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acilities in the way of communication; postal and telegraphic lines; ates in operation; cost of travel; probable benefits likely to result from truction of the Pacific railroad and its proposed branches.

he necessity for assay offices and pubiic depositories; what financial may tend to develop the country and enhance its products.

opies of all local mining laws and customs now regulating the holding xing of claims.

he number of ledges opened and the number claimed; the character of and its adaptation to the support of a large population.

all these points it is very desirable that we should possess reliable ion. Whatever tends to develop the vast resources of our new States ritories must add to the wealth of the whole country.

extremely solicitous that the information collected should be ample and

c.

ing that you may be enabled to make such a report as will be of great tility, and at the same time promote the interests of the miners to whose - and energy so much is due,

am, very respectfully, your obedient servant,

SS BBOWNE, Esq.,

Washington, D. C.

H. McCULLOCH,
Secretary of the Treasury.

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had the honor to send you by last steamer a preliminary report on the
esources of the States and Territories west of the Rocky mountains.
ess, at its last session, appropriated ten thousand dollars "to enable the
of the Treasury to collect reliable statistical information concerning
and silver mines of the western States and Territories," &c. Under a
appointment, dated August 2, 1866, and in accordance with detailed
ns of same date, I entered upon the discharge of the duties assigned
mediately upon my arrival at San Francisco, September 3, ultimo.
ews of the department as to the impracticability of reporting in detail
ext session of Congress were fully realized when I came to consider
itude of the subject and the immense scope of country over which the
xtended.

ere pleased to express the hope, however, that I would be enabled to
the meeting of Congress "sufficient data to furnish, in the form of a
ry report, the basis of a plan of operations" by which information of
etailed and comprehensive character could be procured in future.
ain any geological or statistical data whatever, within the brief space
onths, precluded the possibility of a personal visit to the mineral re-
or to the transmission of my report. The experience of Mr. William
er and Mr. A. Rémond, members of the State geological survey, sat-
that it would be utterly impracticable to examine the mines of a single
nuch less of all the States and Territories west of the Rocky mountains,
hat time. Mr. Ashburner spent eight months in procuring data for
table, showing the operations of the principal quartz mills in Mari-
olumne, Calaveras, Amador, Eldorado, Plumas, Sierra, and Nevada
Mr. Rémond spent three months in visiting the principal mines and
that part of Mariposa and Tuolumne counties lying between the Mer-
Stanislaus rivers, and three months more in preparing tables showing
ts of his observations.

these circumstances, and in view of the fact that I had already visited
very mining district within the range of my instructions, and was fa-
ith the topography of the country and the general condition of the
interest, I deemed it best to avail myself of such reliable sources of
ion as were immediately accessible. San Francisco being the central
trade and commerce for the Pacific coast, afforded facilities in the way
stical data and scientific aid which could not be obtained elsewhere.
his point nearly all the capital radiates, here the records of all mining
ses are kept, and here centre the products of the mines.

The report to which your attention is respectfully invited embodies the sults of many years of careful and laborious research. It is compiled from of nal data furnished by the most intelligent statisticians and experts know this coast, as well as from notes made by myself during the past three year

In many respects this report is imperfect. No reliable system has hith existed for the collection of mining statistics, such as the governments of rope have long since deemed it expedient to establish. The existing syste the British colonies of Australia and North America, though not adapted to mineral regions, or to the habits and customs of our people, is both thor and comprehensive. Surveyors and registrars are appointed for each dis and all mining operations are carried on under their inspection. Monthly quarterly reports are made by them, under the direction of a supervising of whose duty it is to collect and arrange all the data thus furnished for pul tion. These reports show the actual condition of every branch of minin dustry from month to month and quarter to quarter, so that at the expirati the year a complete history is given of the progress of development an profits and losses of mining. A permanent system like this, established u somewhat different basis, is greatly needed in our country.

One of the difficulties already experienced in the collection of mining stat on this coast is the disinclination of parties interested to expose the secr their business. Either the business is not remunerative and they desire courage further investments by false representations, or by withholding the or, if unusually successful, they may consider it to their interest, in view ther purchases, arrangements, or contracts, to avoid giving publicity to the I am inclined to believe, however, that the advantages of fair and truthful ments, in the encouragement of immigration, the reduction of the cost of he promotion of confidence in mining enterprises, and the establishmen more uniform system of laws, will soon become apparent. Indeed, the diff to which I refer is not so general, even now, as might be supposed. I have mining companies, doing a steady and reliable business, nearly always di to furnish the desired information. The cases of refusal are exceptiona there is usually a cause for it, well understood by persons familiar with enterprises.

Another difficulty, which, however, will not exist to so great an exten after, has been the conflicting character of statements made by different In many instances where the sources of information are equally relial where conflicting influences prevail, it is almost impossible, after the l any great length of time, to get at the exact truth. Even facts, seen fr ferent stand-points, appear differently to the most conscientious person cases of this kind, where the proofs on either side are not positive, I ha ferred-sometimes at the expense of prolixity-to give the different stat especially where there is a general concurrence of testimony as to the mai Thus, it will be seen that the amount of bullion produced on the Pacif is variously estimated by the best informed and most intelligent men. M burner's estimates are somewhat lower than those usually accepted by the but I believe they are well-considered. Gold and silver are so generally together under the head of "bullion," that none of the express comp bankers have hitherto kept separate records of the products of each. be very difficult to obtain correct returns on this point, unless the n assay offices and the authorities at the branch mint could furnish detail quantity obtained by parting, or by estimating the bullion passing throu establishments-the two metals are so universally alloyed with each oth

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Mr. Swain, superintendent of the branch mint at San Francisco, a ge possessing both the means and the disposition to inform himself on this

the product of gold and silver for Oregon, California, Nevada, and ton Territory. as follows:

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differences of opinion, however, exist as to the accuracy of this estiTo some it appears exaggerated, while others pronounce it far below al yield. The imperfect returns received for the last nine months would o warrant the conclusion that it is not an unreasonable estimate. For inthe product of Oregon is assumed to be $8,000,000. Statistical tables, d to be worthy of credit, show a probable yield for that State of 0.000. In 1865 the generally accepted estimate for Oregon was $19,000,000, that was probably above the actual product. There is good ground for g that the result this year will be considerably above that of the last The same may be said of the Territories of Idaho and Montana.

ke manner, the capital in circulation in California, and necessary for the tion of business within the limits of the State, is variously estimated at 25,000,000 to $50,000,000. It is believed that $10,000,000 is annually up to the mines to defray the current expenses of mining; but there is rd of the return of this amount in the form of a circulating medium. iming the estimate of the product of bullion, as above given, to be apately correct, it will be seen that the States and Territories on the Pacific produce annually upwards of $100,000,000 of the precious metals, a y more than four times as great as the total product of the world less hirty years ago. The improved processes for the extraction of these from their ores, made within the past two years, and the constantly ing area over which gold and silver mines are being developed, furnish guarantees that there will be no abatement in the product for years to provided government places no impediments in the way by impolitic tion. The recent financial panic in Europe afforded an illustration of the ance of encouraging this branch of industry. Within sixty days during anic there was exported from San Francisco the enormous sum of $12,000,000 d and silver, without which, it is well known, the commercial interests of nited States would have suffered in sympathy with those of our best ners in England. The shipments of specie from San Francisco to New during the first eight months of 1866 amounted to $27,729,010. ere is a more striking form in which the importance of the gold and silver of the Pacific coast on the national welfare may be illustrated.

e product of these metals for the present year exceeds in amount all the and silver in the national treasury, and in all the banks in all the States.

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