150  CONTRIBUTIONS    TO    ECONOMIC    GEOLOGY,   1903.  [bull. 225. 
One  of  these  new  companies  has  sunk  a  shaft  600  feet,  explored  its 
ground  on  the  400-foot  level,  and  is  now  drifting  on  the  600;  another 
sunk  800  feet  to  catch  a  vein  previously  developed  above;  another  is 
down  400  feet  and  has  explored  at  the  200,  300,  and  400  foot  levels; 
another,  after  sinking  600  feet  and  extensively  exploring  the  ground 
at  thai  level,  has  put  its  shaft  down  to  a  total  depth  of  800  feet,  and  is 
now  drifting  on  that  level;  another,  guided  by  considerable  previous 
development,  has  sunk  900  feet  and  drifted  at  the  700-foot  level. 
Four  of  the  older  properties  of  intermediate  size  have  carried  on  con- 
siderable prospecting  and  made  some  shipments. 
As  a  net  result  of  these  operations  some  slightly  mineralized  ground 
has  I  teen  opened,  a  small  amount  of  ore  has  been  discovered,  and  in 
the  ground  which  was  more  wisely  located  the  indications  are  good. 
So  far  as  observed,  however,  no  ore  bodies  of  any  considerable  value 
have  yet  been  uncovered.  Although  this  exploratory  work  has  been 
conducted  with  great  vigor  and  persistence,  if  definite  prospect  of 
adequate  returns  is  not  soon  disclosed  it  is  inevitable  that  the  work 
must  be  abandoned. 
Recent  production. — It  might  have  been  expected  from  the  generally 
increased  activity  of  last  year  that  the  output  would  also  increase. 
On  the  contrary,  the  output  fell  from  a  total  shipment,  including  crude 
ore  and  concentrates,  in  1902  of  330,662,628  pounds  to  292,598,365 
pounds  in  1903;  a  decrease  in  the  shipments  of  last  year  amounting  to 
38,064,263  pounds.  Notwithstanding  this  small  decrease,  the  mines 
of  Park  City  were  the  prime  factors  in  making  Utah  the  leading  silver- 
producing  State  in  the  country  in  1903.  The  decrease  is  not  as  unpro- 
pitious  as  might  appear,  for  it  is  due  to  the  fact  that  the  Ontario 
Company,  on  deciding  to  erect  a  concentrating  mill,  greatly  reduced  its 
shipments.  Neglecting  the  Ontario  shipments  during  these  two  years, 
the  total  output  from  the  camp  increased  in  1903  approximate ty 
17,500,000  pounds.  Each  of  the  great  mines  contributed  an  individual 
increase  to  this  total,  but  the  larger  portion  of  the  increase  was  sup- 
plied by  the  Silver  King  mine.  The  two  great  producing  mines  alone 
paid  dividends  last  year  amounting  to  a  total  of  $2,704,000.  With 
regard  to  the  future,  the  outcome  of  exploration  and  of  experimenta- 
tion on  the  treatment  of  zinciferous  ores  by  one  of  the  great  proper- 
ties, the  results  of  development  by  the  several  young  properties,  and 
the  proof  of  the  capability  of  the  mines  and  the  new  mills  of  two  impor- 
tant properties  are  awaited  with  deep  interest.  On  these  factors  and 
the  continuance  of  good  prices  for  lead  and  silver  the  future  expansion 
of  the  camp  depends.  As  to  the  immediate  future,  it  is  assured  that, 
if  the  lead  and  silver  market  holds  its  present  strength,  the  productive 
-even  without  continuing  their  current  rate  of  increase — equal 
their  shipments  of  last  year,  and  the  Ontario  and  Kearns-Keith  mines 
ship  regularly,  the  total  output  of  the  mines  of  the  Park  City  district 
in  L904  will  considerably  exceed  that  of  any  previous  year. 
