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Show WESTERN NdEIlSrXTsI O-- GAZETTEER. stone, and while getting his wind he carelessly and unconsciously picked away at the boulder with his pick. A piece of the rock That rich mines arc often discovered by accident, history, both flew off and revealed to him the surprising truth that he was sitting on a rich chunk of quartz. He at once proceeded up the kill and . ancient and modern, verifies. Numerous instances of this kind found the ledge, and it was full of gold, and brought him much ' have come under my own observation. This is said to be luck, wealth! but it matters not whether it is luck or science, so long as the The man who first found gold in California was working in a find is a good one. In such cases it would seem that it is even mill-rac- e at the time at very small wages, and didn't expect any better to be born lucky than industrious. Only last spring a pros- pay until the mill got to sawing. pector not five miles from here, after hunting many days for a quartz ledge, tired in his search, threw down his pick and shovel THE WORLD'S GOLD AND SILVER . in disgust and took up his rifle and sauntered forth for game. Fortune favored him ; his luck came suddenly to him, as jt were. He shot a deer, which in its death struggle fell over the rocks The following is from the Bullion Annual for 1880, which and rolled down the mountain side. When the hunter reached has been issued recently : The production of the United States his game he found it lying on the outcrop of an immense galena for 1880, including about $3,000,000 from Mexico and British ledge, which he soon after sold for a good round sum figures Columbia, amounted to 80,167,936, a grain of 4,818435 over not stated. 1879. The production of gold aggregated 33,522,182 in 1880, In the early days of California a poor prospector, sadly out of against 32,539,920 in 1879, and of silver 40,005,364, against 38,628,812. Colorado leads the list as a producer, advancing in luck, was returning to his camp after night, when he was assailed by a vicious dog. Having no weapon with which to stand off his the past four years from fourth to first place, and producing in enemy, he felt around in the dark and laid hold of the first thing 1880 21, 284,989, against 14413,515 in 1879. There has been he could catch, which was a hefty rock. The dog had sloped of very little variation in the production of California for the past 18,000,000 and course, and the man' kept the stone in his hand until he was safe four years, the aggregate never falling below in his own cabin. In the morning he saw something bright on never reaching 19,000,000. Last year the production aggregated the missile of war, and on closer examination he found that the 18,276,166, an increase of 75, 193 over 1879. Nevadas pro- -, rock was full of gold. He returned and found the ledge from duction has fallen off until it is little more than one quarter of which the quartz block had floated, sold it for a large amount of what it was in 1877, declining from 5580,290 in 1877 to in 1880. Utah makes a record of 6,450,953, about money, returned to the States, bought a farm, married and raised more than in 1879, and is fourth on the list of producers. a large family of children. About four years ago a poor but industrious prospector in this Arizona is fifth, its actual yield being about 45,600,000, against 4,123,081; 1,900,000 in 1879. Dakota produced in 1880, conntry had the misfortune (or good fortune) to lose his horse, he 1,059,641; 894,747; Oregon, Montana, 3.822,379; Idaho, and, like his master, was a wandering prospector, only that and Washington, 105,164. prospected for grass, while the master prospected for quartz. This New Mexico, 711,300 ; The worlds stock of gold in 1492, when America was disparticular day the old bay wandered further than he was wont to do, probably because the bunch grass was scarce and few between. covered, is estimated at 26,500,000 ounces, of silver at 326,000,-00Since 1492 we have practically accurate accounts of yearly At any rate the prospector desired to move camp, but could not do so without the assistance of his bay companion. He must productionr A summary of the worlds production from 1492 needs find him. He was at last successful, and while returning to 184S shows a total of 160,000,000 ounces gold, and 4, 800, 000 with the truant he noticed the head of a mountain ram sticking 000 ounces silver; and from 1849 to 1880 there were produced in the rocks. Stopping to examine it, he saw rich looking quartz 174443,750 ounces gold and 2,393,290,000 ounces silver. Esscattered about, and, following it up, he hit upon what is now timating the annual loss from abrasion and total destruction at the noted Ramshorn Mine the longest and richest silver ledge one tenth of one per cent, the present stock amounts to 318443-75- 0 ounce gold and 6,667,290000 ounces silver. Of the total that we know of. The district was named Bay Horse, as it should have been, and is the richest silver district in the Salmon River production of the world in 1848, the United States contributed 1,000,000 ounces gold, or less than 1 per cent of the worlds supcountry. I knew a man once who followed mining and prospecting for ply at that date. The production of gold in the United States a period of forty years. He had been all through California, from 1848 to date aggregates 75,127,587 ounces, at 44 per cent, Colorado and Montana, and had prospected twTenty-fiv- e years in of the worlds productions during this period, and the production Georgia before coming West. He was not much on digging deep of silver aggregates 340,310,545 ounces, or 14 per cent of the holes, but he would go round hunting for shallow diggings so worlds production. The stock of gold and silver in the United long as the boys would stake him. He was getting worn out States at the close of 1880 was 650,543,682, of which 486.683, exe-cutprospecting out of luck, and when, on the 24th day of July, 1864, 049 was gold and 163,860,632 silver. The total- coinage in theUnited States from the organization- of the mint he camped on a tributary of Prickly Pear Creek, in Northern Montana, he said to his three companions, Let's sink a hole on (1798) to the close of the fiscal year ended June 30 1S80, was : this bar ; its the last chance ; if we cant find it here I dont know Gold, 1,133,103,322; silver, 292,333436: minor, 13,283,167. where next to prospect. The younger members of the party put The coinage executed at the mints of the United States during 5; the hole to bed rock, and the diggings were named Last Chance, 1880, was : Gold, 62,283,279 ; silver, 27,409,706; minor. total, 90,084,381. The coinage of gold in the United and two years later the old man threw away his tools and went home to Georgia with a joyful heart and 100,000 in clean gold States reached its maximum in 1851, when 62,613492 was dust, but Jot until after he had seen the city of Helena the met- coined. The average coinage of gold during the past ten years was 39,000,000 per annum. The coinage of silver reached its ropolis of Montana spring up about him. Only last August a prospector in the Lower Wood River coun- maximum in 1877, when 28,549,935 was coined. The silver six years amounted to 141,207,951, try met with an unexpected freak of luck that astonished him. coinage during theofpast While on his way across the Bellevue to Croy Canon, the pack or nearly one half the entire amount turned out since the on the horse lie was leading became loose, and in order to adjust mints were organized.4 it he saw something at his it he dismounted. While He traced it up to the feet that resembed a rich silver float. THE CROAKER. ledge, which wai only a short distance away, and found that he had one of the best prospects in Wood River. He located the stove and The croaker still cocks his hoofs over the original and two extensions, and the best ore in the vein assays know about the mining outlook. He is an up into the thousands. Recently he sold out for a snug little tells what he dont unnecessary adjunct to every mining camp. He is happy only fortune. On a mountain trail in California there used to be a big boulder, when he is growling. Could he earn twenty dollars a day he which furnished a hvorite resting place for tired footmen. Thou- would growl because he had to work for it. He growls to hide sands of men had sit on that stone and rested their weary limbs. his laziness. Whenever he has a show to work4ic bccomas rheuIn fact it was of so pxular a shape that it seemed to fit every one matic and curses the weather. No matter how things go, he is who tried it. With bng usage it had worn as smooth as ivory, bound to have his croak, and when the Angel Gabriel toots his and was greasy with frequent contact with miners clothing. One horn, Mr. Croaker will ask him why in h 11 he didnt toot it day an old prospector sqatttcd himself upon his favorite resting louder. Grantsville Bonanza. ACCIDENTAL "FINDS." 15,-031,6- 21 1,-000,- 0. od 391-39- re-arrang- ing bar-roo- m |