The Sumpter miner. [volume] (Sumpter, Or.) 1899-1905, 1900-10-31
QUICKSILVER OUTPUT.
Demand Increasing, Supply De-
creasing, Prices Rising.

That the demand for quicksilver Is in.
ereasing while the supply Is visibly dimin.
ishing, may be matter Of congratulation
for dealers in the slippery metal, but It is
serious thing for gold producers to con.
slider. And the advanced price Is not the
only thing for thought, but the failure Of
an output sufficient to meet the present
demand would have the effect Of stagna.
ton In gold mining to that extent, for
there is nothing that Is known to science
which has such an affinity tor the precious
yellow metal.
A few statistics NAV prove interesting
In this connection. While quicksilver Is
found in various parts Of the world it is in
such small quantities that in many dis.
trcts its production is unproiltable.
On commercial scale 1t Is only pro.
duced in Spain, Austria, Italy, and the
United States. Mexico and Russia have
produced small quantities for years past,
without effect on the worlds markets, as
both these countries are large consumers
and importers Of that metal.
Since 1850 the United States has pro.
duced over two.fifths Of the entire worlds
output Of quicksilver, says noted author.
ity. Practically all Of this comes from
California. Out Of the 1919 TASKS pro.
dueed IN this country In 1850, 70,4s4 came
from California.
While quicksilver Is used In the arts
and manufactures, its chief value Is IN the
separation Of gold from auriferous ores, In
the manufacture Of fine paints and the
preparation Of medicinal compounds and
explosives. As an amalgamating agent
IN the treatment Of gold ores II occupies
the first place In the mining world, aud the
demand for It Is invariably ahead OF the
supply. Its use In the arts Is also extend.
ing, and makes great drain In the worlds
product Of this valuable metal.
The ore from which quicksilver Is most
commonly produced Is cinnabar. From
this ore the metal is obtained by roasting.
When heated In q suitable manner to Cos
deg. r. or higher, the cinnabar becomes
desulphurized, the mercury passing over
In vapor from the furnace to the cooling
chambers or condensors. These conden.
sers, usually made Of brick, are Of suffi.
Client size and num',er to permit the mer.
curial fumes to cool upon the walls and
floors, where they gather In large globules
Of mercury. These giobules uniting, grav.
itate to the receiving trough and from
thence run into large receivers, from which
the metal Is drawn into TASKS and Is ready
for use for market.
These TASKS are uniform In sire the
world over. The American producer, how.
ever, gives little better weight than do
the Europeans, the American flask, when
filled. weighing 76.sI pounds usually
pounds OF the European TASKS.
The largest production OF quicksilver in
California occurred from 1870 TO 1870,
when the average yearly output was 49,.
loo TASKS, and tine average price per flask
S47.s3. IN the next decade the production
averaged 2o,767 TASKS per annum, and the
average price was S33.o7. From 1890 to
1899 the average yearly production was
28,38s. and the average price S38.2S per
flask. In 1900 the production was 2o,4s4
TASKS, and the average prize S47, 10, which
was the highest average prize since 1850.
The condition OF the industry last year
was ve,y satisfactory. Nearly all the
California mines did well and most Of
them paid regular dividends.
Rnf a much healthier condition nIeNailS1 N