the "middle vein;" the upper ledge is usually about 60 feet above the "middle vein," and is called the "upper vein." The ore bodies underlie thin sheets of altered porphyry intruded between the strata. As a general rule these porphyry sheets follow the lines of stratification of the country rock, but occasionally they cut across from one stratum to another. The ore bodies consist principally of altered limestone, though in places the overlying porphyry carries pay values. Ores mined from the gold ledges are divided into three classes, oxidized, mixed, and sulphide. The oxidized ore is generally of a reddish or brownish yellow color, is readily leached, and carries little or no sulphur or arsenic. The mixed ore is generally talcose and carries small quantities of sulphur and arsenic. The sulphide or base ore is generally very dark in color, sometimes of a greenish tint and sometimes almost jet black, and carries larger amounts of sulphur and arsenic.

The geology and history of the district are given in a paper published by the Geological Survey.

Production of gold began in 1890, when the first successful mill to use the cyanide method was erected at Manning by the Mercur Gold Mining and Milling Company. Since that time until the end of 1908 the mines in the district have produced 3,961,421 tons of gold ore, which, treated by the cyanide process, yielded $14,177,893 in gold, an average of $3.58 per ton. Ninety-three per cent of the total value was the yield from ores mined in the Mercur and Golden Gate properties. The other properties contributing to the total output were the Sacramento, Geyser-Marion, Overland, and Sunshine. All of these properties have mills, but only the Mercur has been in active operation since it was built. Recently, for the fifth time, the Sunshine mill has been fitted up with an improved cyanide equipment. Previous failures have been caused by the talcose nature of the ore, which contains an average of about $3.50 in gold and from which the best saving by ordinary methods was less than half the value. The ore will be prepared for treatment by 2 gyratory crushers, revolving screens, and rolls; then elevated to the crushedore bin, from which, discharged on an endless-belt conveyer, it will go to mixer-classifiers of local type, thence to a Dorr classifier. The Moore filter process, with which the mill was already equipped, is to be used again. Both the mine and mill are owned by the BostonSunshine Gold Mining Company. At the Consolidated Mercur mill the quantity of ore treated per month is about 23,000 tons, from which $2.70 per ton in gold is extracted. The amount lost in tailings, 88 cents, shows that the ore treated contains $3.58 per ton.

Clifton district.-The Western Utah Copper Company, operating at Clifton, in the Deep Creek region, is reported to have 100,000 tons of ore blocked out that will assay 4.9 per cent copper and 3.8 ounces of silver and $1 in gold per ton. It contains 28 per cent of iron and 23 per cent of silica. The vein is said to be a contact between limestone and porphyry. It is opened by adits, which give a depth of 150 feet between the highest workings and the lowest adit. A winze has been sunk 275 feet below the bottom level.

a Spurr, J. E., Economic geology of Mercur mining district: Sixteenth Ann. Rept., U. S. Geol. Survey, 1894-95, pt. 2, pp. 366-454; also, Consolidated Mercur Mines Company Annual Report 1901, from which notes are taken.

Columbia district.-The Sharp mine, an early producer of leadsilver ore, was equipped the latter part of 1908 with a 50-ton concentrating mill equipped with rolls, Huntington screen jigs, and Wilfley tables. The mine is opened by 1,250 feet of tunnels. Lead carbonate and sulphide are found.

Ophir district. The Ophir Hill Company produced regularly from its mine and mill, and the Cliff mine has opened new resources from which it recorded a banner year in its output of lead and silver. The Lion Hill Consolidated Company, formerly the Chloride Point, made several shipments of rich silver ore and its development promises a continuation of this record in 1909.

Rush Valley district.-The Honorine Extension Company is reported to have discovered on its 600-foot adit level a body of ore carrying lead and silver, and will likely ship during 1909. Lessees worked in the Honorine mine in 1908, shipping lead-silver ore. The mill was idle. The Stockton mine and mill recently described " were idle during 1908. The geologic formation of the district is of Carboniferous quartzite and limestone, these strata having a northerly strike and dipping 50° to 55° W. At right angles to the strike of the sediments are a series of parallel fissure-fillings 3 to 20 feet wide and dipping 70° N. The ore shoots encountered in these fissures sometimes entirely fill the width of the vein and are 50 to 100 feet long. .They occur between calcite bands, which sometimes follow one or both walls and pitch 50° to 55° W. like the sediments. Igneous rocks are closely associated with the ores.

Silver Islet district. This district is located about 10 miles east of the Nevada state line and about 9 miles north of Wendover, a station on the Western Pacific Railroad. Ore produced from this district was formerly hauled a distance of 35 miles north to Lucin, on the Southern Pacific Railroad. The Carrie Mack, Old Glory, Dominion, and Western Pacific mining companies have been developing. Shipments of ore, containing lead, copper, and silver, were made in 1908 from the Carrie Mack claims.

UINTA COUNTY.

No production was reported from Uinta County in 1908, but the construction of a 1,500-yard dredge on Green River marked an important event. The machinery for the dredge was hauled 70 miles from the railroad and the erection near the mouth of Cub Creek was completed in October. The placer ground is owned by the Uinta Placer Mining and Exploration Company, which is said to have expended $50,000 in the construction of the dredging plant. Operations were begun, but no definite information was given out concerning the success attending the first work other than that the winter weather caused the closing down of the plant before a clean-up could be made.

UTAH COUNTY.

Only 2 districts, American Fork and Tintic, were productive in Utah County in 1908. The latter district is mentioned under Juab County, and its production is included in the figures given. In 1908

a Eng. and Min. Jour., March 21, 1908, pp. 611-612.

there were 11 mining properties producing ore, 1 more than in 1907. These mines yielded 33,337 tons of ore, averaging in value $51.75 per ton for the gold, silver, copper, and lead. Compared with the figures for 1907 the tonnage decreased 8,210 tons and the average value per ton $4.58. The values of gold and silver contents per ton, however, decreased only from $28.28 in 1907 to $28.12 in 1908. The total output of metal aggregated 5,344.91 ounces of gold, 1,561,983 ounces of silver, 29,499 pounds of copper, and 18,643,220 pounds of lead, with a total value of $1,725,249. Compared with the production of 1907, decreases were made in the output of all the metals except silver. Of the production of 33,337 tons of ore 27,077 tons were shipped direct to smelters, the remainder being concentrated at mills. The ore of shipping grade was valued at $1,659,688, an average value of $61.29 per ton.

American Fork district. Four properties produced 2,356 tons of ore, averaging $6.53 in gold and 27.52 ounces of silver per ton, and 0.55 per cent of copper and 29.43 per cent of lead, with an average value of $47.31 per ton.

The active working mines were the Miller, Dutchman, Sunday, and Surprise. Development work was carried on during 1908 in the Pacific, Texan, Whirlwind, Mountain Dell, Mineral Flat, Pittsburg, Merril group, and Burgess properties.

WASHINGTON COUNTY.

In the Harrisburg district the Silver Reef sandstone deposits produced a little silver. The silver occurs as a chloride in the ore, which is treated in a 5-stamp amalgamation mill.

About 35 miles northwest of St. George a new gold district, known as "Bull Valley," claimed attention.

WASHINGTON.

By CHARLES G. YALE.

PRODUCTION.

The total value of the production of gold, silver, copper, and lead in the State of Washington in the calendar year 1908 was $378,816, which is $19,819 less than that of 1907. In 1908 the gold yield was 11,718.07 fine ounces, valued at $242,234; the silver yield was 88,823 fine ounces, valued at $47,076; and there were produced 312,030 pounds of copper, valued at $41,188, and 1,150,429 pounds of lead, valued at $48,318. This all came from 64 mines, of which 27 were placers of different kinds, and 37 were deep mines, of which 16 were gold, 12 silver, 5 copper, and 4 lead.

The total tonnage of the State for the year was 37,633 short tons, as against 44,413 in 1907, a reduction of 6,780 tons. Stevens County had the largest tonnage and was also the largest producer of gold, silver, copper, and lead. Siliceous ore increased 1,969 tons, the output being 29,596 tons in 1908 as against 27,627 tons in 1907. Copper ores decreased from 14,691 tons in 1907 to 6,478 tons in 1908. Of lead ores there were 1,559 tons produced in 1908 as compared with 2,095 tons in 1907. The average recovered value in gold and

silver per ton in 1908 from the siliceous ores was $8.57 as against $9.13 per ton in 1907. The average value per ton in gold and silver of the copper ore was $1.85 and of lead ore $3.24. The average value per ton of all metals in the siliceous ores was $8.90; of copper ores, $6.68; and of lead ores, $34.19, or a general average value of $9.54 per ton.

The total quantity of siliceous ores treated in the State in 1908 at mills and smelters was 29,596 tons, yielding in gold and silver $253,591 and in value of all metals $263,498. The copper ores amounted to 6,478 tons, yielding $11,963 in gold and silver, and $43,298 in total value of all metals. The lead ores were 1,559 tons, yielding in gold and silver $5,045, or in all metals $53,309. The total value in gold and silver of all the ores was $269,624, and the total value of all metals was $359,130.

The statement of production for 1907 and 1908, showing increase and decrease, valued at each year's commercial prices, is as follows:

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

The total gold production of Washington in 1908 was 11,718.07 fine ounces, valued at $242,234, as compared with 12,532.70 ounces, valued at $259,074, in 1907, a decrease in quantity of 814.63 fine ounces and in value of $16,840. The most productive of the counties was Stevens, with a yield of $183,893, followed in order by Ferry County, with $17,333, King, with $12,645, and Okanogan, with $7,998. The placers of the State yielded 942.24 fine ounces, valued at $19,478. From siliceous ores were obtained 10,737.33 fine ounces, valued at $221,960; from copper ores 36.13 fine ounces, valued at $747; and from lead ores 2.37 ounces, valued at $49. This makes a total from deep mines of 10,775.82 fine ounces, valued at $222,756; and a grand total from placer and deep mines of 11,718.07 ounces, valued at $242,234. The decrease in entire production is 814.63 ounces, valued at $16,840. The gold production from placers and different kinds of ores, by counties, with the increase or decrease, is shown in the following table:

Source of gold production in Washington, by kinds of ore, in 1908, by counties, in fine

The silver production of Washington in 1908 was 88,823 fine ounces, valued at $47,076, as compared with 55,359 ounces, valued at $36,537 in 1907, an increase in quantity of 33,464 ounces and in value of $10,539. From siliceous ores was derived 59,794 ounces, an increase of 14,822 ounces over the production for 1907; from copper ores, 19,211 ounces, an increase of 16,241 ounces; and from lead ores, 9,426 ounces, an increase of 2,221 ounces. The increase from deep mines was 33,284 ounces. The placers yielded in 1908 only 392 ounces. Altogether the total increase of silver output in 1908 over that of 1907 was 33,464 ounces. The largest output of silver was obtained from Stevens County, which produced 53,296 fine ounces; the next county in importance was Okanogan, with 25,526 fine ounces; and Ferry County produced 7,906 ounces. Of the silver output, 19,211 ounces came from copper ores in Stevens, Snohomish, and Okanogan counties, and 9,426 ounces from lead ores in Stevens County. The following table shows the source of silver production by counties and by classes of ore, in 1908, with increase in each case: Source of silver production in Washington, by kinds of ore, in 1908, by counties, in fine