Show california production in in 1916 the mines of california made an output in gold silver copper lead and zinc valued in all at in 1916 compared with 3 in 1915 according to preliminary figures compiled by charles G yale of the united states geological survey this is an increase of or 38 per cent the mine figures for gold in 1915 were the estimates for 1916 indicate an output of 2 a in gold an increase of or 6 per cent the gold yield is the largest in thirty three years and with one exception the largest in fifty two years the gold increase for 1916 is the more notable because a number of the most productive mines in the mother lode section of the state in amador county were closed by labor strikes for nearly fifty days and the loss entailed by the stoppage of the mills was more than there are over productive metal mines in the state about evenly divided in number between deeland deep and placer properties from the deep mines the annual output of ore now exceeds 3 tons in value of all metals produced shasta is the leading county and in value of gold output amador nevada yuba sacramento butte calaveras talaveras Cala veras shasta and tuolumne are the leading counties in the order named the placer mines the placer mines of the state continue to produce about 38 per cent of the annual gold yield the gold dredges account for 35 per cent of the total gold yield or 90 per cent of the placer gold yield there are now 59 dredges at work in the different fields the most productive of which are in yuba sacramento and butte counties the yield is declining in the Oro oroville vilIe field and fewer machines are at work some of them on old dredge tailings some new dredges were built in the folson folsom field in 1916 and others reconstructed the yuba river or Marys vige field is now the most important dredge field in the state four very large new dredges were constructed in this field in 1916 and the yardage handled each year is increasing one machine machina recently launched has eighteen cubic foot buckets and will handle cubic yards monthly digging to a depth below water level of eighty seven feet in this field thus far in 1916 the yield of the gravel has been 1287 cents to the cubic yard at a working cost of 37 cents dredging is going on at the rate of cubic yards a year new machines have been installed in 1916 at several places in what are known as the outside districts but these are generady gene raly of smaller capacity than those in use in the larger fields activity in metal mines renewed activity has been shown in all branches of metal mining in the state all the older quartz mines are very active and a number of new ones have been opened there is also an apparent tendency to 10 renew drift mining operations at several points point R the silver output from the mines in 1916 is estimated at ounces valued ut at y 1 an increase compared with 1915 of ounces in quantity and of or 69 per cent in value the silver is derived mainly from the smelting smelling sm elting of copper lead and zinc ores althou although h some silver is recovered also in gold mining operations the copper yield the estimated mine yield of coppi in 1916 is pounds valued at 17 compared with pounds in 1915 an increase for 1916 of pounds in quantity and of or per cent in value shasta county was the largest producer but considerable copper was also produced in Ca llaveras placer and other counties the high price of the metal has resulted in the opening of a number of new properties in the state the mine output of lead in 1915 was 4 pounds valued at the estimated yield for 1916 is pounds increase in 1916 of 9 valued at an pounds and of or per cent in value most of the output comes from inyo san sail bernardino Bernar diro and other southern counties the estimated zinc output in 1916 is 14 pounds valued at which is an increase of pounds in ill quantity and oi or 22 per cent in value compared with 1915 the zinc is all derived from shasta and inyo counties |