The Wallace miner. [volume] (Wallace, Idaho) 1907-current, 1914-12-31
IEngineerlng and Mining JournaD


Engineering and Mining JournaD
The recent decline in the price for
lead to 3hc, New York, which led to
curtailment In production by the
principal operators both in Missouri
and Idaho, gave interest to the dis
cussion of what is the average cost of
producing lead in the United States.
Bearing upon this subject. the follow
ing paragraphs from Lead and Zinc
in the United States" by w. r. ingalls,,
published in 1908, are of interest
while the tariff wall inclosing the
lead industry of the United States re-
manned practically unchanged from
1884 to 1894, the conditions of produce
ton In the United States experienced
great alterations. From 1871 to 1880,
and in the early sos, the bulk of the
domestic lead production came from
ores Of comparatively high grade in
lead and silver, which in spite of high
mining and smelling expenses caused
the cost per pound Of lead to be rela-
lively low, but the producers We're
handicapped by the long and costly
railway carriage on their metal. In
1872 the cost of transporting bullion
from Eureka to San Francisco was
about &c per pound; in 1874 it was
about 1.6 cents. From Salt Lake to
n he he 1 n
in 1871; from Salt Lake to Chicago, IA
cents per pound in 1872 InI1880 the
cost from Leadville to New York was
Its cents per pound Until the latter
part of the sos the producers Of the
west were under such heavy handi-
caps of freight rates. Even at the
present time, when freight rates have
come down to extraordinarily low
points-0.32 cents from Pueblo and
Denver, and 0.54 cents from Salt Lake
City to New York--the western pro-
ducers suffer from their distance
1000 to $500 miles--from the principal
markets, the cost of carrying lead
from Monterey, Mexico, to New York
being only OF cents per pound. How
ever, there has been vast improve
ment in this respect from the condi-
tions of 187O-1SS5
But in the meanwhile the ores of
high grade in lead and silver have dis
appeared and it has come to pass that
the bulk of the lead production of the
United States is obtained from very
low grade ore. 1t is undeniable that
the tariff on lead has raised the price
which American consumers have had
to pay. It Is doubtless true that at
certain periods the price has been
maintained In this way at figures
which have given unnecessary advan-
tage to the producers. But on the
other hand it is evident from a study
OF the history of the industry that the
Increase in domestic lead production,
which has not more than corresponded
with the increase in domestic con-
sumption, has been greatly stimulated
by the advantage in price which the
tariff has bestowed, and moreover, this
has fostered not only the lead indus
try alone, but also the mining and
smelling Of ores containing the preci-
Gus metals, which in the absence Of
an abundant supply of lead ore would
have to be worked by less economical
methods.
iC 10 To H.. ~.
cost of producing lead for the whole
country, or even for a particular dis
trict. In the case Of southeastern
Missouri this can be done with moro
safety than in any other, because.
there the only value Of the ore is in
Its lead content, and the grade of the
ore mined, conditions Of occurrence
and methods Of mining are rather uni
form throughout the district In 1882
the cost of pig lead delivered at st
Louis by the large producers was tn
S.5 cents per pound. In 1884 the En-
cheering and Mining Journal express
ed the opinion that If freightJ were
better adjusted the majority of the
United States could stand a price of
3,5 cents, or even 1926 cents, but the
pressure of lead at 275 cents would be
such that as that figure was approach
ed the number of idle mines would in
crease in geometrical ratio.
"In 1899 the cost to the principal
producers Of southeastern Missouri
was 2.25 cents per pound, delivered at
St Louis. However, none Of the f1g-
ures above given includes interest on
the money invested. return of the
principal, etc. The purchase of an
acreage of land sufficient to warrant
development on large scale, the
sinking of shafts and equipments Of
plant a few years ago would cost
about $1,OO0,OOO for a productive ca
lC IT pIInIIR lIcEo