The Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1877-1885, 1885-06-22
SOLID FACTS,
DUG FROM THE VERY FOUNDATIONS
or THE EARTH,
showing Something Of the Mineral Re-
sources of the United States and What
Years Product Amounts
to in Dollars.

WASHINGTON CRY, 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
yey, is now in press and will be issued
shortly as one of the census publications
The report is for the calendar years 1883
and 1884, 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, 29S long tons;
bituminous and brown coal Ignite and small
lots of anthracite mixed elsewhere than IN
Pennsylvania, 66,s75,772 long tons; total,
90, 594, 065 long tons The spot value Of the
commercial product was: Pennsylvania
Anthracite, Sol, 4S6 $50; bituminous and
all other Goals, $70,2l9,56l; total,
$131, $50, 1i1 Including the local con-
sumption, etc, the total product in 1884
may be stated at JOG, 906 295 long tons;
namely, s., IT'S, 756 long tons of Pennsylvania
anthracite, and "a, $50, $50 long tons of BIZ
luminous ani all oth,r Goals; and the value
at the mines was Pennsylvania anthracite,
$66, 35l ,5l2; btumiDous and al other Goals,
S77, Az, 066; total, $l43, 76S, SIS. The total
production chat is, including colliery and
local consumption of anthracite was ], $780,,
7l3 long tons less then in 1888, while its
value was l0,905 543 less, the dispropor
tomato decline in value being
due to fall of % cents per ton atspot prices
81 25 TO ST. The total bituminous coal
production increased 5, 1915, 039 long tons
over that of 1888, but its value was 81, $50,
TS4 less the average valuation at the col
lieries have fallen from ST. % TO $l.05.
The total output of all Goals showed a net
gain in tonnage of 4 o3S, 1926 long tons, and a
| decline in value of SIS 726, 277
There wers ISIS sos short of coke made
in 1884, worth 81, 242, SIS at the ovens. This
production consumed Z, Isl, 974 short tons OF
coal The amount of coke made was
500, 9l6 less than in 1883, and the value was
$S7S, 729 less
The production of crude petroleum in
1884 was 24,0S975S barrels of AZ gallons
each, of which the Pennsylvania and New
| York oil fields produced 23,632, 75S barrels
| The total value at an average spot price Of
IS cents was $50, 476 294. As compared
| with 1888, the production was $50 529 bar
rels greater, but the total value was s., 263,
95S less, the average spot price having faller
from 81, 10, or rs cents per barrel
From the report it appears that s. 200, 00(
| long tons of iron ore were mined in 1884
valued at the mine at S22 $50, 600 The pig
! iron made aggregated 4,097, s58 long tons, {
decrease of 497, 642 tons as compared with
1888 valued at the furnace at S7S, 76l, 624, o.
| SIS, 14S SIG less than in 1888
The product of copper in 1884, including
| =, S5S, 754 pounds made from imported ply
rites, was las, 22l 1884 pounds, worth SIT,
7S9, 6S7. at an average price of l2A cent
per pound in New York The amount wa
2S, 070, l39 pounds greater than the produc
ton of 1883, but the value was SIS, 100 less
owing to the decline In price.
The total value of the metallic product O
1854 was sls6. 1901, 500, and of the non
metallic mineral product s227, 007, 02l
making grand total of S4lS, l04, 100. Table
showing the quantities and values OF tn
mineral products of the United States il
1888 and 1882 were appended for comparison
From these it appears that the total valu
of the metals and minerals produced in lSs
was $50, 100 OlS less than in 1888, an
that the decline in 1888 from lSS
was SS,0l2, 06i; that is, the falling o.
in value began on a small scale i
1883, but was accented in 1884. The net d.
cline, says the author of the report, ha
been due rather to depression in price tina
q decrease in quantity; indeed. several in
| portant substances show a decided increas
In production, Notwithstanding the geners
dullness of the trade. The over producing
taking the whole field into consideration
has been less than was generally feared.