Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1890-05-08
MINES AND MINING.
DR.. Day, in Charge Of the Census
Statistics, Visits Pittsburg.
HIS WORK is TW0-THIRDS DONE
Natural Gas is Estimated BY the Amount Of
Coal Displaced.
PLATINUM BECOMING AS DEAR AS GOLD

DR.. David Day, of the United States
Geological Survey registered at the
Duouesne yesterday. The doctor has been
assigned the arduous task Of collecting the
census statistics on mines and mining.
His job is big one when it is remembered
that bis work includes looking over all the
mineral resources of the country, and all
the products taken from the earth. Natural
gas and petroleum come in his department,
and since the last census was taken building
stone has been added. 1t is estimated that
this business will aggregate $50, ,000, 600 per
year.
The doctor is still young man, but very
capable. He dresses plainly and talks
fiuently. He came here yesterday to see
Joseph D. Weeks, who is collecting the local
statistics on coal, coke, gas, petroleum and
iron. Mr.. Weeks went South last evening
and he expects to have his job done at the
required time. The doctor returned to
Washington last evening also.
UNABLE TO GIVE FIGURES.
Mr.. Weeks said he was not able to give
any figures yet, but he has discovered that
the coal business has not increased much in
this section lately. DIR. Day in speaking OF
what he had already done said:
1.-THE work is about two-thirds accom-
plished. 1t covers so much ground that I
cannot give any exact data now. There are
some curious things in connection with
mines and mining. The development of the
mineral resources of the country has
been enormous in the past ten years.
ha,, H. lat afr1ro
was not in it, now this fluid is added. The
only way we can get at its worth is BY the
amount of coal displacement. 1t has, as
you know, almost driven coal out of this
market and moved the markets South, West
and North. AS nearly as can tell now the
gas interests will amount to $25, 600, 600.
Oil is something also which was not pro-
duced in Allegheny county ten years ago.
The production of the county will average
about %, 900, 900 barrels per year.
COAL MARKET SHIFTING.
Zone peculiarity about the coal business
is the shifting of the market. Gas has
come in and spoiled the local trade, but the
Illinois and Indiana. The Pittsburg coal
being of superior quality has pushed the
western coal in turn out of these markets. I
even find Illinois coal sold in In
diana, but much of it is
shipped to Duluth and other points in the
Northwest. This coal is burned extensively
in Iowa. The Pittsburg coal has thus
created new market for itself, and IN fact
a better one than it had when the Gas CITY
was the Smoky City. The development in
mining in the South has been remarkable
within ten years, and 1 wonder what will
be the results ten years from now.
"While OH the Pacific Coast recently was
very much interested in the platinum mines
An English firm by shrewd trick has
gobbled The platinum trade in America.
johnson & Mathews, of London, buy up
the product in this country at low prices.
They do this by underselling sometimes,
but principally by making the miners be-
lieve that their platinum is inferior in
quality, and not worth much.
BEARS SQUEEZE THEM OUT.
"By such bearish methods they succeed in
discouraging the men, and, the outlook not
being bright the miners get disgusted and
sell out 1t got out secretly that the supply
of platinum was failing in Russia, and this
fact, helped by corner which the English
firm had made, has forced up the
price of platinum wire from 81
per ounce to S14, and johnson &
fore the price of platinum is as high as gold.
have been watching this firms movements
since these facts became known. Their
New York agent sold his shop
and gave out that on account
of failing health he would spend
a while on the Pacific coast. feel sure that
his whole scheme is to gobble as much pla-
tinum territory for this firm as he can. The
mines in Oregon are good. and would pay
American market should not be supplied BY
native platinum.
DR.. Day was taking to Washington with
him ian made out of aluminium, which
Captain Hunt presented to him. He was
very proud of tie gift.