Daily inter mountain., 1900-01-13


company. at keswick, has continued to
be steady producer. Some of the mines
in Shasta county. are under development,
but none of them Is yet a producer ON
any considerable scale. In Utah there
was in 1899 large comparative increase
In the output Of copper, the total amount
ing to about 100000 pounds. Most of
this came from the Highland Boy mine
of the Utah Consolidated Gold Mines
company. which has been successfully
production of ore is concerned, although
tne snew smelling works have not at
tanned the success which was expected.
In this state work on the low grade de-
posits in the Bingham district has bean
generally abandoned since 1t has become
almost certain that their operation would
rot pay. Some other deposits of prom
ise are reported, however, which may
develop into mines in the future. In
Colorado there has been a gain in pro-
duction which comes. however. from ores
which are worked chiefly for their gold
and silver contents: but development Is
being carried on actively in Routt and
Montrose counties, where the claims are
valuable for their copper contents chiefly.
In the other western states no important
changes can be noticed. The Seven Devils
district in Idaho, for which SO much has
been PROMISED at different times during
the past four or five years, has made
very little progress. The Grand En-
oatnpment district in Wyoming is still
encumbered by lack of transportation
and other difficulties.
In the east and south there is a pros
pect of a large increase in cop Nr pro-
duction in the future. One of the most
important changes has been the purchase
of a number of the old .properties in the
vicinity of DucktOwn, in Tennessee, by
New York parties, headed by the Lewis
sohns. who promise to work them sys-
telnatically and on large scale. In Ver-
mont the Elizabeth mine at Strafford, has
developed large and valuable ore body.
While the old Ely mine at Copperfield has
recently been sold to Mr.. George. West
inghouse of Pittsburg, who intends to
work the property Systematically and in.
telligently. There is a prospect also that
the mines at Corinth will soon be in a
fair way toward regular production.
Copper Sulphate-The production Of
copper sulphate in the United States in
1899 amounted to 67,OS9,499 pounds, an in
crease of 11,970,138 pounds over 1898. OF
the sulphate made last year .26 239, ,493
pounds were produced as a by-product
IN the electrolytic refining Of copper, and
the metal contained in this sulphate is.
therefore, added in the total figures
above. The demand for copper sulphate
especially from abroad, has been very
large in spite Of the increase in prices
which followed those in the value Is
metallic copper.
Foreign Production-There has been a
fair, though not a very large increase in
the production of foreign mines. On the
American continent. Canada shows con-
siderable gain in 1S99 principally from the
British Columbia mines, although there
has been some also from the copper
nickel mines of the Sudbery district In
1900 it appears probable that the increase
Will be still greater as preparation has
been made for working and smelling on
very considerable scale the copper ores
of the Boundary district, in British CO.
lumbia, as we'll as those of the West
Kootenay division. In Mexico the Boleo
company has been large producer and
has made considerable additions to it's
operating plant. While little has been
heard from the Inguaran Mines it is
understood that development work is pro-
ceeding actively and with success. From
the minor Mexican producing districts
there has been a considerable gain. In
South America the Chilean mines have
ulus Of high prices.
In Europe nearly all the we'll known
mines made large output in 1899. The
Rio Tinto company is extending its OPP
erations and has ordered a large guam
tity of machinery Of American manu-
facture for the addition of its plant in
Spain. The Tharsis in Spain. the Mason
& Barry in Portugal, and the Libiola in
Italy. have all kept up their production.
The Mansfield in Germany shows COM
pdIdtiVely ulllS CHduSe.
The Cape Copper company has worked
it's mines in South Africa to their full
capacity and is developing a new deposit.
In the early part of the year the Jap
anese mines, especially the Ashio, pro-
duced we'll, and considerable guam
an, which has for some time past con-
sumed nearly all it's own production Of
copper, or sent it to China. About the
end of September the Besshi mine, the
largest producer in the country was
completely drowned out by sudden
flood. At the same time the villages ad-
Joining the mines, which were inhabited
by the miners and laborers employed
there, were also submerged, and more
than 900 persons were drowned. The
mine is in the province OF Iyo, in shiko-
ku. and has been for some time operated
under lease by Mr.. K. Sumitomo Of
Osaka. The production in 1898 was
about 100000 kin a. 200 metric tons) Of
fine copper. The restoration of the mine
will take some time. as nearly all Of the
and underground workings submerged.
while nearly all the skilled miners and
laborers employed were drowned in the
flood, and 1t will take time to replace
them.
THE NEW YORK COPPER MARKET
IN 1s9e
For vars past fears have been enter
tanned In some quarters that in conse-
Guence of the enormous increase in the
production of copper. the supply would
some day far exceed the demand, and
this in spite of the fact that almost from
year to year stocks have shown q de-
crease. This caused more conservative
people to become more watchful to avoid
their being caught mapping and finding
themselves without sufficient supplies.
The year 1893 closed with firm ten
dency and at practically the highest
prices of that period but it was not
until early this year that infallible signs
arose of consumption being practically
larger than production; and stocks, al
ready very small, had to be drawn upon
to such a degree that an upward move
rlent in values was no more than natural.