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.