copper-lead
ores, and less than 2 per cent from lead ores. The production of
placer gold increased to $184,935 from $100,830 in 1907. The large
additions from this source in the last few years have been mainly
caused by dredging operations at Breckenridge, in Summit County.
Colorado
produced only 8,905,433 ounces of silver, a decrease of 2,324,343
ounces as compared with the yield of 1907. In 1904 nearly 14,000,000
ounces were produced; the silver production of Colorado has declined
since then by about 5,000,000 ounces. Almost every county in the State
decreased its yield of silver. The smelting ores of Lake County
(Leadville) led, as usual, in the output of silver, but yielded only
about 2,900,000 ounces, against approximately 4,200,000 ounces in 1907.
San Miguel came next for 1908, instead of Pitkin, and its production
was somewhat over 1,500,000 ounces, a moderate increase over the yield
for 1907. Pitkin and San Juan counties each produced about 1,000,000
ounces, in both cases a considerable decrease compared with the output
of 1907. The yields from Mineral and Clear Creek counties were,
respectively, 726,000 and 504,000 ounces, a moderate decrease in both
cases. The three districts of Leadyille, Aspen, and Creede, which
mainly produce smelting ores, yielded 4,660,798 ounces, against
6,744,815 in 1907. The "San Juan country "produced 3,228,150 ounces,
almost the same quantity as in 1907. The Clear Creek counties reported
712,079 ounces, against 751,191 in 1907. Ores classed as siliceous or
dry gave 5,553,591 ounces, or 62 per cent of the silver output;
copper-lead ores yielded 941,394 ounces, or 11 per cent; lead ores
produced 1,501,803 ounces, or about 17 per cent.
Idaho.—The
mines of Idaho yielded $1,443,459 in gold, an increase of $187,543.
One-third of this product, or $389,915, came from the siliceous ores of
the Carson district, in Owyhee County, and chiefly from the De Lamar
and the Trade Dollar mines. Custer County came next in 1908, with
$282,562, instead of Boise, which usually ranks second in gold
production. More than half of this output came from copper ores. Boise
County had an output of $199,307, as usual chiefly from placers. Idaho
County increased its production to $192,934, mainly from the milling
ores of Elk City. Elmore County yielded $152,621, also an increase, and
due to active operations on milling ore at Atlanta. The placer
production of the State was $285,643, a decrease of about $68,000.
Dredging operations contributed $77,189, or about the same as in 1907.
Of
silver, 7,469,981 ounces were produced, a decrease of 945,450 ounces as
compared with the output of 1907 and of over 1,500,000 ounces as
compared with that of 1906. Of this total, 5,756,527 ounces came from
the lead ores of the Coeur d'Alene district, a decrease of about
850,000 ounces as compared with 1907. From copper ores in the same
district were derived 607,553 ounces. The lead ores of the Wood River
district contributed 125,463 ounces, and the siliceous silver-gold ores
of Owyhee County, where the De Lamar and the Trade Dollar are the
principal mines, added 857,537 ounces.
Michigan.—The
copper mines of Michigan yielded 241,055 ounces of silver, a decrease
of 58,709, as compared with the output of 1907. This silver was
produced by 6 companies and chiefly by electrolytic refining of certain
grades of copper. The copper thus refined came from 1,494,333 tons of
copper ore, and it yielded 237,460 ounces of
