Ch. 1: Gold and Silver in 1908

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	GOLD AND SILVER. 179 DISTRIBUTION OF THE GOLD PRODUCT OF 1908. The following table shows the source of gold in the United States in 1908, by kinds of ore and by States: Source of gold in 1908 in States and Territories, as reported from the mines to the United States Geological Survey, by kinds of ore and by States, in fine ounces.¹¹



	General statement.—The totals in this table indicate that the placer gold made 28 per cent of the whole production, and that gold from siliceous ores amounted to 65 per cent. Copper ores yielded only 5 per cent, lead ores 1 per cent, and mixed ores 1 per cent, a total for the base-metal ores of only 7 per cent, in spite of an exceedingly heavy tonnage of these ores. This shows that it is futile to look for a heavily increased production of gold from an increase in the activity of base-metal mining. Compared with the yield of 1907, the placer gold increased by about $959,000; the gold from siliceous ores increased by the considerable amount of $5,300,000; the gold from lead ores decreased heavily to less than half of the quantity obtained in 1907; and the gold from mixed ores remained about the same figures. Placers.—The placer gold amounted to $25,617,373 in 1908, against $24,659,230 in 1907. The greatest production in recent years was attained in 1906, when nearly $27,500,000 was recorded. As usual of late years, Alaska led, with about $15,900,000, a small decrease from the production of 1907. California yielded $8,231,187, and here we find the principal source of the increase of the total. In each of the other States the placer production was on a much smaller scale. Oregon and Idaho reduced their output materially, in large part on account of unfavorable seasons. On the other hand, dredging operations in Montana and Colorado greatly increased the placer yield of these States.

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