Helena weekly herald., 1889-06-13

tistics and Technology, United States Geo
logical survey, is to be issued shortly. Thl
report is for the calendar year 1885, ant
contains detailed statistics for this period
and also for preceding years, togethe
with much descriptive and technical mat
ter. The following are the totals of th'
production of the more important minera
substances in 1888:
METALS.
Iron and Steel.-The principal statistic:
for 1883 were: Domestic iron ore con
sumed, about 10000, GOO long tons; valued
at mines, $28, ,944, ,000 This is an increase
over 1887 in quantity of 100000 tons, but 6
decrease in value of S4957 900. Imported
IRON ore consumed 587, ,47O long tons; total
iron ore consumed in 1888, about II, $4,000
long tons, or 10000 tons more than IN
1887. Pig-ir0n made in 1883, 64S9, 74S
long tons; value at furnace, SlO7,OOO,OOO.
This is an increase over 1887 OF 72,69O
tons in quantity, but a decrease OF Sl4,-
925, 800 in value Steel of all kinds pro-
duced in 1888, 2,899, 44O long tons; value at
works SS9,000000 This is a decrease
from 1887 of 439, ,631 tons in quantity, and
of SASH, 900 in value. Total spot value
of all iron and steel made in 1888, in the
first stage of manufacture, excluding all
Implications, $145,000,000, a decrease OF
S26 1O3 900 as compared with 1887. Lime
stone used as fux in the manufacture of
pig-iron in 1888, about 5, 43S 900 long tons;
value at quarry about S2,7l7,OOO.
Gold and SiIUer--AccOrding TO he
Director of the Mint the gold product was
1904 927 fine ounces, valued at $33, 175, 600.
This is about the same as in 1887, being an
excess of only $4,000 The silver pro-
duct was 45753,632 fine ounces, of the
commercial value of about $43,000,000 and
of the coming value OF $50, ,195,O0O. This
is an increase of 4,515, 1877 ounces over the
product in 1857. In addition to the pro-
duct of our own mines some 100000
ounces of silver were extracted In the
United States from foreign ores and bullion.
Copper-The total product, including
the yield of imported ores, increased to
23l, ,270,622 pounds, or 115, 5,635 short tons,
during 1888, which is 46,053, ,291 pounds
more than the product of 1887. During
the first quarter of 1889 the production
was increasing at even a more rapid rate.
The prices received by American producers
averaged 152 cents per pound for Lake,
144 for Arizona and IA for other districts !;
making the total value $33, 1888 ,954 Mon
tapa led in the production, making 81 ,897,- :
96S pounds Consumption was somewhat
reduced by the high prices.
Lead.-The product increased to SO.555
short tons from 10000 tons in 1887. The
increase was due principally to the heavier
receipts of lead in Mexican silver-lead ores
from $4,000 tons in 1887 to over 81 900 tons
in 1888. The average price in New York
was Al cents per pound. The production
of white lead, chiefly from pig iron, was
$4,000 short tons, valued at $1O,6SO,OOO.
Zinc. The erection of new works and
the extention of old ones led to a further
notable increase in the production of zinc
in 1888. The additions to capasity were
uniformly distributed in the West,
East and South. Production in 1888, 55,-
9O3 short tons, with a total value of $5,-
5OO,S55; in 1887, 50,34O tons, worth $4,-
782,300. The production of zinc white in
1888, directly from ores, was 10000 short
tons, worth $1,6OO,OOO.
Quicksilver product was SO, $50
TASKS (of 764 pounds EACH from California,
decline in that State of 410 TASKS from
1887, in spite of a very satisfactory price,
which averaged SAP so per flask, making
the total value 81, 1,413,125. No new valu-
able deposits were discovered in 1888, and
without them it is not probable that the
yield OF quicksilver will increase.
Nickel-The industry remains un-
changed except for indications of further
developments at Lovelock in Nevada and
Riddle, Oregon. The product includes
190,637 pounds of metallic nickel, valued
at 114,3S2 at 80 cents per pound, and ,545
pounds, worth $l136, exported in ores and
matte. Total value $115,51S. The cor
responding value In 1887 was $780,
Aiuminum-The past year was more
promising than ever before for the produc
tion of cheap aluminium. The production
of cheap aluminium as an industry distinct
from tne production of alloys began to-
ward the close of the year, and 500 poands
had been made up to December 81; the
production OF 5000 pounds since then in.
dicates that the industry may continue.
The exact amount of alloys produced by
the Cowles process has not been furnished,
out was not markedly different from the
product of 1887, when $4,000 pouuds of
aluminium contained in bronze and ferIo
aluminium were produced. The price for
metallic aluminium declined to as low as
t.OO
Platinum-Including the platinum and
iridium separated from gold by the assay
offices and that saved IN placer gold min
ing, the product was about 500 ounces, val
ued at $4,000.
Totals.-The total value of the minerals
produced in 1888 was $591 ,659, ,931. 1t is
recognized that this is the sum of the val
ues of substances taken in various stages
of manufacture and hence not strictly COM
parable with each other; still
it is the most valuable means for
comparing the total products of different
years. The result is an increase of nearly
$5,O000O0 beyond the value of the product
in 1887. In that year nearly every mineral
industry slowed an increase, and hence an
increased total was evident But the fact
that the increase was so very large was due
to rather exceptional conditions in few
important industries, and it could not rea-
sor ably be expected that similar combi-
nation of circumstances would result In
even larger total value for 1885, Neverthe-
less the unprecedented stimulus given to the
production of copper by al artificial price
increased the total value of that product
nearly $13,OO0,000, or nearly enough to
offset the decline in the total value OF pig
iron. The other imporatant factors in the
increase we're coal and the other fuels
which followed the increased quantity Of
metals. With the anticipated decline Of
copper to the normal demand, q decline in
the total value of the product in 1889 will
not be inc0nsistsnt with the natural de-
vslopment of our mineral resources.
ho Man