The Wallace miner. [volume] (Wallace, Idaho) 1907-current, 1914-05-07
FIGURES THAT TELL THE STORY Of
MINING IN THE C0EUR D ALENES
GROSS OUTPUT MINES ALMOST $1s0oo00o
NET PROFITS ALMOST REACH $soooooo
$4,000

The accompanying table gives in
detail the gross output, operating ex-
penses and net profit or loss of the
mines of the Occur d'Alene district
for the year 1918, the figures being
compiled from the sworn statements
filed with the county assessor in COM
pliance with the state law providing
for the taxation Of mines based upon
the net profits. For the purpose or
comparison a similar tabular state
ment for the year 1912 is also repro
duced.
These figures tell the story Of the
mineral greatness of the Occur
dAlenes more effectively than col
umns Of descriptive writing in news
papers and volumes of technical des-
sertation on the character Of veins and
mineral or non mineral bearing form
ations Not that newspaper publicity
is to be disparaged or that geological
conclusions are barren Of results. Both
serve most useful purpose in the en-
couragement and development of the
mineral resources of the district But
after these two factors have done
their work, and most important work
1t Is, the actual result of actual min
ing is the thing that counts, and that
is what these figures show
Lead, Silver, Copper and Zinc.
The gross value Of the output for
the last year was $17,67O,O93, which
includes lead, silver, copper and zinc.
The value of each product is not OBJ
tainable except copper, which was
produced exclusively from the Snow
storm mine. The bulk Of the zinc
output came from the Success and In
terstate- Callahan, although the Fed
eral mines which have zinc saving
processes in operation must have add
ed considerable to the total. Lead is
still the dominating product Of the
Occur dAlene mines. Practically all
the mines shared in the production OF
silver, the Hercules, Green Hill -Cleve-
land and Bunker Hill & Sullivan no
doubt leading in this respect.
Hercules Leads in Profits.
In tonnage Of ore extracted and the
gross value Of the output the Bunker
Hill & Sullivan easily retains first
place, but in net profits the Hercules
takes the first place, the Bunker Hill
& Sullivan second, Green HILL -Cleve-
land third, Stewart fourth. Morning
fifth and Hecla sixth.
Net Losses Small.
The net losses recorded amount to
$S7,721. trifling sum when compared
with the net profits of $4,776,775. The
greatest loss Is credited to the Inter-
state Callahan, s72O24. For the pur-
pose of the report 1t Is properly desig-
mated at net loss, for there was no net
profit. But from mining standpoint
it probably means that the extensive
developments Of the property during
the year was far in excess of the mill
ing and shipping facilities for the ore,
and that the operations of the COM
pany had in view future profits rather
than present.
That the Hunter mine showed a loss
last year is a matter Of surprise. For
months preceding the close of the year
reliable reports from the mine indi-
Gated immense ore bodies in the lower
levels of the mine and Of excellent
grade. So we'll founded have these
reports been regarded that the pre-
diction has been made that the Hun
ter would soon take rank among the
greatest mines of the district. That it
should close the year with net loss
is therefore disappointing.
The Future.
No man who Is informed on the con-
dition of the mines of this district and
tive mines can examine these figures
and escape the conclusion that the
greatest record of production and pro-
fit is yet to be made. The lead-silver
mines alone which until recent years
represented the only mineral resource
of the district, have more ore in sight
today than ever before. 1t has not
been so very many years ago when the
future Of the district rested practice
ally upon the mines of lead and silver,
and we then confidently looked to the
future to make it the biggest and best
mining district Oh earth. Well, those
ead-silver mines have more than jus
titled the expectations of the past. but
the district is no longer solely depend
ent upon them. Copper and zinc have
come to be important factors in the
mining operations of the district, and
from this time forward they will show
tremendous increase in production.
OF this there can be no doubt. This
year has already witnessed the begin
ming of operations Of a second great
copper mine, the National, and the ac-
quisition Of practically another copper
mine by the Snowstorm. These in
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