The herald., 1898-10-08
OUR MINERAL PRODUCTS
INTERESTING SYNOPSIS OF A
GOVERNMENT REPORT
RUMORED TIN PLATE COMBINE
Advance in Tin Plate Contemplated.
Acetylene Experiments in Indi-
ana-Dividend Notes
OFFICE OF THE HERALD,
Los Angeles, Oct. Z, 1898.

OFFICE Oh THE HERALD,
Los Angeles, Oct. e 1898.
The statistics Of the mineral production or
the United States, as prepared by the
United States geological survey, are al
ways of interest, dealing, as they do, with
a quantity which is as yet undetermined
The figures for the year 1897 are the most
for half a decade, says Brad
streets, showing, as they do, the greatest
value of general product for any year since
1892 and the greatest value for any year
In the decade since 1887, with the single ex-
ception Of that year. The total value of tho
min eral products of the United States for
lhe year 1897 amounted to s632 .3l2 ,a47. This
b nearly 81, 900 900 in excess of the value Of
he production for the year before and
searly $500 900 In excess Of that for the
scar preceding. 1t .s over SIC 300 00o less than
hat fer the year 1892, but exceeds the total
,r every other year OF the decade, as has
tsn remarked before. The non-metallic
ioducts for the year were valued at 1929,
S,Sl5, a decrease Of over $6,000,000 as com
ired with the preceding year, but an it,
pase over every other year in the decade
th the exception Of the years 1892 and
It, The metallic pr6ducts were valued
aS3O2 19S, ,J02, an increase CT over $l4 600 900
aScompared with the preceding year and,
inced, an increase as compared with every
o:er year with the exceptions of 1890 and
1SS
lnong the mineral products b.tum.nous
Goa leads all the rest in value, its produc.
anlunting to S119740,O52. Next in order OF
vale comes pig iron. with a total Of $685.
12o,9. The value Of the bitumnous coal
prodct has been exceeded before within
the ecade in the years 1892 and 1893, though
1t is ver 81 800, 900 .sl excess of the value for
the nar 1896. 1t has also been surpassed
IN vaue by the pig iron product during
the vars 1882 1890, 1891 and 1892. Silver IS
rankcl second among the metallic pre- ducts,
with coming value Of $69, 9,637, 172, though
the Commercial value Of the product is put
at only$32 ,3l6,0 The coming value Of sill
YER in S97 was over Sc. 400, 600 less than that
fer theyear before. while the commercial
value WIS over $7.3O0,00O less. The product
Of gold vas valued at s57 1863 600, which was
nearly $780, 900 in excess Of that for the
year befre, a nd very much more In excess
Ct that fr any other year during the dec
ade Thevalue of the copper product was
not very lar behind that of gold amount
ing to S54ps0, $50. This was over $500 900
in excess pf the value of the product f,r
the preceding year and much more I'm ex-
cess Of tina; far any other year In the dec
ade, Registering, in fact, h.gh-water mark
for that period. The other metallic prod
ucts follow behind at a considerable dis
tance, the value Of lead, the most I'M
portant Of Them, being only S14 ,Ss5. .72S
though that represented an increase of over
81 800, 900 as compared with the year be-
fore.
After btum,nous coal. among the nom
metallic products. is ranked Pennsylvania
with value Of $40 129 ,126. u de-
crease Of over s.. 100000 as compared with
the year 1896 The value Of this product
,ade, reaching sS9.O2O, ,4S3 In 1885, but falling
10 $e5 ,S79,514 in 1889, thence rising to $685.
SS3772 in 1890, to 1884 1876 in 1891, to $751;
Az 900 in 1892 and to sS5, O7S IN 1898. thence
falling to $7S ASS, ,O63 in 1894 and rising to
sS2, ,019 ,272 In 1895. Petroleum ranked third
among the non-metallc mineral products
for the year 1897, being valued at $40, Gil.
This represented a falling off Of nearly
B17, 100000 as compared with the precedi ng
ear and of over SIG. 100 900 as compared with
The year 1895. but an Increase over every
,ther year in the decade. The increase i'm
value as compared with 1888 was nearly
s23 100000. Building stone was fourth in
value among the non-metallic products,
amounting to s36, ,07O, ,651, total which has,
however. been exceeded several times dur
ng the decade. Natural gas took the fifth
place among the non-metallic products, be-
ing valued at $13S26. 422 in 1897, a total slight
~ In excess of that for the year before, but
D marked decrease from 1883, when the
product was valued at s22, ,679S75. Cement,
with value of sS,17S,2S3, and brick clay
with value Of 5000 900, followed closely
after natural gas, the former showing
slight and the latter q marked increase in
value for the decade. Salt occupied the
next place, with avalue of 81 $50 ,020, and
mineral waters followed after. with total
of $4599, JOG. Precious stones showed a very
low value, amounting to only $3.50 Cts, though
that total was In excess CT that for the pre-
,ed,ng year by over s32 $780, The value of
these products reached its highest mark
FOR the decade In 1892 when it was re-
turned at s312 ,05o. Among minor minerals
ozocerite has had rather curious sta
istical history. In 1883 its product was
valued at $1,000. It reached the value of
$3.50 in 1890, but for the years 1896, 1896
md 1897 no figures Of its production are
given.