The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1899-11-07
Reasons Why the Demand for It
Will Con inue to Increase,
NEEDED IN ELECTRIC FIELDS.
All the Copper That Has been Pro-
Auced IN tn the Present L. In the
Process of Manufacture Why
Copper Implements and Utensils
Arc Broken and sold, and Bags of
Old Coins Imported From India.

Copper Sroa ers. smelters and miners all
agree that the marvellous increase in the
Aemana for copper metal that has devei-
cpe. during the last year Is going t. cen
ttnue. The mines Of the world are NOT pro-
daeing anywhere near as much copper as
Is needed to carry OH tha tremendous
electrical improvements that are In prog
rssa The United States Is the great cop
per producing country Of the world. The
average production OF TIRE United States
for some years past has been in the neigh
horhood Of 0.c1 tons per month. At the
present time there IL not n ton OF free
copper Ia the country. That is 10 sag, aiI
The copper that has been produced I'D TO
the present time is now In the
process Of manufacture. This IN spite Of
the fsct that tho mines in the country
produced during the first six months Of the
year i24.lsT tons
Ooubling the Demand for the Metal.
The men who are familiar with copper
business IN al It's branches say that the
demand FOR copper in three yearz-~or, rath-
a.. stree the present boom started-~has
Increased 80 Per cent In that time the
customary 10 per cent. annual increase in
Production has not been kept up.
And this present year. instead of
The 10 per cent increase III the
amour, OF the copper taken FROM the
has been lfss than per cent This is
not because anybody has tried 10 limit the
yroiaction. because all tina workable mines
have been worked almost to their limit
There Is NOT and has rot been since the
demand for copper began TO rise anything
approaching 4 corner in copper. There
has been no attempt ~ corner copper.
Electrical improvements the Cause.
The story % the riss In the price Of cop
per IS the story OF the advance of the
science Of electricity. Tho two have CONC
hand ir hand. Every Improvement In the
electric line has brought out a/fresh de-
Gar9 for copper: every Improvement that
u made nowadays brings out 81 new ia
mans for copper. Hardly a city Of any
Importance IN this country today but has
It's electric railroad. It's telephone system.
i,s elsctric lighting plant. To every ona
OF these Industries copper IN large guam
titles Is essential. In Europe electricity
has not advanced anything like II has here
but today Europe fl following the United
S;ates In tha introduction or electric rail
roads particularly. In England ana other
countries they are putting IN overhead
trolleys In Francs and Germany ana all
the other countries electricity l. coming
more ans more into use ana II is mat
Ter o' a few years when II will he In "a
general use in MI paris Of the world as II
IL In tho United States today. and with II
must OF necessity come further increase
IN the demand for copper. In the mean
time In this country its use Ia being ex-
tended more and moro each week.
Il has come % the point In the copper
business where old copper ID being broken
np and melted anew. That Is To say. in
former years copper was used IN the manu-
facture 90 n great many different articles
when some other metal would have been
,as1 good. The usefulness OF those
various things having perhaps given cat.
people Who own them are breaking lAsm
up and rettun1 the cid copper otlt and
selling t.
nallton Made From Coin.
III line with this WAS a recent !mrorlA-
1y the orfofd Copper Company. thoaEA
the eains We're not. as the papers stated
a. the time. worth more "a metal than
tsey have bean as cois.. They were coEps
called tn by thu government that Issued
them, and We're no lonzof yalua bic az
coin They has served their purpose. bat
fhe copper IN them was eepl and VAS In
demand for ether purposes. 80 II was
srSnpiy puTv basel. ans IN coins today
are being made ;nto copper for manufae-
turing purposes. Copper Is enc ~ the
mas. fu1estructfhls - metals II doesn't
detsstorste WITH SAGE. snt ~ matter how
long :; may have been used IN nun article
car - taken oGt sn8 melted up and
used in any other. aud TINT f. ~hat is So
fag ~ ncw great many thousand tons
Of the eoHrsr thBt has Appeared ia The
MARKET si0co the present scarcity ~ tae
metal beEsu has not come te0eu tho lulnes.
rat has oevn scruE' correr.