Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1899-09-07
WEALTH FROM EARTH.
Geological Survey Makes Report for
Calendar Year 1898.

The official report of the mineral
production of the United States for the
calendar year 1898 was made public by
the geological survey. 1t shows that
since 1880 the total value of the min
eral production of the United States
has increased from 1869, 319, 900 to S697,-
$4,000 in 1898, nearly 80 per cent.
The normal increase deduced from
| this record of nineteen years is at the
rate of $4,000, 900 annually, but during
the five years since 1898, the rate of in
crease has been nearly 100000 an
hually. While the normal rate of in
crease may lie somewhere between
| these figures, the totals are marked by
great Irregularities. From 1894 to 1895
the increase was nearly $4,000 900,
while from 1892 to 1894 there was a de-
| crease, owing to the business depres-
sion, of over $121, 100000. From 1896 To
1897 the increase was about $4,000, 900,
about 1.3 per cent, while from 1897 to
1898 was $66, 970,534.
The 1898 total product was the larg-
est in history, exceeding that of 1892,
which held the record prior to 1898, by
nearly $50,000,00O. This is due to a
| general increase all along the line of
mineral products, all of the more i'm
| portant of these showing large in
| creases and almost every one showing
some gain. The value of all metallic
products in 1898 was $344,O96,13O, as
| compared with S302,198,5O2 in 1897, a
gain of 41,897,62S. All of the metals
| except nickel made large gains, copper,
lead, zinc, aluminium, and anthony
reaching their maximum in both pro-
ductIon and value. But while the
amount of pig iron produced in 1898
was greater than in any other year,
yet the value Of this product was con-
siderably less than in 1890 or 1892,
though it increased $21,434,7O1 over
1897, this being more than One-half the
total increase in the metallic products
from 1897 to 1898.
The non-metallic products increased
from $327,710,966 in 1897 to 1852, 783,-
872, a gain Of $25,O72, 9O6. The largest
contributor to this gain was bitumin-
GUS coal which increased from S119.
1924 in 1898 to $132,588,313 in 1898,
gain Of $13, 019, 089 The value of the
anthracite, however, fell off nearly
$4,O0O,O00. The other products show
ing important gains were stone, petro-
leum, natural gas and mineral waters
The official figures of production and
value Of the principal products follow:
Iron and steel-pig iron, II 500, OFT
tons; bessemer steel ingOts, $500, OF
tons; open hearth steel, 2,230,290 long
tons; iron ores, 1928, 1863 long toms
valued at $22,012,542; gold, value, $64,-
1853 900, an increase in product; silver,
"a, $4,000 ounces, coming value, S70,-
384 ,485, or commercial value, $32, 49,
420; copper, 526, 512, 987 pounds, value,
SCI ,S65,276; cad, 231,269 tons, value,
ST ,345, IT'S; zinc, 1899 short tons,
value, $10,385,910; quicksilver, 1902
TASKS, value, $1,189,627; aluminium,
100000 pounds, value, 81, 49, 900; met
allie anthony, 1,120 short tons, value,
S184, 1850, 80 per cent. being derived
from imported ores; manganese, 49,
957 long tons, value, s129,185; nickel,
13, All pounds.
Fuels: Goals, combined product of
anthracite and bituminous, 1876, 405, 1853
long tons, equivalent to PIG, 974,667
short tons, a 91A per cent. increase.
Of the total 148, 742,878 lang tons were
bituminous, coke, 1904, 209 short tons.
Crude petroleum, 55,354,233 barrels;
natural gas, value, S14,750,0 900; stone,
S36 ,607 ,264 in value; clays, $4,000, 600
value; Portland cement, 3 ,692, 284 bar
rels; natural rock cement, S,276, 424
barrels; corrundum and emery, s275,-
O64 value, product, 1904 TONS phos-
phate of rock, COOS long tons, value,
81, 673, POP; gypsum, 291, 638 short tons,
value, 1855, 280; salt, 17,612,634 barrels
of $50 pounds, s6,212,554; boraax, 49,
000,0 900 pounds, S1,120,000; pyrite, 1885,
364 long tons; precious stones, $780,
920 in value; asphaltum, 1881 short
tons, s675,649; limestone for iron fux,
5,275,S19 tons, worth 81, 638, 600; min
eraI waters, 28,S53,4 gallons sold,
worth s8,O51, 1888.