lead ores. No great change
is expected in the production of silver for 1907.
Idaho.—The
mines of Idaho yielded gold to the value of $1,149,100 in 1906, an
increase of $73,482, the principal producing counties, with amounts
varying from $229,024 to $86,007, being in their order Boise, Owyhee,
Idaho, Elmore, Custer, Lemhi, and Shoshone. The placers of the Boise
Basin showed a considerable increase, as did the siliceous ores of
Custer. The De Lamar mines in Owyhee County decreased their output
owing to technical causes. Somewhat less than two-thirds of the State
production was from siliceous ores and one-third from placers. Copper
and lead ores added only about $100,000. The total value of the placer
output was $355,937, of which only about $38,000 was derived from
dredging operations.
Of
silver, 9,018,815 ounces were produced, an increase of 339,722 ounces;
of this total, 7,415,995 ounces came from the lead ores of the Coeur
d'Alene district, an increase of over 500,000 ounces. Only 765,549
ounces were yielded by siliceous ores and 564,123 ounces by copper ores.
Montana.—The
gold production of Montana in 1906 was valued at $4,469,014, a decrease
of $325,069 from the figures of 1905. Of this output $521,815 was
derived from placers, chiefly in Madison County. This represented an
increase of $124,914 over the production for 1905, chiefly due to
extended dredging operations. The more important counties show a
moderate decrease from the figures of 1905 in the gold
