The Sumpter miner. [volume] (Sumpter, Or.) 1899-1905, 1902-09-03
PRODUCTION OF
LEAD AND COPPER
Official Report by the u. S.
Geological Survey.

ll' ITNun't'oIl ~ l'au ln Il' y 'nlte
States in 1901, says Charles kirchhof
IN Mineral Resources of the Unite,
States, 1901, now in press, 4. $. Geolop
ical Survey, was fully up to the higl
total which was attained in 1900, al
though the output oi individual district
varied somewhat.
The total production Of refined lead il
1901 amounted to 3sl 1888 short tons, ~
compared with 81 $40 short tons il
1900. Oi this total production in 1901
the net American production was 27O,
700 short tons, almost exactly the sam,
~ in 1900.
The total output oi the Mississippi
valley footed up Ia abou, ~ 900 tons
or about onc.iourth II the whole produc'
ton Of the country. Idaho continues
the principal contributor, full $4,000
tons of the total coming from that state,
and nearly all being the pro'iuct of the
Occur d'Alenc mines. Colorado yielded
about $1,000 tons in 1901, I.cadville re-
naming the largest single district, al.
though in 1901 this district furnished
less lead than IN former years. The
production ol Utah has been well main.
tanned, the quantity being 1880 short
tons, about 800 tons in excess of the
production Oi 1900.
The estimated consumption ii lead In
1901 was nm, ,.NN5 short tons, ~ compared
with M, ,}O2 tons IN 1901, and with 226,-
3i5 in 1879.
The total value oi the lead imported
for consumption In the United States IN
1901 was t3'A ,@jD, ~ compared with
$7O2,2l3 in 1900. The value Of the cx-
was $'i2i ,dsil, NJ compared with tl50,57l
IN 1900.
During the first eleven months of 1901
III. price of lead was maintained ut
l.37's cents at New York, but in De.
ccmbcr the American Smelling and Re.
filming company reduced the official
price To iour cents, During the whole
year the lead market was held station
AIRY by main force, although the uuanti-
ties which consumption would not ab.
sorb were added to the stock IN first
hands. Low prices prevailed in Europe
during the year. and toward the close of
the year they reached n figure IN the
london market which il equivalent to
80 cents per pound here.
The conditions surrounding the cop
per mining industry during the year
1901 were in many respects extraor,ii.
nary. Production was only slightly lcss
than IL had been In lS.n and lNOO, aud
consumption IN this country WAS un.
doubtclly considerably greater. Bu, u
determined effort was made during the
greater part oi the year Ia maintain
values in the face oi adverse conditions
in the countries which are the principal
customers for our large surplus. Prices
were kept above the parity oi Europe,
~ that large importations were added
Ia the supply. The rrsul, was an extra.
ordinary accumulation oi the red metal
in the hands oi leading interests. For y
while cooperation between the principal
producers WAS tried, and, when this
failed, coercion WAS attempted by tho
of the market toward the close
of the year. This WAS prr,esied by
very serious decline in the ,harcs III
copper companies on both sides oi the
Atlantic.
The total production of domestic cop
per in the United States in l.Nl was
.is, 7S2 long tons, as against 27O, ,5Ss long
lnns in 400. The amounts produced
and the relative Percentages OF the total