PLATINUM IN THE UNITED STATES.
The report on platinum in the volume of Mineral Resources of the United States for 1905 a summarized
the conditions of occurrence of platinum in the United States and
elsewhere, the method of its extraction, its physical properties, and
its uses in a way which leaves little to be added in this supplementary
report.
In
spite of the interest aroused in the study of platinum resources in the
United States, the changes in price have not been effective in
developing any greater confidence among the placer miners in platinum
localities in the stability of platinum prices in the future.
This
has delayed the natural effect of stimulating a much greater production
from American localities. Nevertheless, two or three new purchasing
companies have had their representatives throughout various piacer
camps known to contain platinum with the gold, for the purpose of
making definite arrangements to concentrate the waste black sands left
after extraction of the gold with quicksilver. The effect of this
campaign is naturally slow, but one considerable shipment of heavy
black sand was made from the Oroville district to Denver, with the
result of a somewhat larger yield of platinum than would ordinarily
have been expected from these residues. Meantime, the high price of
platinum has had another beneficial effect upon production, in that
platiniferous gold dust has been received with more favor in the United
States mints so that the quantity of platinum recovered in gold
refining has exceeded all previous records. A greatly increased
production may be expected from California and Oregon.
NEVADA.
Reliable
reports have been sent in to this office, and even reliable assays
made, showing the occurrence of platinum in certain copper-nickel ores
in southwestern Utah and in eastern Nevada, and within the last year
two companies have developed in the Bunkerville district, in the
northeastern part of Lincoln County, Nev., considerable supplies of
low-grade copper-nickel ores somewhat similar to the Sudbury ores and
in what is claimed to be a similar geologic condition. Development work
to the extent of several thousand feet of drifts and cross-cuts have
been made in the claims of the two companies, where it is said that the
average grade of the ore is 4 per cent copper, 2-1/2 per cent
nickel, and one-third of an ounce of platinum. This station is reached
by a good wagon road 45 miles from Moapa station, on the San Pedro, Los
Angeles and Salt Lake Railroad.
PRODUCTION.
The
production of platinum in 1904 was 200 ounces, valued at $4,160; this
increased to 318 ounces in 1905, valued at $5,320, and to 1,439 ounces
in 1906, valued at $45,189, the increase in 1906 over
1905 being more than fourfold in quantity and more than eightfold in value.
It is impossible to divide accurately the platinum production of
1906 between California, Oregon, and Washington, inasmuch as by
