This volume is the result of an investigation simply of the position of the mineral industries among the various forms of industrial activity in the United States. It shows the extent of the industry, measured by the quantity and value of the minerals produced, by the amount of capital at stake in the various mining enterprises, and, more particularly, by the extent to which it affords a means of livelihood to the people of the United States. In considering even these few subjects by the census method, in a country of such vast proportions as the United States, the necessary economy of ttime and money required sharp limitations with each subject.

The inquiry therefore did not extend to the personnel of mining communities. In short, the effort is made to show:

1. The minerals actually produced.
2. The industrial features of capital and wages involved in this production.
3. The number of persons who obtained a living from this product and their usual rates of payment.

Only the persons who gained a livelihood in direct connection with the mines were considered. It was of course impossible to get accurate returns of the large number of prospectors or of the labor cost which they would add if considered in the expenses of mining.