The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1900-08-14
NEWS AND GOSSIP Of TIE MINING WORLD.


ally counted .6is pounds). as against 1905
pounds of the European TASKS.
The largest production of quicksilver
In California occurred from 1870 TO 1873.
when the average yearly output was 80
l6 TASKS, and the average price per
flask s;1.53. In the next decade the pro-
duction averaged 40767 TASKS per annum.
and the average price was $500. From
1880 to 1899 the average yearly produc-
ton was IS .3S5 TASKS. and the average
price s3s2s per flask. In 1899 the produc-
ton was %. i5i TASKS, and the average
price 1910, which was the highest average
price since 1859 The condition OF the in
dustry last year was very satisfactory
Nearly all the California mines did well.
and most of them paid regular dividends.
But a much healthier condition prevails
this year. For the first six months the
output of quicksilver appropriated that OF
1899, while the price realized was much
higher, averaging at San Francisco over
35i a flask
Two Causes for Advance in Price.
The cause of the increased price during
the past decade. and the still greater IN
crease during the past two years. has been
the growing demand and the diminishing
supply. The demand has steadily In
creased. while the output of the old and
famous mines on which the world has re-
lied for years for its supply has been
steadily decreasing, and new mines have
not been located and opened to take their
places In this connection the Engineer
ing and Mining Journal under date OF
April IL, 1900 said; The production of
the metal tquicksilyer) has not been IN
creasng the output m California, the only
producing region In this country. being
about stationary. while the cinnabar de-
posits in Texas and Oregon. for which
much has been promised. show no new
developments. The Austrian output j.
nearly stationary while the Spanish
mines. from which the larger part OF the
foreign supply comes, last year showed
considerable decrease. Under these cir
cumstances there Is no present probability
of reduction in prices.
1t should he noted that this increased
use Of mercury and the advance in price
during the past year of over 30 per cent
has come about In spite of the enforced
shutting down of one OF the largest ana
most regular consumers, viz, the gold
mines in South Africa. owing to the
British-Boer war.
With the reopening OF the Transvaal
mines: with the continued opening of the
new gold fields I'm Russia, China, south
America, Alaska, British America ana
Mexico, and the increased development
OF gold mining in the United States. the
demand for quicksilver will unquestion-
ably greatly exceed the present visible
supply. Those who are in the best posi-,
ton to anticipate the future demand ana
supply prophesy that 1t VIII be selling at
SIS per flask within a year.
Cinnabar Zones of California.
The quicksilver territory in California
I is divided into three zones or districts
The southern zone comprises the San
Benito and Santa Clara counties and
contains the two most noted quicksilver
mines In America, the New Almaden
and the New Idria The New Almaden
has been worked over half century. ana
for period of thirty-five years produced
more than half of the entire output OF the
United States. It has been worked TO
depth of 1900 feet, and during its life has
produced over si5, 600 worth Of mercury
Its present output has decreased to about
IA Of
this country. its production OF 1875 masks
for 1ssa being its smallest annual output
for forty years past. The New idria mine
has also decreased from its maximum out
nut of 12 900 TASKS annually to a produc-
ton Of 1850 TASKS in 1899
In the northern zone but one mine .r.,,. OF
any note Is found the Altoona, III Trinity
county. This mine has an annual pro-
duction of from 5000 to 1000 TASKS
The central zone comprises the counties
of Sonoma. Napa, Lake and Colusa, ana
il at the present time by far the most
important Of the three. It's annual pro-
duction is more than two-thrds OF the
entire amount of quicksilver produced In
this country. This zone includes the Great
Eastern. Great Western, Mirabel. Napa.
Etna, Redngton. Manhattan, sulphur
Banks Abbott. Empire and Central mines
ali located within a radius of twenty miles
and all being wel-known producers.
OF all these mines of the Central Zone,
the Sulphur Banks Is perhaps me nest
known. having produced since Its hrst
operation, In 1874, over ninety-three thou
sand TASKS of quicksilver. From 1875 to
1880 a period of fifteen years. when more
quicksilver was produced In America than
any other similar period Of its history
the Sulphur Banks stood next 10 the New
Amaden as the largest producer in this
country. After this period the surface
deposits of the Sulphur Banks being
worked out. the mine was supposed TO
have been exhausted In 1855 TO 1890. the
property was made the subject Of an eS-
tended report by United States Geologist
Becker published in house miscellaneous
documents. first session. Fiftieth congress.
lSS7-Ss, vol, 23, In which he strongly ex-
pressed the opinion that a systematic ex-
ploration of the sulphur Banks would
develop new and extensive deposits of
cinnabar. The results OF the exploration
and development work OF Mr.. r. a. Bog
CESS r. NJ. outlined in "A report by Will
lam lrelan. jr., and showing ore reserves
In sight Of gross value of over 50 5q7 COS
is a striking confirmation OF MT Becker's
opinion. Even now the workings and ex-
plorations at the Sulphur Banks are less
than 500 feet in depth. as against from
leo 10 over 1000 feet In the other large
producers of California. II Is practically
certain that more extended development
viii block out further enormous reserves
as viii rank this property fully up with
the New Aimaden and other noted quick
silver producers 81 the world. The ABB
bott mine. since 1890. fin proportion to the
amount OF ore furnacod. has been the
most remarkable producer IN America