San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1888-08-15
ghe Daily Eight.
WEDNESDAY. AUGUST, IS, 1888.
U. S. MINERAL RESOURCES.

press, under ulrectlOn OF DaVlu L.
Day, chief of division of mining
statistics, have been forwarded this
office from the department at Wash
ington. From these sheets the follow
ing summary has been taken for the
benefit of the readers of the LIGHT.
The products are for the year 1887:
Iron-Total ore consumed II, 494,-
3Ol long tons, an increase of !, Asa 1868
tons over 1886. OF this amount only
l.l94, 3O1 tons were imported. Value
of the home product at the mines,
$50, SOC, 900, an increase of $500, 600
over domestic output of 1886. Pig iron
made at mines, 6,4l7 Jas tons, increase
over 1886 of 1859 tons in quantity
and S26, $50, O4O in value, the total pig
iron value at furnace being S12l, 925,-
800; steel of all kinds, 3,339,O7l
tons: value at works, $l03, 81 900.
Gold and Silver-The total value Of
gold produced in 1887 was $33, 100, 900,
a decrease of 81 900, 900 from 1886 Sill
yer increased from $5l ,OO0,0 600 in 1886
to $53, AL 300 Coming value) in 1887.
Lead-The production of lead was
100. 700 short tons, valued at $l4, 463 900
at 500 per short ton. The heavy in
crease of "desilverizedn lead from
ll4,S2 short tons in 1856 to l35, 552 in
1887 was probably due to the impOrta-
ton of Mexican lead silver ores. The
large product of nOn-argentiferous
lead, 25, las short tons, is due chiefly
to the development of the Saint Joe
district in Missouri. The production
of white lead, and the several oxides,
from pig lead increased to a total OF
about $4,000 short tons.
Coal-The total output of the mines,
including colliery consumption. was:
Pennsylvania anthracite, 37,51S,741
long tons increase over 1856 2,725, $40
long tons or 42,0SS,1 short tons
increase, 3,O52,75l short tons;) all
other Goals, 1881. $3.50 short tons
increase. IA, 129, 4O3 TONS making the
total output of all Goals from mines in
the United States, exclusive of slack
coal thrown on the dumps, 129 1926, 557
short tons increase, 17,1S1, l54 tons,)
valued as follows: Anthracite, SS4,-
ISL increase, IS, 433,6l;) bitumi-
nous, S97, S39, 656 increase, Sl9, 45o, 6OO;)
total value, S1S2, 49l, S37 increase,
So, S91 ,661.) The above figures show
a notable increase in 1887 over 1856 in
the aggregate output and value of
both anthracite and bituminous coal.
Coke.-The total production of coke
in the United States for the year end
ing December 81, 1887, was 1857, 49,
short tons, valued at So, 723, 574. This
is the greatest product ever reached
in the United States, being 1924
tons greater than in 1886.
Petroleum.-Total production; IS
249. 543 barrels of AZ gallons each. The
total value at an average of 60 cents,
was Sl6,949,726. The increase over
1856 was very slight, only 139, 42S bar
rels. There was decrease of II IA
cents per barrel in the average price.
Natural gas-The production of
natural gas in the United States in
1887 was equivalent to 9,055, 900 short
tons of coal displaced. This, at an
average value of $3.50 a ton, would
make the value of the coal displaced
by natural gas (which is the measure
of the value of the gas, Sl3, 49,, 800.
In 1886 the corresponding quantity
was 6,353, 900 tons, worth 9,S47 $50.
Salt-Production in 1887, 1881 1862
barrels (of $50 pounds, value 81, $685.
$40. The annual production has in
creased each year since 1883, but the
total value has declined, being less in
1887 than in 1884, although only ,5l4,-
937 barrels were made in that year.
These are but very few of the min
eral products, as reported in the ad-
vance sheets sent this office from the
interior department, but they are
those in which every one is interested,
our space forbidding full mention.
The aggregate value of all the metals
produced in this country last year
was $685., 056, 345, an increase of near
ly S73, 600, 600 over 1856 and the larg-
est total ever reached in the mineral
industries of any country.
These figures speak for themselves
the value of our mineral Industries.
The great increase in the production
of iron and coal, both young indus
tries in the south, leads unmistaka-
bly, to the conclusion that under the
fostering care of protective policy on
the part of the government these vast
resources of nations wealth will be
nightly increased with the next
semi-decade and the south prepared
fully to compete with older sections of
the country, in the production of coal
and iron. Under free trade policies
this hope becomes hopeless, and these
promising industries will be ruthless
iy butchered to make a democratic
holiday.