The St. Johns herald., 1895-01-17
OUR PHOSPHATE MINES.
A Newly-Developed Industry of
 Much Importance.
Destined to Become a Source of Great Profit to American Agriculturists Some Valuable InfOr-
 nation <

We find in a special report of the commissioner of labor the latest statis- tics relating to the phosphate industry of the United States. The report, says the New York Sun, not only shows the actual output of our phosphate mines, but estimates the period during which the industry may be expected to con- tinue.
 Carroll D. Wright, the commissioner of labor, points out in his introduction that the value of the discovery of phos- phates, from an agricultural view point, cannot be overrated. Previously to 1841 the principal commercial fertil- izer had been bone dust, but, in the year named, guano was introduced from the Chincha islands of Peru and, ow- ing to the greater solubility of this commodity, the demand for it rapidly increased. As time went on, however, the inadequate and rapidly decreasing supply of guano and bone dust led to the active development of the phos- phate industry in South Carolina in 1867 and in Florida some twenty-one years later. In 1891, the last year for which statistics are complete, the quantity of phosphate produced in the United States was 757, ,133 tons, much the larger portion of which came from South Carolina, where at present the mines are most vigorously worked. The next largest producer of the fer tilizer is France, which, in the year named, was credited with 100000 tons, after which should be placed Belgium with 100000. The entire output of the world in 1891, outside of the United States, was $50, 1000 tons.
 The home consumption of the fertil- izer takes place chiefly in the southern, eastern and western states. It is con- spicuously in demand for the cotton crop of the south, for the fruit and vegetable crops of the east and for the grain crops of the west. As regards the situation of the principal deposits. we learn that there are in South Car olina twenty-three land mines and seven river mines; that there is one land mine in North Carolina, while there are no fewer than eighty-eight land mines and eighteen river mines in Florida. The number of acres con troiled for mining purposes in Florida is 179, ,S4S; in North Carolina, 2,500, and in South Carolina 60, ,790, or a total of 252, ,13S acres. The total capital in- vested in plant in Florida is $2, 40, 5S2, and in land S11, ,34G, 0G7; in North Caro- lima the plant is represented by 5000 and the land by S100, ,0J0; in South Car o1. Al .~ |, NSO the land 8 3,920,0)0. The total average number of employees engaged in the production of pho8phates i3 9,175, but this does not include all the labor in one mine or the skilled labor in two mines, the facts in relation to which are not reported. The total amount of money expended for labor was g., ,473,- 615, and the average earnings of a miner amounted to $270 per annum.
 We are assured that great pains has been taken by the department of labor to collect trustworthy in- formation as to the amount of phOS- phates which may reasonably be eX- pected to be delivered hereafter from the mines. The quantity in sight in South Carolina is computed at 14,000,- 900 tons; in this state the industry, at the present rate of production, will ex- tend over twenty-eight years from 1891. The quantity of phosphate visible in North Carolina, Georgia and other states is put down at 100000 tons, while Florida is credited with the enormous quantity of 133, ,056, ,116 tons. Taken together these estimates show q total of 148, ,056, ,416 tons of phosphate in sight, and enable us to measure the future opportunities for the employ ment of labor in this industry.