The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1910-01-09
NEW RECORD
COPPER OUTPUT
Production of Red Metal in
1909 Shows Big In
crease.
EXPORTS ALSO SHOW
UP MUCH STRONGER
Greater Portion of Surplus
Piled Up Early in
Year.

tatistlcs and estimates received by the
| United States geological survey from all
plants known 10 produce blister copper
from domestic ores and from all lake
mines indicate that the copper output
from mines In the United States in 1909
surpassed all previous records.
The figures, which have been collected
by 3. S, Butler OF the survey, represent
the actual production OF each company
for eleven months and include an osti-
mate Of its December output. The No
vember figures for a few companies were
not available and these companies fur
nished estimates for the last two months
OF the year. According to the statistics
and estimates received the output OF
blister and lake copper was 1,11z.SoO,0 900
pounds, as against 942,570.721 pounds in
1908, an increase OF over is per cent,
This not only exceeds the increase OF any
previous year, but ii is considerably
greater than the total yearly increase
since 1904,
Output of Leading States
II is impossible now to give figures that
represent accurately the distribution OF
the output among the states OF origin.
positively made concerning the leading
copper producing states. Montana shows
a largo increase, again taking first rank,
a place lost to Arizona In 1907; The pro
duction in Montana will nearly equal or
VIII possibly exceed the states previous
record output, 3li,750,000 pounds, made
in 1905. Arizona holds second place,
with a Slight increase over the 2Ss. .523 900
pounds produced in 1905 Michigan also
exceeded the 1908 production. 222. 2S9 900
pounds. Large gains were made by Utah
and Nevada. and California also increased
It's output considerably
Refined Copper
Statistics showing the output of refined
not now collected by the geological sur
vey. Figures published by the Copper
Producers association indicate that the
production OF marketable copper from all
first eleven months OF 1909 will exceed
pounds in 1905 Statistics showing do do
mestic deliveries for the first eleven
per Producers association indicate
consumption of copper in the United
States considerably greater than the pre-
vious record consumptlon-6S2,0 00Q, 900
pounds, In 1906.
Exports and Imports.
Estimates based on figures for the first
eleven months. published by the bureau
of statistics and also by the Copper Pro-
ducers' association, indicate that the
exports Of copper will surpass by several
million pounds the exports for 1905
SCI. S76.127 pounds.
According TO the bureau OF statistics
Imports OF pigs, bars: tngots plates and
old copper for the first eleven months
amounted TO 213,l00.2 .2S1 pounds, and the
copper content OF ore matte and regulus
imported amounted to 74.70S. 4S2 pounds
II the imports for December were equal
to the average monthly import for the
first eleven months the amount of copper
entering the United States for the year
was about 3i1.S00. 600 pounds, as against
2iS, 705,4S pounds In 1908.
Surplus Stocks.
Stocks OF refined copper in the United
States show considerable Increase over
those OF January /. 1909. but the accumu-
!ation occurred for the most part during
the first half Of the year European
stocks. however, have Increased rather
uniformly throughout the year and at
the close were probably nearly double
those OF January |. 1909. The price of
copper has remained close 10 l3 cents
throughout the year, the average monthly
New York quotation for electrolytic cop
per being a little under Is cents.
Mine development has been active in
most OF the important camps but espe-
cially so In the deposits OF dssemius ted
ore IN Arizona and Nevada. The mines
and the smelters of the country are now
In a position to make the output of 1910
larger than that OF 1909. SO many fac
tors. however. enter into the determIna-
tion OF the output that any forecast of
production OF the coming year made al
this time would be without value.