Utah.—Utah
mines reported 15,218,386 in gold, an increase of $77,466 over 1905. As
in 1905, the Bingham and Tintic districts, nearly corresponding to Juab
and Salt Lake counties, were the most prominent producers of gold from
smelting ores. Bingham yielded $1,632,786 and Tintic $1,925,066 in
gold. Tooele County was another large producer, closely approaching an
output of $1,000,000 in gold from the Camp Floyd district of cyaniding
ores. Beaver and Piute counties yielded nearly $400,000 in gold from
smelting and milling ores. The principal increase was derived from the
Bingham district. The bulk of the gold was obtained from copper or
copper-lead ores in Juab and Salt Lake counties. Only a small quantity
oi placer gold was obtained. The production for 1907 will probably
about equal that of 1906.
Of
silver 11,550,634 ounces were reported, an increase of 514,163 ounces.
Only Colorado and Montana produced more silver than Utah, but each of
the 3 States yielded close to 12,000,000 ounces. The bulk of the silver
was derived from the copper-lead ores of Tintic, the copper ores of
Bingham, and the lead ores of Park City. The gain for 1906 was due to
greatly increased output from Tintic.
Vermont.—For
the first time in several years Vermont appears on the list of gold and
silver producing States, with a silver output for 1906 of 1,323 ounces,
derived from copper ores.
Washington.—The
mines of this State reported only $221,648 in gold, a decrease of
$183,430 as compared with 1905. The production was divided between
Republic district in Feny County, the Pierre Lake district in Stevens
County, and the Mount Baker district in Whitman County. Siliceous ores
predominated. The placer output was about $20,000.
As to silver, the production was insignificant, amounting only to 45,878 ounces.
Wyoming.—There
was practically no gold derived from copper ores and only a small
quantity from siliceous ores and placers. The gold for 1906 was valued
at $6,521. The silver output was only 136 ounces.
NUMBER OF MINES, ORE PRODUCTION, AND AVERAGE VALUES.
The
following table indicates the number of producing mines in 1906,
divided into placer mines and deep mines. In the former mines values,
generally in gold, are extracted from gravels or sands; the "deep
mines" work deposits in solid rock which have not been disintegrated
and sorted by erosion. The total number of mines is of course much
larger than the figures given, because many properties for various
reasons are idle or are being developed without having yet attained a
producing stage.
It
is perhaps a little difficult, especially in the case of placers, to
define what constitutes a mine. In some places a fairly large
aggregate output is obtained, usually through traders and
storekeepers, from transient or intermittent work of wandering miners
which can not be credited to separate properties.
