30 CANADIAN PACIFIC RAILWAY

The number of mines from which shipments were made in 1909 was
89, but of these only 52 shipped more than 100 tons during the year.

The tonnage of coal mined in the Province in 1909 amounted to
2,006,476 long tons and 258,703 long tons of coke, a total of 2,265,179
long tons valued at $8,574,884. Expanding industries, railway exten-
sion and increasing population demand an ever increasing production of
coal. The total mineral production recorded for the province to end of
1909 was $347,820,584.

The steady increase in production is shown in the following table:—

1800 tee ere ee ot ea $ 2,608,803
M1905 ee whe ie spe Saas 5,643,042
NOOO ee Sa ees ere 16,344,751
TOO5 ea eee a 22,461,325
LOOG Sete aes a ee 24,980,546
1007 ee i ioe See chee: 25,882,560
UOOS te Seer ee 23,851,277
1SO0 ee ee ee 24,443 025

Note: During 1908 and 1909 the price of metal was low, which ac-
counts for decrease in value, though the actual tonnage produced in 1908
exceeded that of 1907 by 279,492 tons of 1544% and the average assay
was greater.

Practically all the mining which has been done to date is confined to
within a comparatively few miles from the railways, and hardly 20 per cent:
of British Columbia can be said to be really known. It is calculated that
there are yet untouched some 300,000 square miles known to be richly
meres a field for the prospector such as exists nowhere else in the
world. :

DISTRIBUTION OF MINERALS.

Gold. Established as an industry in 1858, placer mining progressed
rapidly. The output in 1858 was $705,000 in 1863 it had increased to
nearly $4,000,000. After 1868 the output of the placers decreased, but
they continued to produce an average considerably over $1,000,000 per
annum until 1882. The industry gradually declined until hydraulic and
dredging operations and discoveries in the Atlin district placed it again
upon a substantial footing. The output for placer mining for six years
past .has averaged close to $1,000,000 annually, with several companies
operating on a large scale in the northern districts of the province, and new
discoveries may at any time send the total up rapidly.

Lode gold mining had a small beginning, the first record of production
being 1,170 ounces, worth $23,404 in 1893. The average annual produc-
tion for four years, ending 1907, has been 220,227 ounces worth $4,552,092;
in 1909 it was 238,224 ounces valued at $4,924,090.

Gold is found in paying quantities in almost every section of the pro-
vince, and there is scarcely a creek where “ color ’’ cannot be found.

Silver.

Silver mining was established in Slocan District in 1886, the first
recorded output being in 1887, viz; 17,690 ounces valued at $17,331. In
1907 the production was 2,745,448 ounces, valued at $1,703,825. In
1909 the production was 2,532,742 ounces valued at $1,239,270. Trail
has shipped an aggregate of 500,000 ounces of refined silver to the Royal
mint at Ottawa, Canada. About 77 per cent. of the silver produced is
obtained from silver-lead ores, the remainder being chiefly associated with
copper.