Goldsboro weekly argus. [volume] (Goldsboro, N.C.) 1885-1909, 1895-09-19
Our Mineral Production.

The mineral resources of the
United States are practically in
exhaustible. AS old mines are
worked out and abandoned new
ones are opened. .Notwithstand-
ing the business depression last
year the mineral products of this
country amounted in value to
over $500, 900, 900. The United
States Geological Department
estimates their value at 1927.
655, 500.
In its forthcoming report. ad-
vance sheets of which have been
received, the department divides
mineral products into two classes
metallic and non-metallic. The
latter includes salt, clay, petro-
leum, natural gas and a number
of other articles which the or
binary layman would not class
as mineral products, but with
the Geological Survey eve1y~
thing is counted that doesn't be
long to either the animal or veg
etable kingdom. The years
petroleum output helps to swell
the total considerably. About
so, 900, 900 barrels-of 40 gallons
each-were produced, valued at
$35, $50, 900, In volume the pro-
duct was only a little below that
of 1891 and in value it surpassed
all previous records.
Our chief product in the nou-
metallic class-and of all min
eral products-is coal. More BIZ
luminous and also more antra-
cite coal was mined in tn United
States last year than in any pre-
vious year up to 1892. Owing to
the big strike in the coal mines
in July and August last year the
total mined in the IL months was
about II, 900, 900 tons less than
in tie record year of 1898, when
our coal product exceeded 49,,
900. 900 tons. Our silver friends
may be interested in knowing
that the product of our coal
mines last year was worth more
than twice as much as that Of
our silver mines in the days Of
Government assistance. TIE
value of one years coal produc-
ton is half as much as that of
all other minerals and mineral
products put together.
Next to coal, our most valua-
BILE mineral product is iron. In
the report under consideration
only pig iron is tabulated. The
value of last years output was a
little over, $65, 900, 600. This does
not, of course, include the value
of the iron ore mined, which is
stated in a foot note to have been
$13, 577, 600. In both volume and
value the years production of
pig iron was considerably below
the average. This years, how
ever, promises to beat the record
in each respect. We will pro
duce 10, 600, 900 long tons-2, $40
pounds to the ton-or nearly a
million more than we did in
1890.
The years output of copper
exceeded $50, 600, 900 pounds, or
about 5000, 900 more than was
ever produced before in a single
year. The increase in gold over
tie record was III, 735 ounces,
last years production amounting
to 1910, 816 ounces. Silver, on
the other hand, fell off ABOUT 81
per cent. from the production of
1992-63,5 500, 900 ounces. Lead
and zinc mining suffered consid-
erably from the panic, but has
recovered almost entirely. Last
years output Of lead was about
100, 900 ~tons--19,O 600 less than in
1892. Zinc fell from 81, 1850 tons
in 1892 to rs, 1928.
Aluminium shows the largest
increase, gaining 21O. 900 pounds,
or 60 per cent. over 1894 and
more than 100 per cent. over
1898. We also broke the record
in salt las5 year-13, 900, 900 bar
rels.
Considering the strikes in the
coal and blast furnace districts.
the big railroad strikes, Coxey
marches and other business dis
turbances, our showing in min
eral products last year was in
every way satisfactory. Our
present production is fully up
to the highest in the history of
the country.
Washington News.