The Weiser signal. [volume] (Weiser, Idaho) 1890-1904, 1891-04-09
WHERE FORTUNE SMILES!
Our County the Native Home
Of the Golden God 7!
COPPER PRODUCTION AND MINES
Thc Grcatn of thc
seven Dcviis--Idnho iss
the Champion.

the Champion
The late attempt in France to buy
up and control the surplus copper
the world in order to run up
price to a high figure and thea ..n-
load created inquiry as to the prob
able cause of the movement and also |
the productiveness of the mines Of
the world, the possibility of the ex-
pansion of production to meet the
future demands, and the probability
of new sources of supply being
opened up. In answer to the letter
of inquiry the U. S. government last
year reported no additional sources
of supply west of the Mississippi
river other than those heretofore
enumerated, including Arizona and
Montana. This statement was fatty
contradicted by myself and Others,
for, while there was no production to
speak of from the Seven Devil
mines of Washington county, Idaho,
the source for supply was apparent
to any one with eyes to see and
brain with which to calculate. 1t is
indisputably visible and apparent.
Late in the fall the government,
through the Interior department,
sent a special agent out here to in
vestigate the Seven Devils district
which lie did personally in a
thorough manner; and there is no
doubt but that he was duly i'm
pressed with the greatness of the
camp What his report may have
been has never been made public by
the department., and as the visit was
made at public expense the informa
ton is the property of the public anC
thould therefore be disseminated
1t was the intention of stron,
Montana parties during the existenc
Of the French copper syndicate T.
take large contracts for the deliver
of copper. AS the then apparen
sources of supply were monopolize
by English capitalists in Chill, Bos
!, ton capitalists in Michigan and Bal
!, timore capitalists in Arizona an
Montana, the Seven Devils distriC
was pitched upon as the only avail
able source from which to secure a
additional supply. The collapse c
the French syndicate by forcin
down the price of copper then pre-
vented the deyelopement of til
= Seven Devil mines. But since thu
time the copper industry has receive
new impetus in the direction {
demands occasioned by scientific dis
coveries and requirements. Ele'
, trical machinery and apparatus hay
drawn on the copper store and min'
of the world to such an extent tn;
the consumption is now far great
- than present mining resources ca
q supply. 1t is estimated that Il
present rate of consumption is abol
175, 600 tons per annum, supp
- 1875, coo tons, deficiency 80, 600 ton
,a This deficiency of supply under co
- sumption is at present made up
= utilizing scrap copper and bras
But as the electrical uses of copp
j. destroy irrecoyerably some 30, OF
. tons per annum, the hiatus mu
- be filed in by some new sources
- supply. Only the knowledge whi
- copper producers have of the stil
- ulus which would be given to pI
,at duction by rise in prices preyer
to the price today from being at les
nd 20 percent per pound.
The present copper supply of t
world is practical monopol
Last spring the price Of copper q
ed vanced rapidly, at one time reachi
16& cents per pound. About Il
TO- time Mr.. Wm. L. Pratt, Of BostC
,ry published, over my name, in the a
vertiser an article announcing the
most fabulous copper deposits of
ps Seven Devils camp. This public
ton at once put a stop to the incre;
in the price Of copper and created
',e little stir and excitement in copl
80 circles. Certain Bostonians hs
persistently endeayored to BELT
the camp. Any such efforts are d
iSU ingenious and misleading. ]
~ mines are visible evidence to a
,od one who is honest The veins
ass large, rich and, considering
oy. amount Of work done, surprising
ID, onvone be he miner or expert.