Wood River times. [volume] (Hailey, Idaho) 1882-1915, 1885-12-16


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she stands Third In the List Of Lead.
Froaaelns states and Territories
Hsr field In 1853 and 1884. n.g
Albert WILLIAMS, Jr., Chief Of Divis.
ion Of Mining Statistics and Technol.
ogy of the United States Geological
Survey. has placed the Trxrs Under
obligations for copy Of his report on
the Mineral Resources Of the United
States for tho calendar years 1883 and
1884. The report, (which is but just
publishsd,) makes . book Of lOl6
pages of small type, and contains a
mass of reliable information which il
Of inesti,nable value to the miner.
smelter. metallurgist, and student Of
geology.
The total production Of lead in the
United States in 1853 was l43,957
tons,in 1884 it was only l39,S97 tons.
u the amounts stated Colorado pro.
duced :0,557 and 63,105 tons, re-
spectively; Utah 10000 and $4,000
tons. respectively; aud Idaho 5000 and
$500 tons. All the other States and
Territories produced less than Idaho,
which is third on tho list. While the
low price OF lead in 1884 doubtless
restrained production, another cause
is given for the shortage in Idaho in
1884, as follows:
During 1883 aud 1884 idaho has
not, from variety Of causes, devel.
oped as u lie. d-producer as rapidly as
wassexpected in many quarters. The
|pfnapal reason WAS, probably, that
operations were limited in character,
pending the completion II the branch
Of the Oregon Short Line railroad into
the Wood River country. Still, the
shipments have been on affair scale,
and the lead contests Of the ores and
bullion which have reached the mar.
ket during the season of 1884 arc es
timated at about $500 tons. The
country in which the ORE bearing zones
have been developed is stated to con
sist of alternate beds of limestone and
quartzite, the strati6cationsoi which is
little disturbed by faults. The ore
deposits themselves, limited to the
limestone belts, are irregular, nor do
they ippear to conform in dip or
strike with the limestone. The ore is
principally galena, carrying fair guam.
titles of silver; the principal gangue
not closely mixed with the ore. bearing
limestone. The ore is Admirably
adapted to cheap dressing, aud ION
siderable number OF concentrating
plants have been put up during the
past two years. The leading mines
thus equipped are the Minnie Moore,
the Eureka, Idaloan. Bullion, Queen
of the Hills, Buxzo, Parker, Ontario,
and others, some of which have al
ready sent conslderabl. ore to local
or other s'nelters. Among other ship.
ping mines the Viola, at Nicholia,
the Elkhorn, May0 ,wer, O. X, and
others may he mentioned. Other Goa
cerns like the Senate, have been &C.
cumulatirg ores 70, future reduction,
There are considerable number oil
smelling plants, the largest being that
of the Philadelphia Company, a,
ketchum.
The district is favored, as compared
with Colorado camps, by having a $25
railroad rate On bullion to Omaha and
Missouri points, the local smelling
charges being from SlS tot20, s2t
deduction for freight to Omaha, the
current freight from there to New
York, the lead being paid Tor At. New
York rates, deducting ~ per cent
for loss, and the silver At New York
figures, deducting Eve per cent. In
less the mining cost is carried too higt
by the possible necessity for heavy
amounts Of prospecting work, due t,
the irregularity Of the deposits, the
Wood River districts, with cheap con
centrating, ranging from 80 cents te
ri per ton, and comparatively low
freight rates, with good grade OF sill
yer, should become large and profit.
able producers OF lead at current rates
and do much toward filing the de
cline which threatens to occur in the
production of the metal in other quar-
tiers.
In 1883 the shi pments of base bull
lion from the Wood River region were
almost double the quantity Of those o.
1854. On the other hand, the ore
shipments in the latter year we're fully
10000 tons. A conservative estimate
made from the returns of the Union
Pacific Railroad Company shows thai
the lead product in bullion and ore
was GOOO tons in 1883 and $500 tona
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