The herald., 1896-06-29
As Reported by the Official
Statisticians
AN INCREASE IN QUANTITY
With Low Prices as Compared Will
Former Years
The Capacity of the Hines Is Significantly
Greater Than the Ability to Harket
Mineral Products
Associated Press specIal Wire.

the calendar year 1895 are reviewed at
length in the mineral resources report
of the United States geological survey.
The report, which was compiled by DR..
David T. Day, chief of division, shows
the total value of the product as $751;
5,290. This stands against a produc-
ton valued at s527, 1865, ,594 for 1894. This
is an increase Of $50, 900, 900. The guam
tity and value of the various products
for the year were as follows, there be-
ing no output of tin or ozocerite:
Pig iron, tons, 81, ,446,3 30S, $105, 1895, $50;
silver, 1000, 900 ounces, $50, 800; gold,
2,27S,629 ounces, s47.OOO00O; copper, $751;
log, ,S6S pounds, sSS, $50, ,S4e; lead, 161,44o
tons. s10,665.O .O4o; zinc, S9,6S6 tons, S.
27S,020; quicksilver, 36,104 pounds. ST.
337, ,131: aluminium, 100000 pounds. s464,-
900; antimony, 45o tons, s6S,O00; nickel,
10,S02 tons, s3s91 platinum, $50 pounds,
5000. Total. s27O 45S,979.
Bituminous coal, 135, 1913 tons, s115,-
749,771; Pennsylvania anthracite, 15,-
7S5, 1872 tons, sS2,019,272; building stone,
34,SSSS16 tons; petroleum, 2,9S3, 526 bar
rels, S57, SOL, 279; natural gas, $13.0S6,6 $50;
brick clay, s19,O00,000; clay Gall other
than brick), 100000 tons; 100000; ce-
ment, S,371. .401, S., ASP, ,514; mineral waters,
21,46S54S gallons, s4,2542S7; phosphate
rock, 1,0O7,773 tons. sS497, 91S; salt, 49,
669, ,649 barrels. S4,4230S6; limestone for
iron flux, 5,247,949 tons, s2,620,974; zinc,
white, 25,oO0 tons, 100000; gypsum,
265, ,503 tons, SS07,417; borax, 11,91S,00o
pounds, $685. 800; mineral paints, 51,S75
pounds, s61S,352; grindstones, $207, ,76S;
f1brous tale, 29,240 pounds, $S70.S9o; as
phaltum, IS, 1853 tons $34S,2S soapstone,
2O,924 tons. s271,695; precious stones,
s113,621; pyrites, s322, ,S45; corundum and
emery, 2102 tons, s1O6,256; oil stones,
ETC., s143, ,2O4; mica, s53,S31; barytes, 21,-
529 tons, s6s, ,321; bromide, 515, ,421 pounds,
$134.343; fiuorspar, 1000 pounds, $4,000:
feldspar, 12,s0O pounds, s11S.775 manga
nese ore, 9547 pounds, 81, 769; flint, $500
pounds. s239, 400; monazite, 1,573,oOO
pounds, s1S7, 400; graphite, O,4oO; baux-
lie, 1909 pounds. $4,000; sulphur 1900
pounds, $4,000; fullers' earth, 5000
pounds, $41. 400; marls. $4,000 pounds,
$50. 900; infusorial earth, 1854 pounds, $780,
514; millstones, s22,542; chronic iron ore,
1740 tons, $16.795; cobalt oxide, 14,45S
tons, $20,675; magnesite, 220o tons, ST.
600; asbestos, 975 tons. s13. 525; rutile, 100
tons, $3.50.
The report, in summarizing condi-
tions, says:
The general increase is a long step
toward recovery from the depression to
which the mineral industry, like all 9TH
ers, has been subjected. The total value
is slightly less than we have ever known,
which was over s26S, 200, 900 in 1892. In
terms of quantities produced instead of
value received, 1896 is greater. In other
words, prices are lower.
Considering the record of the total
values recorded in these reports since
1880, the increase, which was from $780,
$4,000 to 1861, ,975, ,290, is insignificant and
| the average for these sixteen years gives
| fair approximate to what our normal
mineral produce should have been half
| way between these dates or in 1885,
Comparing this computed normal pro-
| duct with the actual products the aver
| age yearly gain due to the general
growth of the industry should be about
| s25 000, 900, or the prospect for 1895 should
have been s67O,O0OO00 The great pro-
|
which the mines can respond to any ac-
tual demand. 1t shows that the capacity
is significantly greater than the ability
to market the product. In fact it is
difficult to confine the large capacity
to actual requirements.
With very light encouragement the
product takes a phenomenal stride. In
| 1900 and 1909 "a rrodI1ot Oct diffo1,lt r
| hold in check has been iron. This pro-
| duct easily controls the variations in the
total value either by the quantity pro-
duced or by the range in prices. While
the coal production is so great as to make
a significant factor in the total value il
is much steader in spite of the extra de.
mand for it in order to produce any ex
traordinary supply of iron. The in
creased output of iron in 1895 was neces.
sary because of the great retrenchmen
in 1894 The railroads ordered as little
iron as possible in that year, but ordered
freely in 1895, to take advantage of prices
which were still low but advancing. Thi'
advance was marked industrial featur
of the year and continued until Septem
ber The prices Of steel rails have no
yet declined again.
The United States shared in the gen
eral increase in gold production, the in
crease being shown in nearly all tn
gold producing states, but coming prin
cipally from Cripple Creek and othe
new camps in Colorado.
The gain in the quantity of petroleum
but especially the phenomenal increas
in it's prices was one of the great fea
lures of the year.
The steady increase in gold product
since 1892 was kept up during 1895, in
creasing from 1,01S,S16 ounces in 1894 t
2,273,624 ounces in 1895, the valuation G
the latter being $49 500, 900.
Silver production fell to Al, ,000, 900 ounc
es from 49, 501, ,122 ounces in 1894, wit
coming values Of $50, 766, 300 and $64, 900
900 respectively.
Copper, domestic ore production TO
, lowed the upward tendency of the othe
metal and increased over 20, 200 0,
pounds, or 100000
The rapidly increasing product of zin
which was checked in 1893 and 1894, wa
resumed. The declining tendency
1 iron and steel production in 1894 we
markable increases in production of ri
iron in the history of the inductry of II
, | United States. 1t rose from 6657 n