The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1897-01-03
OUTPUT or MINERAL.
tinted states Leads in the Produce
ton of Gold.

New York. January 1.-THE Engineering
and Mining Journal today contains Stats
tics of the mineral productions of the
United States during 1896
The production OF minerals and metals
in the United States for the year 1896 Is
given at a total value OF $655,3ll i6S, show
Ing "A decrease as compared with lS15 of
$2i, 6S9, 266 or about ala per cent This de-
crease was largely in values rather than
IN quantities. in none of the clacf ARTICLES
was there any marked dCcrelsc, while in
several there were considerable Increases.
The total Iroduction of metals Ia the
year 1896 was valued at S2i2,oli. ISL, an in
crease of Sl,69i III over the previous yedr.
while the value Of non-metaillc suDsi inces
was $40, 9gggsT. a decrease of S26.3s3JT
from 1895. A large part OF this WAS due 10
the lower values Of coal. stone and IA few
other important substances. very little re-
suiting from the smaller quantities.
The production of aluminium shows an
increase of io0,yvJ pounds over that OF 1879.
the total for the year benz i,""oyW
pounds. The production continues Il, tho
hands of single company, the Pittsbui
Reduced ore company.
An increase OF about 100 tons is reported
in the producgon of antiinonN. Wl,ch
came wholly from California m; -Jss.
The increase in copper has betn extra
ordinary. the total "a n amounting 10 67.|
J1J.lb pounds. Th.A galJn was maze IN
spite OF a large decrease in the domestic
demand. but was more than absorbed BY
the extraordinary exports for the year.
which are the largest on record
The gold production OF the United States
in 1886 ryacR-d Il total of $4,000 II su.I
over 1885 of no less ,han slo,ldjS0J. ms
extraordinary advance. when lar sur
passes the gain reported inOfn aly other
country N the word, puts the United
States N the lead OF the producing conn
In aSl N m
70 per cent OF the total reported for the
entire world,
Tns Se ion, Gf p pRs rGa has ss SSsn
The depression of busiaess which made
itself manifest in the latter part OF the
year had Ness effect than might have been
oaiy bd. iSs tons. or about per cent.
the prSluit on Of ,sai 4, rem rs, domestic
show -ne an Increase of 2o.sBj tons over tho
pre- ed.ng year In addlton 10 This thcio
were 1900 tons produced from imported
ores or refined from imported bullion.
The quicksilver output Tor isgd was BOP
fa SKIS of ,iia pCunde each, showing a Qc-
CT case OF go TASKS from the previous year.
The production continues TO come wholly
from the California mines. no new depos-
It's having been developed TO the producing
poiryt during the year.
The production OF silver from domestic
ores reached n total OF 4l.iS5.l73 fne
ounces. showing 1 decrease from that Of
1895 amounting 10 1886 ounces only. The
SlNt. IIoluNA oi Ui9 mus lstch ll14iAtalittl
better than has been ANTICIPATED More
over, there were produced from foreign
ore., and bullion by our smelters and other
works no le"s than f0,cl0.Ooo fine ounces
of silver, making the :otal quantity re-
fined or put into final marketable form in
this county si,i65,l73 fine ounces. This
large prediction was almost entirely alb
sorDed by the markets and the average
price OF scver for the year shows an act
ual advance, having been q cents. al
though towards the close of he year It
fell about per cent below hat point. OF
the silver obtained fro:l foreign ores II =
estimated that SSOo9,oOo ounce came from
Mexican ores and bullion and 10000
ounces from materials brought into this
country from Canada, chiefly from Brit
ish Columbia.
As was Inevitable n year OF business
depre ssion. the increase IN coal was not
large; in fact. 8; y surprising that btu
m!nous coal should have shown any gain
at al TIE output in 1896 was lH7TO.ma !
tons. showing a gain over 1875 OF 4g7l, TO-
tons, on the other hand there was a de-
creaoa OF G,7s2.o57 short ions In the anthu- |
clio production, this amount being greater
than the gain In bituminous. The total
coal production was. therefore fo3 35i. OF !
shor.', lows --i 40 total dcrrcsFe as cow