Kansas City journal. [volume] (Kansas City, Mo.) 1897-1928, 1899-03-13

C.rssr'.!is C:lt -. lsissso s.i.:so $50 'S
nroneso ... 1.ssiS.o 1s..eo ss..:S
Aurora 49,. ........ l,So5 90 1000 c:,io5
Galena- Empire s.4i,lso $500 ss,s.I
SLo,ts city ny. ......... isS 90 go: s.sss
nsus Neck -. -. 1850 ..tso s.ss:
ssli,siiis lsSa,s $40 s.Sii
Granb, b,Nevton Co $4,000 1000 +.7a4
Ttal for week......ls.04o 100 I.0i5,O7O a.Sl.s74
III. Missouri and Kansas Zinc Miners AS
week would be the price this Week, and the
orc buyers paid IL and in some cases bet
ter than the scale price. particularly for
above last weeks prices. The price for
fancy grade ore was Sii per ton. the same
price paid last week, and the Eagle mine.
at Carthage. were the only ones who sold
az this price, but about seventy-four cars
Oronogo ore and that from Aiba. s,oits Its
City. hells Neck and about haif the Jop-
lin ore. Lead opened the week at So per
! lcNO. but advanced 10 $3.50 on Friday and
nest of the sales were made at this figure
as producers generally refused to sell dur
Ing the early part of the week at $25.
The situation here is somewhat compli-
Gated. but i simple explanation of condl
tions as, they exist viii serve to make
things plain TO those who are not fanii-
lar with the district and the methods of
mining and of marketing the which
obtain here ut the present time. Conditions
have changed radically during the last two
Years and they are changing every day.
The uses OF zinc throughout the world
have extended wonderfully Of recent years.
80 much SO that every source of supply
has been called upon to furnish its quota.
In Europe many of the old mines are ex-
turned to the United States for ore
and the consumers for spelter. This has
acted directly on the Joplin district which
output OF zinc ore IN the United States.
and this Is the foundation OF our present
prosperity.
a year or two ago the prospeotor could
get his choice of valuable leaseholds for
the asking, hut now it is different and he
finds that the better locations cost him
money much or little according to situ-
! alton near producing mineral land. A few
years ago steam concentrating plants were
few and far between. but in these days
there Is u plant on every lease and In many
! cases plant at every mine on n lease.
These plants are fitted with the latest i'm
nrSyea eapaSs Of hanms ' 100 cr moTs
tons OF ore per day. Compressed air is
coming into use extensively for drilling
ground that is torn down by one of these
drills In q day would astOund II miner of
ten years ago. The district now produces
about ",C00 tons of zinc ore every week and
| this can be increased indefinitely, for the
territorial extent OF the ore hearing forma-
tion is being rapidly exploited and it has
richer ore bodies lie not III the strata near
the surface but III the strata deep down
in the lower levels. The deerest rnine IN
the district IT the present time Is under
$50 feet. but the irill records show that ore
in commercial quantities exists at LEO rect
| and the greatest bodies lie AT me d.p.n
G :iO feet II has then been settled that
the ore bodies OF this district are prhcticnl-
Is inexhaustiile. and here lies our strength.
The bane of this district almost SINCE the
discovery Of ore has been smel'er dSm!na-
tion. Unli within the past month the
srnelter man has had things his own way.
lie has arbitrarily made the price OF ore
and the producer has been forced to take
the price offered or TO keep his ore IN his
bns unsOld In every other mining INDUS
try in the world and in every other mining
q strict the value of the ore Is liked by
the value OF the meta, in the ore as de-
,erminsa by ass assay I uhe m rsnS"n i ss .nas bns sas
been because he was "A poor man and could
not afford to fight the smelter man, but In
this, too. things have changed; for the
mine operator Of to-day Is generally man
of means and is in every case Il man OF
Intelligence. He conducts hts mine like he
happens TO be. and h. has the means to
protect himself when his interests are In
jeopardy. They sad to the sineltet an.'We
purpose TO have she full valu. Of our prod
uct. We want only our due and we are
willing to meet you half way. Come and
m.e, with US aGd help us ia arrange 4
schedule .f prices based upon the price OF
sp.itcr in the open market at st. Louis. 50
that both You and we NAV receive the
Was made under the name "t the Missouri
and Kansas Zine Miners Association. and
instead of cooperating with II the smeiter
interests have 1ntasonized II ana sought
to crush IL in its incipiency. but they have
failed and the association now holds the
whip hand and the people of this district
are hoping that II Will continue TO do SO.
On Monday night of each week the di-
rector- of the association hold Il meeting
and iix the prices according to the grad;
of the ore and upon th- price o! spe!tsr In
the open market at 81. Louis. These prices
the ore buyers asked to pay and II trey
refuse to pay the prices asked the pro-
Queer holds his product until the next
week. until such a time as the buyers
net.Cs force him I" pay the pric. i!Es.i, and
that Is generally very soon. The members
OF the association, produce ahDut 2.Gyy tons
OF or. and they are thus eEaLiei to dictate
the price. II the sn.S.i prod Ger desires To
hold his Ore for the association price. hit
needs cash to tidc him over until N. next
week or u:.;ii ne can sell his ore. the banks
let him have the necessary :iindS at the
IA te OF per cent per anEum. taking the ore
in the bins as security. This infringement
enables the association 10 control the sales
and makes 1t strong. The demand for
sielter is so heavy ard the consumption
OF ore so great that the srHeltcr man is
tcrced 10 pay the price asked a'd cannot
break the associations back by staying
Out Of the market. Another factor that
helps th. associaf ion Is the standing offer
of the foreign sme.ters 70 take all the ore
tfat cannot be marketed in this country.
even 10 the extent OF the entire output Of
this district
This IS the situation as 1t is now and in
the face OF tiicss: conditions il y difficult To
Industry TIE producers al last control
the markets for ore and as long as they do
Sc prosperity vii! reign n this mining dis
tr!ct. and both miner and slneIte. man will
get just what is coming TO them and no