Show WHICH IS BEST an eastern subscriber to the mining review writes the editor of this paper asking which is the best and most desirable a gold mine a copper mine or a silver lead producer in answer ina in a brief letter the question was given consideration and the differences between mines productive of these metals was explained the iii til ought occurring at the time that many shareholders in mining properties and would be investors were generally prejudiced in favor of one character of mine as against another As a general thing there is but little choice between mines productive of the different metals as long as they are paying propositions with every indication of permanency and continuity gold of course is the basis of all money of all currency but if one mine produces copper and this copper brings its value in gold the copper mine is as good as a gold mine the same can be said of mines productive of silver and lead the value of all of these commodities for silver lead and copper are nothing more than commodities are measured by gold and as long as they bring gold or its equivalent they are as good as gold although their value is bound to fluctuate according to the demand and supply in the worlds market but from all indications there will never be a time for many years to come when there will be any actual overproduction of silver lead and copper the world wants all the silver that can he be produced as a money metal and for currency uses the uses to which copper is put is constantly inc increasing teasing and as for lead there seems to be no limit to its demand and utilization As a matter of fact there is seemingly more danger of an over prodoc tion of gold in the near future than there is of either silver lead or copper take a gold mine for instance if a high grade proposition it is a hazardous undertaking as continuous bodies of rich gold ores are a rarity and if the worlds supply of metal depended upon the output of mines of this character a gold famine would soon be upon us fortunately however the greatest source of gold is from great low grade mines such as the consolidated soli dated mercur at mercur utah the wonderful gold mines of south dakota all of which are low grade and the low grade propositions of montana california nevada arizona and other western mining states the high grade gold producers are few and far between and soon become exhausted while the mines productive of milling gold ores in immense quantities are legion and they are to be found in nearly every camp throughout this intermountain territory As a general thing deposits of low grade copper ores are practically inexhaustible such mines contain bodies of mineral so large and extensive that they can hardly be measured they are permanent almost limitless and usually go to the deep with the ever increasing demand for copper there is no denying the fact that a big copper mine is a bonanza and yet it is the history of the mining in industry that for the last half century more wealth has come from the silver lead mines of this country than from almost all other sources combined the silver lead mines of colorado have really made colorado what it 1 is s today one of the greatest producers of imperishable wealth the world has ever known and utah now ranking third in its metal production owes this standing to its wonderful silver lead mines there seems to be no end to a silver lead mine exhausting the ores in the upper workings of such a mine and the property is not worked out as the mineral bearing channels as demonstrated by exhaustive development and exploration extend to the bowels of the earth growing in size and value as depth is attained and another feature in favor of the silver lead mine Js is that to a greater or lesser extent the ores carry a byproduct by product in gold and copper which materially helps the owner in the market in case of a fluctuation in metal quotations one cannot say that a gold mine is the best that a copper producer is the most desirable or that a silver lead proposition leads them all the preference depends largely upon location mining milling and transportation facilities they a are re all good if accompanying conditions are favorable and all represent actual a and n d int ri 11 r ica wealth and if they are producers and dividend payers it if would be difficult to make make a choice between them as their output re deuced to the money of the realm has the backing stamp and approval of the government ern ment and there you have it in a nutshell different people have different preferences what suits one would not suit another some are gold crazy others havethe copper fever while yet others believe that there is nothing in the world that will beat a big silver lead producer and y yet et in the end they are all striving for the same end and that is a big fat bank account and who can say which will be the most successful in the mining for the several metals for in the end they all go to the refinery and they all come out as gold figuratively speaking |