Mohave County miner. [volume] (Mineral Park, A.T. [Ariz.]) 1882-1918, 1910-05-21
Advance In Silver.

The recent advance III OllNeF QuOJd-
tions has had stimulating effect up
on the mining industry of the west.
Viewed from every standpoint, the
operation of the silver-lead mines of
any section of the country is ac-
companied by greater benefits than is
the case of a like activity in any other
branch of mining, and results are
more-far-reaching: and for the reason
that more people are dependent upon
silver-lead mining than there are in
the production of gold and copper.
Several of the western states, which
are productive of gold and copper,
with silver at point where silver-lead
mines can be operated at profit, will
witness a general revival which will
fairly eclipse any measure of prosper
ity attending the production of either
gold or copper. No matter how &C
tive mining operations may be in gold
and copper camps, this activity is as
nothing when compared to the over
whelming interest taken in silver-lead
production when quotations on the
white metal will enable the profitable
operation of the many thousands OF
silver mines scattered so widely
throughout this intermountain region.
In Utah there are several mining
camps which would be teeming with
renewed life and activity were silver
TO reach 80 cents an ounce. AT even
this comparatively low price Park
City mines would increase their pro-
duction value by thousands upon thou
sands of doll ars. The same could be
said of Tintic district, Alta, American
Fork, Frisco and Milford, Stockton,
Ophir, and several of the districts of
the Deep Creek country.
Then, too, one can well imagine
what the advance in silver would be to
the many silver-bearing camps of
Idaho, all of which, with but few ex-
ceptions, are practically idle at the
present time. With silver at 90 cents
the wonderful Occur d'Alene district
would double its output and more than
double its mine earnings. Elk City
and Silver City would come into their
own again, and in hundreds of camps
a shout would go up which would echo
and re-echo throughout the hills and
canyons, heralding to the world the
fact that prosperity had once more
found a resting place within the en-
vironments of this great state.
Montana, too. a leader in copper
production, would be greatly benefit
ted by an advance of only few cents
in silver quotations: and, as for Colo
RADIO, if silver were rehabilitated in
price, though still debarred from oc-
cupying its rightful place with gold,
the Centennial state would regain
iomething of its wonderful prestige of
the past.
The advance of a cent an ounce on
silver often means the dividing line
between profit or loss. AT the present
time but few silver mines can be
operated profitably, excepting upon
unusually favorable conditions, or
where the ore is above the average in
grade. Fifty cents an ounce will not
admit of profitable operation. a few
mines can operate with silver at %
and %, but these, as a general thing,
have a goodly by-product of gold, lead
or copper, or all of these metals com
bined. With silver between 81 and 30
the margin is in favor of many mine
owners. One cent advance in silver,
and what it means to the mining in
dustry. is illustrated in a statement
coming from Boston TO the effect that
a gain of one cent in quotation adds
15,000S per annum to the earnings of
the q. S. Smelling & Refining COM
pany, and that 3-cent advance means
increased earnings of 225, OOOS TO the
company, and it is also stated that the
recent advance in silver compensates
for the decrease in the price of cop
per.
Silver and lead, in the mining
circles of the west, is the whole meal.
Gold and copper comprise the pie and
cake. For the past five years pie and
cake have been an almost exclusive
diet, and an almost exclusive set has
been eating it.-Salt Lake Mining
Review.
Superintendent William Owens of
tue Eagle & Blue Bell states that the
output from the mine for the month of
April will amount TO about seventeen