Ch. 1: Gold and Silver in 1912

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	GOLD AND SILVER.	247

	The table shows the number and distribution of mines producing gold and silver in the United States and Alaska. With the exception of (1) some of the Michigan copper mines, (2) all zinc mines in the Eastern and Central States and a few in the far West, and (3) all lead mines of the Central States (except a few in Illinois and southeastern Missouri), practically all mines producing copper, lead, and zinc in the United States and Alaska yield gold and silver also. The table, therefore, with these exceptions, is a table of mines producing gold, silver, copper, lead, and zinc in the United States. It also includes certain mines producing oxidized manganese-iron fluxing ores of Colorado, Utah, and elsewhere, whose ores contain small quantities of precious metals, especially silver, and are sold to western smelters as flux. Comparisons with corresponding figures for 1911 show a net total decrease of 88 producing mines in 1912. The number of placers decreased byl02 and the numberof deep mines increased by 14. Inl911 the number of deep mines increased by 254 and the number of placers by 120. In 1910 the number of deep mines increased by 116 and the number of placer mines decreased by 161. For the last seven years the number of producing mines has been as follows: Number of mines producing gold and silver, 1906-1912.



	The figures show that fewer placer mines were producing in each of the last four years than the average of the period, but they also show a steady increase in deep mines. The enumeration of placer mines presents certain difficulties, as noted above, and it has been especially difficult in Alaska in earlier years. In Alaska the estimate of producing placer mines was 740 in 1911, and 720 in 1912, and there were 26 operating deep mines in 1911 and 32 in 1912. In Arizona the number of placers increased from 42 to 51 and the number of deep mines from 355 to 394. In California there were 509 placers and 532 deep mines in 1912, against 585 placers and 596 deep mines in 1911. In Colorado the number of placers decreased from 39 in 1911 to 33 in 1912 and the number of deep mines from 861 to 856. In Idaho the placers increased in number from 217 to 235, and the deep mines from 157 to 173. In Montana there was a decrease from 180 placers and 530 deep mines in 1911 to 152 placers and 452 deep mines in 1912. In Nevada the number of operating placers decreased from 72 to 63, but the deep mines increased from 589 to 641. In New Mexico the placers increased from 20 to 26 and the deep mines from 85 to 119. In Oregon there were increases also in number of placers from 136 to 156 and of deep mines from 40 in 1911 to 54 in 1912. In South Dakota, Utah, and Wyoming there was

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