The Kalispell bee. [volume] (Kalispell, Mont.) 1900-192?, 1902-09-02
LEAD AND COPPER PRODUCTION.
In the United States in 1901, Accord
ina to Official statiseian.

The production OF lead in the Uni
ted States in 1901, says Mr.. Charles
Kirchhoff, in Mineral Resources of
the United States, 1901, now in press,
u. S. Geological Survey was fully
up to the high total which was at
tanned in 1900, although the output
of individual districts varied some
what.
The total production of refined lead
in 1901 amounted to 3SI, 679 short tons
in 1900. OF this total production in
1901, the net American production
was 270,700 short tons, almost exact
ly the same as in 1900.
The total output of the Mississippi
valley footed up to about $1,000 tons,
or about one-fourth of tue whole pro-
duction of the country. Idaho con-
tInues the principal contributor, fully
5000 tons of the total coming from
that state, and nearly all being the
product of the Occur d'Alene mines.
Colorado yielded about $4,000 tons
in 1901, Leadville remaining the larg-
est single district, although in 1901
this district furnished less lead than
in former years. The production of
Utah has been we'll maintained. the
quantity being 49,870 short tons, about
1900 tons in excess of the production
of 1900.
The estimated consumption of lead
in 1900 was 269,905 short tons, as
compared with z69,315 tons in 1899.
The total value of the lead imported
for consumption in the United States
in 1901 was $364,450, as compared
with $702,213 in 1900 The value of
the exports of lead from this country
in 1901 was $624,534, as compared
with $459,571 in 1900.
During the first II months of 1901
the price of lead was maintained at
4.371a cents at New York, but in
December the American Smelling and
Refining company reduced the Off
clal price to cents. During the
whole year the market was held sta
tionary by main force, although the
quantities which consumption would
not absorb were added to the stock
in first hands. Low prices prevailed
in Europe during the year, and to-
wards the close of the year they reach
ed a figure in the London market
which is equivalent to 240 cents per
pound here.
The production of copper in 1901
is reported by MIR. Charles Kirch-
hoff in Mineral Resources of the Uni
ted States, 1901, now in press, Geo
logical Survey.
The conditions surrounding the
copper-mining industry during the
year 1901 were in many respects eX-
traordinary. Production was only
slightly less than it had been in 1899
and in 1900, and consumption in this
country was undoubtedly consider
ably greater. But determined e.
fort was made during the greater
part of the year to maintain values
in the face of adverse conditions in
the countries which are the principal
customers for our large surplus.
Prices were kept above the parity of
Europe, so that large importations
were added to the supply. The re-
suit was an extraordinary accumula-
ton of the red metal in the hands of
leading interests. For a while CO.
operation between the principal pro-
ducers was tried, and, when this
failed, coercion was attempted by the
breaking of The market toward the
oJo % ic
by very serious decline in the shares
of the copper companies on both sides
of the Atlantic.
The total production of domestic
copper in the United States in 1901
was 26S,7S2 long tons, as against
270,588 long tons in 1900. The
amounts produced and the relative
percentages of the total production
of Lake Superior, Montana and Ari-
IONA were as follows:
Lake Superior, 69,772 long tons,
percentage of total production, 25.9;
Montana, 1O2,621 long tons. percent
age 1922; Arizona, 58,383 long tons,
percentage pit. Mr.. Kirchhoff dis
cusses at some length the conditions
and production of the mines in the
Lake Superior district, in Montana,
in Arizona, in Utah and in Tennes-
see.
The total imports of copper in the
United States in 1901, from all sources
and in all forms, amounted to 1884,
938,323 pounds, as compared with
1903 S95,026 pounds in 1900, with 3d.
172,191 pounds in 1899, and 50,26S,-
4Y9 pounds in 1898.
The total value OF the exports of
copper from the United States in
1901 was $36,071 ,44S as compared with
$5S,S75, 439 in 1900, with S43 ,485, 654 in
1899, and with $35,545,2o- in 1898.
Germany is by far our largest GUS
toner for copper, since the greater