Polk County observer. (Monmouth, Polk County, Or.) 1888-1927, 1914-02-10
MINERAL OUTPUT
Of OREGON
$s,65O,Ooo WORTH OF MINERALS
IN 1918 rs GOING SOME
State Bureau of Mines Issues its
First Monthly Bulletin.

4 The information given below will
be surprise to many Of our readers
especially the new comers who no
doubt are in ignorance Of the vast
wealth of this state.
| Oregon produced $3,65O,O0O worth
of minerals in 1913 precisely $4,000
a day.
| This pleasing and somewhat sur
prising fact is brought out in the first
issue of the monthly bulletin to be
published by the Oregon Bureau Of
Mines and Geology, which was Great
ed by authority of the last Legisla-
tnre.
The report classifes the various
products on scale of the value Of
the 1913 output as follows: Metals,
clay and ceramics, stone and gravel
coal, mineral waters and lime.
The year 1913, say members of the
state bureau will stand for some time
as a milestone in the history of the
metal mining industry of the state.
| This is for the reason that the year
marked decided change over sue
cession of years in which the state Is
yield of precious metals decreased.
Last year it increased, the total out
put representing value of $1,925,-
600, which is practically three times
that of 1911.
Development Bears Fruit.
The reasons for this change, it is
pointed out, are found entirely in the
Eastern Oregon mining region. About
half dozen deep mines have been in
process of development there during
the last three or four years, several
of which came into production within
the last year.
The Southern Oregon section has in
certain localities some increases
which in others are balanced by a
similar decrease.
The total production of gold, sill
yer, lead and copper in Oregon in
1913 was $1,925,000. OF this amount
$225, 900 in gold and silver came from
the Southern Oregon mining district.
In Eastern Oregon the total output
in 1913 was $1,700,000.
One Of the most encouraging fea-
lures of the Eastern Oregon situation
is said to be the fact that the devel-
opment of these steady producers has
demonstrated that adventurous or
random mining is being supplanted
by mining as business. Among the
successful mines are enumerated the
Rainbow, the Ben Harrison, the Cor
nucopia, the Humboldt and the High
land.
"There are other properties in
Eastern Oregon says the bulletin,
which, with the aid of trained en-
gineers, could also become steady
producers.
Production of clay products for
1913 show a decrease of 10 per cent.
The value was about 100000. This
includes common and face brick, sew
er pipe, hollow building blocks and
partition tile besides stoneware, earth
en-ware and pottery.
Coal Production Normal.
Building, monumental and paving
stone, crushed rock for macadam and
work and sand and gravel
have been produced in about equal
volume in 1911, 1912 and 1913. The
increase in sand and gravel output
in 1913 was about 100000 or 25
per cent. greater than 1912.
The crushed rock and stone indus
try shows slight decrease from
1912.
Only 10000 tons Of coal were pro-
iuced in Oregon last year, most of it
in Coos County. This is the normal
production.
The bureau points with emphasis to
the need Of a further survey of the
states mineral resources.
The bulletin has been prepared
under the direction Of the entire com
mission on mines and geology, which
consists Of II. n. Lawrie Of Portland,
who is chairman; w. C. Fellows, Of
Whitney; J. +. Reddy, of Medford;
C. 7. Prail, of Ontario; T. S. Mann
IF Portland; P. L. Campbell of Eu-
gene, president of the State Univer-
sity, and W. J. Kerr, of Corvallis,
president of the Oregon Agricultural
College.