Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1897-10-28
and price per ounce from 1858 to 1895:


Meade says:
1--WE cannot ascertain with any exact
ness the strength of the demand from
the arts. It has probably been stimu
lated by the increasing cheapness of Sill
yer, but there is no evidence that 1t has
increased sufficiently to offset the de-
creased demand for coinage purposes. "
Mr.. Meade thinks that but little of
the silver that has been used in the arts
will ever be put upon the market.
While it is probably true that the most
Of the silver now coined will remain in
this form. the fear that certain countries
will throw their large stocks Of silver
upon the market is constant and is prob
ably largely responsible for the recent
rapid fall in price.
Comparing the years 1873 and 1905,
Mr.. Meade finds that the yearly product
of silver increased 266 per cent, while
the price fell As per cent.
The most interesting portion Of Mr..
Meade's article is that which deals with
the cost Of producing silver. He notes
the general progress Of the silver indus
try and mentions a few of the most i'm
portant improvements In methods and
machinery. The following extracts will
give an idea Of some of the ehanges.
1.-THE first and most important i'm
proyement in silver production has been
the improvement in transportation.
Railroads have been rapidly extended
throughout the western part of the
United States and of recent years into
Mexico. The building of these latter
roads has made possible the importa-
ton of silver ore from Mexico into the
United States, which greatly stimulated
the silver industry of the former coun-
try. Railroad transportation enablestha
shipping of fuel and timber, frequently
scanty in the richest mining localities,
and also the introduction of the i'm
proved machinery. without which, en-
cept In the richest deposits, silver min
ing cannot to-day succeed. Transporta.
ton facilities also make it possible to
utilize lead as byproduct of silver,
which materially decreases the cost OF
silver production. Difficulties of trans
portation have seriously retarded the
progress Of silver mining in Bolivia. A
railway has, however recently been IN
process of construction in that country,
which will open some of the richest
Mines"
Next in Importance to the improve
mcnts in transportation come those in
the mechanical and chemical processes
OF mining and extraction of ore. We
may divide these as follows: Improve
ments in extracting and dressing the
ore and improvements in methods OF
treatment. Under the first the steam
and later the electric hoist have been
substituted for the hand windlass. In
meuse improvements have been made
in the construction of COMMENTATORS.
The old method of concentration, which
is still in use In Mexico and at mines
in the United States, was that of hand
picking. The improvements in sampling
ores have been even more striking.
Great improvements have also been
made IN ore crushing, For the bowlder
crusher of Bolivia and Mexico have been
substituted the battery of stamps and
the rolls. 4 large amount of labor has
been saved by the manner of construc.
ton of the smelling works. All refining
works are now built in terrace form and
are so arranged that the base bullion,
which has necessarily to be handled
while being unloaded. sampled and
charged into the softening furnace, shall
run from one furnace to another and
not be lifted again until it is loaded.
IN the smelling proper improve
ment has been even more active than in
the preliminary operations.
I'm the treatment Of dry silver ores.
which are amalgamated with quick.
silver and retorted. the chief improve.
mcnt of recent years has been in the
saving Of quicksilver
THE methods Of extraction of high
grade silver in vogue in the United
States and In the hest mills Throughout,