Los Angeles herald., 1908-11-02
SMALL OUTPUT
OF QUICKSILVER
DECREASED DEMAND CUTS
DOWN THE SUPPLY
CALIFORNIA is STILL FIRST IN
PRODUCTION
Growing Tendency to Recover Ores at
the SmeIters ReHaces Local De-
mand-Big Export Ship
ments Are Made

The production of quicksilver in the
United States in 1907, as shown by
confidential returns to the United
States geological survey from every
producing mine in the country,
amounted to 21,567 TASKS of seventy-hve
pounds each, and was valued at $S2S,931,
the figures showing a decrease when
compared with those for 1906 of ASH
TASKS in quantity and of S129iQ3 in
value. A detailed report on the indus
try, prepared by H. d. McCaskey, one
of the geologists of the survey, has
just been published in an advance
chapter from Mineral Resources of the
United States, Calendar Year 1901
An output of quicksilver was re-
ported from but three states in 1907
California, Texas and Utah-and the
single producer in Utah reported no
production for the last seven months
of the year. A small amount was re-
ported from Oregon in 1906, but none at
AN in 1907.
In California which furnishes about
so per cent of the domestic production,
the industry was not in a very flourish
ing condition during the year. The re-
turns from the state show decrease
of 2979 TASKS in quantit.-' and of
$68264 in value from the production of
1906-an output of 17,431 TASKS, valued
at 1862 ,544, having been reported in the
later year as compared with 20,31O
TASKS, valued at $73O,S sos in the earlier.
Cause of Decrease
The decrease in the hydraulic mining
of gold, formerly so important an in
dustry In California the decreased
amount of gold and silver recovered by
amalgamation process alone, and the
increased tendency to ship ores to smell
ters have all tended to reduce the
local demand for quicksilver. Foreign
demand, although in general apparent
ly also decreasing, resulted In IN
creased shipments from San Francisco
in 1907 as compared with those of 1906.
The leading quicksilver producing
county in California in 1907, as in 1906,
was San Benito. Napa county was
second and Santa Clara and San Luis
Obispo counties were third and fourth,
respectively.
The output of quicksilver in Texas in
1897 was 1886 TASKS, valued at $148,3S7,
a decrease of 1875 TASKS in quantity
and of $30,442 in value as compared
with the output for 1905, but the de-
crease was largely owing to the fact
that two of the producing companies
devoted their chief efforts during the
year to prospecting work
Statistics of world production of
quicksilver for 1907 are not yet avail
able, but a comparison of the figures
for quantities produced in foreign
countries in 1906 with those for the
United States in that year shows that
this country ranked second among tne
quicksilver producers in that year,
Spain having first place.
Austria Is Third
Austria held third place, italy fourth
and Russia fifth. Practically all of the
quicksilver product of Spain comes
from the famous old mines of Alma
den. where about 1000 men are en-
ployed 1t is probable that these
mines alone contain sufficient reserve
ore to enable them to dominate the
worlds market.
The great Importance OF the silver
Industry in Mexico and the extensive
use of amalgamation processes tnere III
the recovery of this metal give partlc-
ular interest to the use of local depos-
its of cinnabar as sources of supply TO
meet the demand for quicksilver. Ihe
Mexican production, however, never
satisfactorily reported, seems for many
years to have been, insignificant, ana
the result is a large annual lmportd-
tion from the United States
THE best known deposits of Mexico
are probably those in San Luis Potosl,
Guerrero and Queretaro. Mining and
ymatallurgical methods in Mexico have
been so wasteful that the real posslpll-
tiles of the deposits are very little
known. but 1t seems probable that the
active development of the Mexican de-
uosits and the installation of modern
furnaces would not only result in cut
ting off much of this market for the
United States product, but would also'
through decreased amalgamation costs,
make profitable the working of many
ow-grade silver ores. that are now
neglected.