Gilpin observer., 1906-01-11
NEWS FROM THE MINES AND MILLS

ton, st. Louis quotation in 1904, to $115
per ton in 1905. This was precisely fif-
teen per cent, with competition exist
ing between the twelve different COM
panies in this market. In 1903 con-
centrates below forty per cent. spelter
were not desired. In 1904 the scale
dropped to thirty-ive to thirty per
cent, and in 1905 to twenty-five per
cent, with larger profits in the latter
than in the material of higher grade.
The revival of Rico, bonanza camp
in the silver period, is due to the de-
mand for zinc ores. More than a
dozen camps, with Leadville. in the
van, are shipping zinc at present. Cal
culated on the mint basis used in 1908,
the states output of zinc last year
would read $7.7S1, ,44O, or close to the
$S,000,000 figure predicted by the
News when the Rico mines were re-
vived. At the close of the year the
spelter market indicated higher prices.
with disinclination on the part of pro-
ducers to book far ahead. Canada
and Mexico are producing more liber-
ally than heretofore. Under loose in
depreciation of the Dingley tariff such
ores have been sold in this market
as lead and silver ores-without pay
ing duty on the zinc. An effort is being
made by the mining states to place a
plug in this hole. During Christmas
week the average price of spelter in
New York was $6.16 per 100 pounds, or
$123.20 per ton.
A total of S277 ,139, or about twenty
one per cent, represents the gain in
copper values last year, calculated at
1915 cents per pound for the casting
brand in New York. The average price
in 1904 was 1875 cents per pound.
Hence the years gain in quotation
reads "a per cent. The copper mar
ket is likely to continue strong for
some time to come, as 1t is reported
the leading lake producer has sold
large quantities of the metal at 1875
cents per pound for January-June ship
ment In Europe copper is rising, pri-
marily because the supply is very
scarce. The visible supply in England
and France on December 1st was 49,
go tons, as against 1904 tons year
ago, and 15.772 tons on November 2,
1908. The deliveries of copper in Eng
land and France in the eleven months
ending with November were 161 ,204
tons, as against 1896 tons in 1904. or
the 156,935 tons imported this year the
United States furnished 55.27S tons.
Chile and Bolivia, 2S,S72 tons, and
other countries 12,7S5 tons. The fall
ing off in receipts from the United
States last year was equivalent to 49,
426 tons, or nearly thirty per cent. The
copper was needed for consumption at
home. Mine owners in Colorado COM
plain that the allowance for copper in
ores, as made by the smelters. is not
as liberal as it should be. An advance
in price would increase the amount
and develop in this state number of
=
marily for copper. There is no such
mine at present.
Tungsten from the Boulder mines
easily doubled in value last year COM
pared with the year previous, and this
in spite of a decline in price from $3.50
per unit to as low as $3.50. In chemi-
Gals extracted from gold ores. confined
to this city, the years gain in value
was $150.0O0. or twenty per cent. The
extraction of the chemicals does not
lessen the precious metal contents. but
facilitates the work of the smelter.
Mine machinery manufacture in Col
orado is rapidly-growing interest.
counting for millions in the manufac-
turing list. The Colorado prodlct goes
to all the mine districts. the net effect
of such exports being a decrease OF
S2O7,2 last year in shipments from
our concentration tables are as well
known IN Australia, South Africa and
South America as they are in this
state Frazier & Chalmers. the Chi
cago manufacturers. paid twelve per
cent. last year. besides adding $431 .695
to the cash in hand.
The many and up-to-date testing
plants in this city, together with ex-
perimental work at the Colorado
School of Mines, are proving a valu-
able factor in Colorado's metallurgi-
cal advance. In handling semi-rebel-
lious gold ores, and in the extraction
of values from ores carrying zinc, this
state leads the world. The zinc
smelter at Pueblo, owned by a branch
company of the American Smelling
and Refining Company. is preparing to
double capacity. 1t was commenced
In 1903, turned out 81 .250.000 in the
different metals in 1904. and is to-day
rated as the best in the world