Morris tribune., 1885-06-24
)RRIS, MIMI, WEDNESDAY, JUNE "a, 1885.
SOLID FACTS,
DUG FROM THE VERY FOUNDATIONS
OF THE EARTH,
Showing Something of the Mineral Re,
sources of the United States and What
Years Product Amounts
to in Dollars.

| WASHINGTON CITY, June %. The second
report on "The Mineral Resources of the
United States" by Albert Williams, Jr.,
chief of the division of mining statistics and
technology, United States geological sur
vey, is now in press and will be issued
shortly rs one of the census publications.
The report is for the calendar years 1883
and 1854, and contains detailed statistics
for these periods and also for preceding
years, together with much descriptive and
technical matter. According to the report
the commercial product of the coal fields
during the year 1884 were as follows: Penn
Observation-Disclosures, 30,71S, 293 long tons;
bitumi1ous and brown coal Ignite and small
lots Of anthracite mixed elsewhere than in
Pennsylvania, &c, SIS, 772 long tons; total,
81, 594, ,065 long tons. The spot value of the
commercial product was: Pennsylvania
Anthracite. SCI, 1885, 5S6; bituminous and
all other Goals, $40, 1851; total,
$131, ,656, lat. Including the local con-
sumption, ETC., the total product i'll, 1884
may be stated at 106, ,906,295 long tons;
namely, 50 175, 756 long tons of Pennsylvania
anthracite, and 73, 730, $50 long tons of BIZ
luminous and all other Goals; and the value
at the mines was: Pennsylvania anthracite,
sec, 351 SIP; bituminous and al other Goals,
ST, All, 066; total, S143, 76S, SIS. The total
production that is, including colliery and
local consumption of anthracite was /, l60,-
7l3 long tons less than in 1888, while its
value was l0,905, ,54S less, the dispropor-
tionate decline i'll value being
due to fall of 25 cents per ton atspot prices
(S2 25 to S2). The total bituminous coal
production increased 5,199,039 long tons
over that of 1888, but its value was So, $780,
734 less, the average valuation at the col
lieries have fallen from 81. 20 to $1.O5.
The total output of all Goals showed net
gain in tonnage Of 4, 03S, 326 long tons, and a
decline in value of SIS, 726, ,2T.
There wers 4,S73, sO5 short of coke made
in 1854, worth 81, 242 S7s at the ovens. This
production consumed 1851, 974 short tons Of
coal. The amount of coke made was
800, ,916 less than in 1888, and the value was
$685. 729 less.
The production of crude petroleum in
1884 was "a, ,0S9,75 barrels of 42 gallons
each, of which the Pennsylvania and New
York oil fields produced 23, g. %, ,75S barrels.
The total value at an average spot price of
IS cents was $50, 476, 294 As compared
with 1888, the production was 6S9, 529 bar
rels greater, but the total value was So, 263,
95S less the average spot price having fallen
from 81. 10, or IS cents per barrel.
From the report it appears that S, 200, 900
long tons of iron ore were mined in 1854,
valued at the mine at 500, $4,000. The pig
iron made aggregated 4,097, S5S long tons,
decrease Of 497, 642 tons as compared with
1888, valued at the furnace at S73 761, ,624 or
SIS, 143, SIG less than in 1888.
The product of copper in 1884, including
2,S5S, ,754 pounds made from imported py-
rites, was 145, ,221, ,954 pounds, worth $17,-
7S9, 6S7, at an average price of 12I cents
per pound in New York The amount was
S,07O, 139 pounds greater than the produc-
tion of 1883, but the value was $275, l20 less, |
owing to the decline in price.
The total value of the metallic product of
1854 was 6,O97, 500, and of the non
metallic mineral product 1927, ,OO7, ,G2l |
making grand total of S413, 1O4, 720 Tables |
showing the quantities and values of the |
mineral products of the United States in |
1888 and 1882 were appended for comparison |
From these it appears that the total value |
of the metals and minerals produced in 1884 |
was s59, l0001 less than in 1881 and
that the decline in 1888 from 1882
was s3,012 O6l; that is the falling off
in value began On small scale in
1888, but was accented in 1884. The net de-
cline, says the author of the report has |
been due rather to depression in price than
a decrease in quantity; indeed, several i'm
portant substances show decided increase
in production, Notwithstanding the general
dullness of the trade. The over-p producing,
taking the whole field into consideration
has been less than was generally feared