Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 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
eral production of the United States
has increased from 1869 ,3l9 900 to $685.
$50, 002 in 1898, nearly 80 per cent.
The normal increase deduced from
this record of nineteen years is at the
rate of $1S,000,000 annually, but during
the five years since 1898, the rate of in
crease has been nearly $25,000,0O0 an
nually. 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 100000, 900,
while from 1892 to 1894 there was a de-
crease, owing to the business depres-
sion, of over 1921 100000. From 1896 to
1897 the increase was about $S,000,000,
about 1.3 per cent, while from 1897 to
1898 was $66, 970,534
The 1893 total product was the larg-
est in history, exceeding that of 1892,
which held the record prior to 1898, by
nearly $50,000,000. 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 344O96, 1870, as
gain of SAL ,S97,62S. 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, 434,701 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, 1885,
S72, a gain of $25,072, 906. The largest
contributor to this gain was bitumin-
Gus coal which increased from S119,
567,22 in 1898 to 1882, 5SS,313 in 1898,
gain of s13,019,0S9 The value of the
anthracite. however, fell off nearly
S4,000,000 The other products show
ing important gains We're stone, petro-
leum, natural gas and mineral waters
The official figures of production and
value of the principal products follow:
Iron and steel-Qig iron, 10000
tons; bessemer steel ingots, 6,609,017
tons; open hearth steel, 2,23O,290 long
tons; iron ores, 19,27S,369 long tons,
valued at s22,012,542; gold, value, s64,-
$4,000 an increase in product; silver,
! 5443S,000 ounces, coming value, $780,
Ass, or commercial value. S32 49,
/ i20; copper, 526,512,9 S7 pounds, value,
SOL ,S65.276; cad, 231 ,269 tons, value,
S17.345,175; zinc, 1899 short tons,
value, $l0,3S5,9l0; quicksilver, 81 .092
TASKS, value, S1,1S9627; aluminium
100000 pounds, value, S1.716,O00; met
allie anthony, 1120 short tons, value
! SlS4,050, so per cent. being derived
| from imported ores; manganese, Is
957 long tons. value. s129,1S5 nickel
l3.411 pounds.
Fuels: Goals, combined product OF
anthracite and bituminous. 1856, 405 959
long tons equivalent to 219,974667
short tons. a 912 per cent. increase
OF the total 14S.742,S7S lang tons were
hitumnous. coke, 1901 209 short tons
Crude petroleum, 55,S54,2o3 barrels:
natural gas. value, s14750000: stone
6,6o7. 264 IA value; clays, $40, 900 coo
value; Portland cement, ,692,2S4 bar
rels; natural rock cement, S,276. 424
barrels; corrundum and emery s275,-
od4 value. product, 4064 tons; phos-
phate Of rock, 600.S94 long tons. value
s2.673,202: gypsum. 291. e3s short tons