Mine production of gold, silver, and associated metals in Idaho in 1907 and 1908.

Of the tonnage, more than 86 per cent was of lead ore, largely from the Coeur d'Alene region, the gold and silver value of which was only $2.19 per ton. There was an increase in this kind of ore of 73,697 tons, but the metallic contents were not as high as in recent previous years, due to the treatment in 1908 of a large tonnage of old tailings. More than 6 per cent of the tonnage was copper ore, derived largely from Shoshone and Custer counties. This portion of the tonnage contained an average value of $4.68 in gold and silver per ton, and decreased from 136,327 tons in 1907 to 107,400 tons in 1908, a decrease traceable to the inactivity of the first part of 1908. Siliceous ore, yielding $11.34 per ton in gold and silver, represented 7.43 per cent of the tonnage and increased from 93,238 tons in 1907 to 125,657 tons in 1908. This striking increase is credited largely to Elmore County, but was also partly from Custer, Boise, Owyhee, and Idaho counties. Small quantities of zinc ore and copper-lead ore were produced, and there was a decided falling off in lead-zine ore, amounting to 78,814 tons, due principally to the idleness of the Success mine near

Wallace.

GOLD.

The gold output of the State increased from 60,754.70 ounces in 1907, valued at $1,255,911, to 69,827.33 ounces, valued at $1,443,459, in 1908. The increase of 9,072.63 ounces in quantity and of $187,548 in value was made by the deep mines alone, since there was a decrease in placer production. Sixty-five per cent of the gold was derived from siliceous ore, and gold from this source increased from 34,409.04 ounces in 1907 to 45,417.29 in 1908, owing to the activity at Atlanta, Sunbeam, Quartzburg, Silver City, and Elk City. Placers produced nearly 20 per cent of the gold output, amounting to 13,817.98 ounces, valued at $285,643, a decrease of 3,447.30 ounces. Gold in copper ore, supplying 11.67 per cent of the total, increased from 5,894.26 to 8,152.32 ounces, largely from the operation of the Lost Packer smelter in Custer County. The only other source of gold of importance was lead ore, which yielded 3,113.52 ounces in 1907, but only 2,439.24 ounces in 1908. Gold from lead ore represented 3.49 per cent of the State total. Seven counties produced 94 per cent of the gold. In order of their production, they were as follows: Owyhee, Custer, Boise, Idaho, Elmore, Shoshone, and Lemhi. Placer gold, which is won mostly by hydraulic and sluicing methods, amounted to $285,643. Boise County was the largest producer, with Nez Perce, Idaho, Lemhi, and Shoshone supplying important amounts. There

were decreases in Boise, Nez Perce, and Shoshone. The output from dredging operations was slightly in excess of that of 1907, and amounted to 3,734.04 ounces, which output will probably be increased in the near future, as new dredges are to operate at Pierce, Stanley, and Elk City. There are 163 gold and silver mills in Idaho, many of which, however, are old; a large number were built before a sufficient amount of ore was developed, and others are unsuited to the present treatment of ore, which accounts in part for the idleness of 116 of them in 1908. The 45 active mills produced bullion containing gold valued at $798,015 and 1,163 tons of concentrates, which contained an average per ton of $112.65 in gold, or a total value of $130,931. Lead concentrates contained $49,235 in gold, or 27 cents per ton; and crude ore supplied $179,645 in gold, an average of $1.22 per ton. Source of gold production in Idaho, by kinds of ore, in 1908, by counties, in fine ounces.

Mine production of gold in Idaho in 1907 and 1908, by kinds of ore, in fine ounces.

The production of silver amounted to 7,469,981 ounces, which, at the average price per ounce of 53 cents, was valued at $3,959,090. This is a decrease of 945,450 ounces in quantity and of $1,595,095 in value from the output of 1907. Shoshone County supplied 85 per cent of the total; Owyhee, 11.47 per cent; Blaine, 1.69 per cent; and Custer, Bonner, and Lemhi each less than one-half of 1 per cent. From the lead ores, most of which are mined in the Coeur d'Alene region, 5,917,034 ounces were derived, or over 79 per cent of the total.

ore.

Copper ores supplied over 8 per cent and siliceous ores over 12 per cent; the insignificant remainder came from placers and copper-lead There were increases in silver from siliceous ore and copper ore, but a large decrease from lead ore and lead-zinc ore. The decrease in silver from lead ore, 900,805 ounces, was the result of the low prices of lead and silver, which closed some of the mines and concentrators of the lead-silver district of Shoshone County. Two-thirds of the total production, or 5,008,735 ounces, came from concentrates, which averaged more than 27 ounces per ton. This amount represented both concentrates from gold-silver mills, 1,163 tons containing 500,357 ounces, or 430 ounces per ton, and lead concentrates, 182,296 tons, containing 4,508,378 ounces, or 24.73 ounces per ton. Crude ore, averaging 14.15 ounces per ton, furnished 2,080,079 ounces, or nearly 28 per cent, and gold and silver bullion contained 378,480 ounces, or 5 per cent of the total, and an average of 3.02 ounces per ton. Of 178 deep mines, there were 72 which produced gold and silver.

Source of silver production in Idaho, by kinds of ore, in 1908, by counties, in fine ounces.

Mine production of silver in Idaho in 1907 and 1908, by kinds of ore, in fine ounces.

The production of copper decreased from 10,890,731 pounds in 1907 to 10,041,850 in 1908, a difference of 848,881 pounds in quantity and of $852,622 in value, the average price per pound being 13.2 cents in 1908 against 20 cents in 1907. Ninety per cent of the copper came from Shoshone County. This was derived from the Snowstorm copper mine and from other mines of the Coeur d'Alene region which contain

small quantities of copper in lead ores. The decrease in the State total was the result of the inactivity of the smelter at Mackay, in Custer County, for the operators of the Lost Packer mine shipped more matte than in the past, and the Snowstorm mine greatly increased the production of siliceous copper ore. Washington, Blaine, Bonner, and Lemhi counties were the only others that yielded important amounts of copper.

LEAD.

A decrease in lead even greater than that of 1907 was recorded for 1908, when the production fell from 233,823,854 pounds, valued at $12,392,664, to 206,827,816 pounds, valued at $8,686,768. The average price for the year was 4.3 cents. This decrease of 26,996,038 pounds in quantity and of $3,705,896 in value was almost entirely due to the curtailment of the output of the Coeur d'Alene region on account of the low price of lead. There were, however, decreases in other counties for the same reason. Shoshone County yielded over 98.7 per cent of the total. Blaine, Lemhi, and Custer counties followed with smaller outputs. With better prices Blaine County might be expected to return to the output of former years, since several new concentrators were completed in 1908.

ZINC.

The only zinc ore shipped in 1908 was a small production from Blaine County. The output decreased from 6,985,732 pounds, valued at $412,158, in 1907 to 37,410 pounds, valued at $1,758, in 1908. The average price per pound was 4.7 cents. The Success and Frisco mines, from which were shipped much ore and concentrate in 1907, were idle in 1908.

MINING INDUSTRY IN IDAHO IN 1908.

Although prices for metals were low and many of the mines and smelters curtailed their output, several new reduction works were completed, and much development work was accomplished in 1908. In Elmore and Custer counties quartz mines were actively worked, and the bullion shipments from the Buster mine at Elk City, from the mine of the Bagdad-Chase Company at Atlanta, and from the Golden Sunbeam at Sunbeam have been notable. In Shoshone County the Hecla mine at Burke and the Morning mine at Mullan were idle six months, and the Last Chance at Wardner two months. The remaining four regular producers-Bunker Hill and Sullivan, StandardMammoth, Hercules, and Snowstorm-were operated the entire year. The Tiger-Poorman, up to this time one of the large producers, was considered exhausted, and development below the 2,200-foot level was not continued. The operators of the Bunker Hill and Sullivan, the largest producer in the State, started the construction of an additional concentrator, which will eventually have a daily capacity of 1,000 tons. After repairs and improvements in the original mill, the combined capacity will be 2,000 tons. The Star mine at Mullan made a good showing. Other important mines are the Caledonia, at Wardner; the Bear Top, east of Murray; the Ambergris, near the Hercules; the Cooney mine, at Burke; and the Alice, several miles east of Wallace. The first of the year witnessed the operation of the Idaho

Northern Railroad from Enaville to Murray. This will doubtless bring the North Side mine into prominence as a shipper of lead-silver ore. Definite assurances were made that the Armstead and Gilmore Railroad would be built in the near future from Armstead, Mont., to Gilmore, Idaho, and thence to Salmon City. That part of the road from Gilmore to Armstead, 68 miles, will probably be constructed first, as the largest mine of the county, the property of the PittsburgIdaho Company, Limited, and other mines of the Texas and Spring Mountain districts, will thus be saved a haul of 80 miles. The remaining 75 miles of railroad from Gilmore to Salmon will, when completed, stimulate gold mining in that locality. The Chicago, Milwaukee and St. Paul Railroad, part of which was being constructed through Taft, Mont., to St. Joe, Idaho, will provide transportation to mines and prospects south of the Coeur d'Alene region. Construction work was continued on the road from Huntington to Lewiston, which should offer transportation facilities to many mines in the western side of the State, but particularly to those of the Seven Devils district. The line is completed from Huntington to Homestead, 58 miles north. At the new town of Hahn, in the Spring Mountain district of Lemhi County, work was started on a 100-ton custom lead smelter by the Lemhi Smelting Company. There are many mines in the vicinity which will be able to supply lead-silver ore. The Lost Packer Mining Company operated its 100-ton matting plant for three months in 1908 and shipped an unusually large product east for refining. The Idaho Smelting and Refining Company operated the 150-ton lead smelter at Ponderay from October 30 to the end of the year. The plant not only treated ores from Washington and Montana, but from the mines in the vicinity of Lake Pend d'Oreille. The smelter at Mackay was idle during the entire year. Two new dredges were installed in 1908, 1 in Boise Basin and 1 in Stanley Basin, and 3 others may be erected at Pierce, Elk City, and in Boise County. Four new concentrators were completed in Blaine County, 2 gold and silver mills in Lemhi County, and 2 in Owyhee County.

Mine production of gold, silver, copper, lead, and zinc in Idaho, in 1908, by counties.