The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1902-07-13
OUR MINERAL RESOURCES.

Among the many official documents and
reports issued by the government contain
ing ormat regarding the resources
and production of the United States not the
least interesting is the annual report on our
mineral resources. 1t is issued by the divi-
sion of mining and mineral resources which
is attached to the geological survey, one of
seven bureaus of the Interior Department.
The others are the Patent Office, the Pen
sion Office, the Lane Office, the bureau Of
Indian affairs, of education and of rail-
roads. The director of the geological survey
has charge Of the classification of the public
lands and examination of the geological
structure, mineral resources, and mineral
products of the national domain, and the
survey of forest preserves. The chief of the
bureau Is always a geologist of high stand
ing. and his assistants are experts in the
science. For seventeen years past the bu-
reau has issued an annual report showing
the mineral products of the United States
and a comparative statement showing the
increase or decrease of production in each
mineral, year by year. The last report
printed, InaI lOr lsUu, SHOWS IndI the IOLal
value of our mineral products during that
year exceeded for the first time 1900, OOO, 600,
the exact figures being S1,O67, $685. a gain
Of about 10 per cent. over the preceding
year. The report shows that we produce
eleven different metallic minerals and forty
eight nonmetaIlic ones. The metals are
gold. silver, copper, iron, lead, zinc, quick
silver, anthony and platinum. The nom
| metallic minerals include all kinds of coal,
stone, earths. lime. cement. petroleum,
mica, sulphur, borax, asbestos, gems-in
short everything of a mineral nature that
is not metallic. The value of our metallic
mineral products in 1900 was $40. 934.37O and
that Of our nonmetallic mineral products
s5l6. 67l,2 7. OF all our mineral products the
most important are coal and iron. both
greatly exceeding gold and silver. The
value of our coal output in 1900 was $780,
sol, S6l. that of iron $259,944.000, that of gold
S79.1u 600. tina of silver SASS. 495. Even our
copper product in 1900 exceeded our gold
product in value, being SOS. 494. 039. Our pro-
cuction Of copper has Increased very rap
ioly in recent years. IN 1850 we produced
C. 400. coo pounds of copper. worth $11. f91, 200;
in 1890, the product was go, lie, 1873 pounds,
worth $50. s4s. 797. and In 1900 it was Coz, III .1sS
pounds. worth SOS. 4s4.OS9. The activity in the
copper industry during 1900 greatly exceeded
that Of any previous year, and there are
no signs OF its declining. In addition 10
what we produce we also import a consid-
cradle quantity, the imports of copper and
copper ore during 1900 amounting TO SlO,551,-
so. Of which s2.664, 249 worth was from Mex
leo.
Among nonmetallic minerals the items
which exceeded $1.OOO.OOo in value in the
year 1900 were bituminous coal, SOD, 1858;
anthracite coal. SIS. 57.S51; natural gas. $23.-
Co, 463: petroleum, $40. 752. 69l; brick clay. $l2,-
CO.. coo; cement. sl3.2S5.5S1: stone. SlS.OOS. $50;
gypsum. s1.627.2c3; phosphate rock. $3.50 24S;
salt. $6.94l.6OS: zinc. $685.. 20; clay. other
than brick. $1.sfO.377; limestone for iron
hux. A.50.Co0; mineral waters. S6.245.172
This stiI leaves a large number Of non
metallic minerals whose production fell
short of 100000 during the year, but which
helped to swell the aggregate.
Coming TO eur own State one finds that
during the year Indiana produced 6,4S4, O6
bushels OF coal. worth at the mines $685.
] III; OF petroleum, 4,S7i,ss2 barrels. worth