The Middlebury register and Addison County journal. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1883-1885, 1885-07-03
Midd1ebury Register
OUR MIN ERAL RESOURCES
Coal, Iron, Petroleum, Etc, Produced
in 1883 and 1SSi.

The second report on "The Mineral Re-
sources of the United States" by Albert
Williams, Jr, chief of the division of mining
statistics and technology, U. S. geological
survey, is now in press and will be issued
shortly as one of the census publications.
The report is for the calendar year 1888 and
1854, and contains detailed statistics for these
periods and also for proceeding years, to.
gether with much descriptive and technical
matter. According to the report the CONNER
cal product of the coal fields during the year
1884 were as follows: Pennsylvania anthra-
cite, sc, 7lS,293 long tons; bituminous
and brown coal, Ignite and small lots of an.
thraclte mined elsewhere than in Pennsvl.
vanla, 66,SI5, az long tons: total, 81, 594. 065
long tons. The spot value of the commercial
product was, Pennsylvania anthracite, SOL, 49,
5S6; bituminous and all other Goals. S1O.2lg-
sci; total, S13l $50, 147. Including the local
consumption, etc, the total product in 1884
may be stated at LOG, 90j, POS long tons; nam,-
ly: 80, 10, 75G long tons of PENNSYLVANIA an
t~hracite, and 13,I5O,539 long tons of bitumi.
nous and all other Goals; and the value at the
mines was: pennsylvania anthracite, SOC, 35l,-
5l2, bltuminons and all other Goals.
ST,4l1,O65 total, $143, 7GS,j1S. The
total production chat is including col.
liery and local consumption of anthracite
was i,lG0,1l3 long tons than in
1888, while its value was $40, 905, 543 less the
disproportionate decline in value being duet to
a fall OF twenty-five cents per ton in spot
prices (S2.25 to 81. The total bituminous
coal production increased ), 1919, 039 long tons
over that of 1883; but its value was 81, S2O,-
i34 less, the average valuation at the collieries
having fallen from Sl.20 to $l.0j. The total
output of all Goals showed a net gain in ton
mage of 4,O3S,9 !6 long tons, and a decline in
value of SIS, 726, 21I.
There were 1873, sos short tons of coke
made in 1884, worth 81, PIP, s7S at the ovens.
This production consumed 1851, 914short tons
of coal. The amount of coke made was 800
ZIG tons less than in 1888, and the value was
$S7s, 12J less.
The product of crude petroleum in 1884
was 2i,OS9, .3S barrels of AZ gallons each, of
which the Pennsylvania and New York oil
fields produced %, 62?, 75S barrels. The total
value, at an average spot price of s. cents.
was $50, 476, 294. As compared with 1888. the
production was $50, 529 barrels greater, but
the total value was S., 263, 95S less, the aver
age spot price having fallen from 81. 10. or 81
cents per barrel.
From the report it appears that 5000. 900
long tons of iron ore were mined in 1884,
valued at the mine at $22, $50. 900. The pig
iron made aggregated 4,097, SOS long tons, a
decrease Of 97,G42 tons as compared with
1875, valued at the furnace at S73, 761, 624, or
SIS ,l4S,576 less than in 1888. The product of
copper in 1884, including 2,S5s, ia pounds
made from imported pyrites was 4 1921. 1884
pounds, worth ST., 7S9,GS7, at an average
price of twelve and a quarter cents per pound
in New York. The amount was 2S,010, 1879
pounds greater than the production of 1883,
but the value was s?75, 12O less, owing to the
decline in price. The total value of the me-
tallic production of 1884 was S1sG, O97, 500,
and of the non metallic mineral product
S227,OJ7.O2l, making a grand total of Sab
104. $40.
Tables showing tine quantities and values
of the mineral products of the United
States in 1888 and 1882 are appended for
comparison. From these it appears that
the total value of the metals and
minerals produced in 1884 was
$39, 100, COS less than in 1888, and that the de-
cline in 1883 from 1881, was S3,Ol2, OGl; that
is, the falling off in value began on a small
scale in 1883, but was accented in 1884. The
decline, says the author of the report, has
been due rather to a depression in price than
a decrease i'll quantity; indeed, several i'm
portant substances show a decided Increase
in production, Notwithstanding the general
dizziness of the trade. The over production,
taking the whole field into consideration, has
been less than was generally feared.