White Pine news weekly mining review. [volume] (East Ely, Nev.) 1910-1920, 1912-11-17

SILVER OUTPUT
GAVE WAY TO COLORADO AND
MONTANA FOLLOWING DE-
CLINE IN COMSTOCK, BUT
Is AGAIN THE PREMIER.

The great volume of the mineral
production of the United States, its
tremendous increase during the last
few years, and the wide distribution
of the important minerals were indi-
Gated in a recent address by George
Otis Smith, director of the United
States Geological Survey. The
twelve most important mineral pro-
ducts in the United States, in the
order of value of annual output, we're
clay products, copper, petroleum,
gold, stone, natural gas, cement, lead,
silver, and zinc. For certain of
these minerals" he said 1.-The geologi-
cal survey presents estimates of the
supply from which the nations needs
are to be met. For others, especial
ly clay products and cement, the
question of the supply of raw ma
terial from which they are produced
is of little moment compared with
that of the availability of the fuels
necessary for the processes of manu-
faeture.
"0f nearly equal importance with
the factor of abundance of these min
eral resources is that of distribution.
In the first place the widespread dis
tribution of the raw material makes
possible an industrial nation in which
every state has some share in the
mineral production. Only four
states had a mineral output last year
valued at less than 81, 900 900, and
ten states had a production valued at
over $4,000, 600 each. Again, no
state or section appears TO have a
monopoly of the mineral industry.
While Pennsylvania, with its total
mineral product more than one
fourth that of the whole country,
leads in coal, cement, and stone by
large margins, another state, Min
nesota, leads in iron ore; another
Arizona. in copper; another, Ohio, in
clay products; California in pc
troleum; California in gold; Mis-
souri, in both lead and zinc; and Ne
vada in silver. Furthermore, the
%centers of production are ever shift
ing.
For instance. up to 1894 Pennsyl-
yania was the leading state in the
production of petroleum. In 1895 it
was succeeded by Ohio. Ohio gave
way to California in 1903. California
gave way to Oklahoma in 1907 and
resmed premiership in 1909, retain
ing it since that time. Both Illinois
and Oklahoma exceeded the produc-
ton of any eastern state in 1907 and
have continued to do so. For many
years up to 1906 Montana was the
principal producer of copper. In
1907 it gave way to Arizona, and in
1909 Arizona gave place to Montana.
In 1910 and 1911 Arizona again held
first place. In 1906 Idaho was the
chief producer of lead. 1t gave way
to Missouri in 1907, and the latter
state now contributes As per cent OF
the country's total. Nevada, in the
glory days of the great Comstoek lode
from 1878, to 1873, was the greatest
silver producer in the world. When
the Comstoek declined, in the latter
part of the last century, Nevada
gave way as a silver producer,
first TO Colorado, then to Mon
tana, but became again the principal
producer of silver in 1910. Ten
years ago Colorado, the leading gold
producing state. produced over so
per cent more than California, then
second in rank. CALIFORNIA; pro-
portion has been steadily increasing
for ten years, and in 1911 the largest
production of gold was from that
state