Bisbee daily review., 1909-01-10
IA REVIEW OF COPPER giH
 IN THE. LAKE DISTRICT

During the year just closed. the Lake Superior copper mines produces approximately 226.500. 900 pounds oi refined copper valued at S30.0o0 900 The production was somewhat greate than in past years. and compares witl 220, ,2l7 .S90 pounds for 1907 and PA, 407.s60 pounds for 1906. The increas. over ten years ago is more than 75, 000, 00o pounds.
 The price of copper during the yeaI was unusually low, the metal com mandng only 11& cents per pound at the opening and but little nor, than II cents at the close. The aver age price realized for the year vii probably not exceed l3 cents, which with two exceptions. is the lowest av craze price recorded in ten years. ant but a few cents greater than the low est average annual price known in the history of the Lake Superior district the price of copper. in 1894, ayeragini slightly less than 10 cents per pound
 In spite of the prevailing low price for the firished metal no attempt wa made to curtail production. On the contray. the Lake managements, witt characteristic energy operated th mines to the limit of their capacity and in several instances managed ( secure larger production than in pre- yious years. Osceola scored the great est increase, making nearly 6,500.00t pounds more copper than in the yeaI before.
 In the matter of dividends earned and paid, the Lake companies did well enough considering the small price realized for their products. The ;otal amount disbursed was $5.074,1S, ,aad compared with S13.469.e50 dis bufsed in 1907 and $13,s11,5O0 in 1s0t.
 It Is now fifty years since the frs dividend was paid by Lake Superior copper mine, the amount being s60.Oev and the payer the Old Cliff mine in Keweenaw county. There has no been a single year without it's divi <eud payer since, and the first S60.- soc has been followed by more ano larger dividends until today the Lake Superior Copper district stands cred tied with the stupendous dividend dis bursement of si89.77s. .406. the earn ings from a production of approXi mately 4.700, 00e poands of coppe1 representing a gross value of DJre than s675, 5,000.000.
 The year opened with seventeen producing companies. and closed with eighteen companies maintaining a steady production of copper, the Ke s-eenaw Copper company entering the ran ks of the producers in the month of August Five of these companies are rfoducing upwards of 100000. pounds fine copper annually, and three are numbered among the eighteen largest copeeg producers of tae world
 Among the x0n-producers there ar' several that give promise of an earl, production. and the present year MI see the ranks of the producers swelles by the addition of the Superior Coppel company. a four year old, and possibll witness the return of an old yeteraI in the Atlantic now operating on thu Baltic lode with more or less success The La Sale and also the Winona the latter an old producer are otne possibilities. and may be found anoni the producers at the close of the ne7 year.
 Several of the newer companies notably the Hancock, the Lake an the Ojbway did a creditable amour ot opening work during the year, ah' a might future Is predicted for each H "a were os a remarkable nature, arl great possibilities are promised, bu a considerable amount of work is ye to be done. and taere is little hkea hood that anything bat very limite production will be possible for an other twelve months at least.
 Business in general. displayed marked improvement over the preceC ing year. Wages were fairly bigh, good demand for the right kind of E bor existed, and with the possible e2 eeption of two years ago the numhe of men employed in and about th mines was greater than in pteVioh years. Bank deposits were in exoeS of Sl3y0O0. 900 a pretty good showin for less than 9O.0O0 of population.
 As in past years. Calumet & Heel is securely enthroned in first place Humping into the lead. in 1868. with Dr oduction of 5,09S,375 pounds Of col per. the Calumet X Hecla has mail fained that lead by a safe margin tsf since. and bids fair to continue as th leading copper producer and dividen mayer of fsae district for another fort wears at feast. The company's pr' siuctiou for the past year Is estimate at approxim stely S3,000,oO0 pound fine copper as against SS.OOe.Oe pounds produced in 1s6f. decreas Of 5000, 900 pounds notwithstanding greater rock tonnage mined ap milled. The reason therefor is four fin the lower grade Of copper roc treated. The eonglomerate mine fro which the company in past years 2