The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1894-06-21
APPROVE PERKINS
Quicksilver Men Feeling
Better.
An Important California Industry
Glad to Get Half Loaf Rather
Than No Bread.

The quicksilver miners of California
leaned back in their chairs with a sigh Of
relief and mopped the sweat OF long
standing anxiety from their brows when
they read the dispatches from Washington
yesterday morning Senator Perkins had
saved the tariff on quicksilver. One of
the States most distinctive and richest
industries was no longer in danger of be-
ing sunk into the bOttomless sink Of
mislegislation.
The story was that as the tariff bill left
the House quicksilver was removed from
the list OF dutiable minerals In the Nc
Kinley bill il bore tariff of 10 cents
pound. The California miners, who are
the only producers in the United States,
at once set TO work with figures and infiu-
ences of various sorts to prevail upon the
Senate 10 amend the matter. Things had
been in a stew of unrest ever since until
yesterday.
MI Staacke OF the Bell Mining Com
pany, when asked how the adjustment
would satisfy the parties concerned, said:
well, it's a compromise. Better half
loaf than no bread at all. The Qlick-
silver mines have not been making any
money for some time past. even under
/ the Mckinley law. Had the duty been
removed entirely we should simply have
had to drop out of existence. 1t would he
! impossible TO compete with the ROths-
| child AlmadeD mines in Spain, where the
cost of labor is virtually nothing, and
where the ore Is extraordinarily rich and
! inexhaustibls. What there costs only 81
to produce costs $40 here. Besides the
output of the California mines more than
supplies the demand OF the American mar
ket when at its highest point.
"Since the price of silver went down and
the mines all over the country closed up,
! the quicksilver trade has amounted 10
nothing. Silver mines consume one hun
! dred times as much quicksilver a the gold
mines. A hundreds amp mill reduc-
! ing silver requires as much quicksilver as
! ali the gold mines in California. To show
| how little the latter use. the great Ken
nedy mine, which is paying $40, 600 to
| $4,000 per month in dividends, does not
! require more than about one flask (76h
! pounds per month.
/ The total production of quicksilver in
! California under normal conditions Is
! about 30 eco TASKS a year. The old Alma
! den mine in Spain is producing at present
some $4,000 flask. Other mines in Europe
are putting out about 10000 TASKS. making
the total output for the world about 100. 000
! TASKS The American market now con-
sumes no more than $1,000 TASKS. if that
! many, which is one-half the possible sup
! plV of this State. So we are compelled to
enter the European and Mexican markets
! in competition with RothSchlG's great
! Almaden resources. Therefore 1t is easy
to see how reasonable has been our anx-
lety about the preservation of the duty on
oar minerals. Tire figure should really
have been maintained at 10 cents; but, as
l said, we are glad TO accept cents wnen
we can get no more"
Other prominent miners all accorded
with Dir. Staacke. Without the tariff their
business would have been ruined. With
the prospect of losing il, one firm at least
I had prepared to close its mines.
The credit for the good work in Wash
ing was generally conceded TO j. b. Raudol
of this city, whose name was quoted in
the dispatches as having furnished i'm
portaut Information to the Senate through
Senator Perkins. Mr.. Randol is recng-
niZed as an authority upon quicksilver
mining.