and
sluicing methods and by drift mining produced $231,653 in gold, or
$21,192 more than in 1911. The bulk of the placer output is from
Manhattan and Round Mountain, in Nye County. By far the greater part of
the gold production of Nevada is from amalgamation and cyanidation of
the dry or siliceous ores and their concentrates, more than half of
which is from Goldfield. in Esmeralda County, and nearly a fourth of
which is from Tonopah, in Nye County. Humboldt, Storey (Comstock), and
Churchill counties were also important. Copper ores and concentrates,
principally of Ely, in White Pine County, and lead ores, principally of
the old mining camps of Pioche, in Lincoln County, and Eureka, in
Eureka County, supplied the bulk of the small remainder. In county
production of gold from all sources, Esmeralda led with $7,014,559,
against $11,198,602 in 1911, followed by Nye with $3,123,935, against
$3,617,276 in 1911, by Humboldt with $927,779, against $1,223,714 in
1911, and by Storey with $855,494. The output in gold of the Goldfield
district alone was $6,239,747 in 1912, against $10,287,075 in 1911, and
$11,137,150 in 1910.
Silver.—The
silver output of Nevada in 1912 was 14,369,063 fine ounces, against
13,184,601 ounces in 1911, 12,479,871 ounces in 1910, and 10,981,061
ounces in 1909—a steady increase in recent years. Of the total
production in 1912, Nye County (chiefly Tonopah) produced 10,210,296
ounces of silver, against 10,918,263 ounces in 1911 and 10,550,303
ounces in 1910—mainly from amalgamation and cyanidation of dry and
siliceous ores. These two processes produced 10,002,279 ounces of
silver in 1912, of which 9,941,876 ounces came from cyanidation, and of
which 8,120,025 ounces were derived from cyaniding Nye County ores
alone. At concentration mills 2,301,694 ounces were produced in
concentrates in Nevada, of which 2,008,655 ounces were from
concentrates of dry or siliceous ores. Copper concentrates contained
75,469 ounces of silver, lead concentrates 11,655 ounces, and lead-zinc
concentrates 205,915 ounces. Dry or siliceous ores shipped crude to
smelters (mainly from Nye County) contained 1,091,451 ounces in 1912,
and crude lead ores smelted carried 348,974 ounces. In total output of
silver Nye County led with 10,210,296 ounces, followed by Churchill
(including Fairview and Wonder districts) with 1,434,068 ounces.
Storey (Comstock) with 806,853 ounces, and Lincoln (including Pioche)
with 759,371 ounces.
NEW MEXICO.
Gold.—The
gold production of New Mexico in 1912 was $784,446 against $762,808 in
1911. Socorro County alone produced $525,629 in 1912, against $534,253
in 1911, almost wholly from the siliceous ores at Mogollon. Altogether
siliceous gold ores furnished $609,884 in New Mexico in 1912, copper
ores $150,589, and placers $16,926. The output of gold from siliceous
ores materially decreased in 1912, but that from copper ores greatly
increased, particularly in Grant County, corresponding to the largely
increased copper production of the Lordsburg district.
Silver.—The
output of silver in New Mexico in 1912 was 1,536,701 fine ounces,
against 1,354,540 ounces in 1911 and 843,987 ounces in 1910. Socorro
County produced 1,126,429 ounces in 1912, against 1,109,945 ounces in
1911, chiefly from siliceous ores of the Mogollon district. Grant
County supplied 356,037 ounces, chiefly from silic-
