The Wallace miner. [volume] (Wallace, Idaho) 1907-current, 1914-09-10
CONDITIONS IN THE COEUR D'ALENE
DISTRICT BEST IN THE NORTHWEST
ACTIVITY IN ZINC AND GREAT AMOUNT DEVELOPMENT
PROVE AN OFFSET TO T HE cvRrALMeNr IN THE
PRODUCTION 0 LEAD MINES

lne mining situation IN the Occur
d'Alene district Is not bad, compared
with that Of other mining sections of
the west and with business conditions
generally throughout the country.
While the production Of copper has
been reduced to almost the lowest
the output of all others curtailed, the
damaging effect has been In a measure
offset by increased activity of the zinc
mines due to the increased demand
and consequent advance in the price
All authorities agree that the outlook
for zinc could hardly be better on ac
count Of the complete suspension Of
operations Of practically all the zinc
mines of Europe, from which came the
big end of the worlds supply.
In addition to the beneficial influ-
ence of strong zinc market, there Is
another big factor which strongly
counteracts the depression in the
Occur dAlene district. There Is no
cessation in new development work.
All over the district the work Of max
ing mines goes on with confidence
undisturbed by wars and rumors of
war. If the market for lead Is over
supplied and copper mines are idle be-
cause the country cannot absorb the
supply, we know that the condition
cannot last long, and that when the
reaction comes the man who has the
ore is the man who will make the
money. From this viewpoint there Is
therefore a greater incentive to crowd
development, to get the ore In sight
and available in order to be In position
to profit by the strong demand that Is
sure to come with new markets fol
American products and the readjust'
ment that will follow the termination
of the European war. That the devel
opment companies Of this district ar
following this line Of action Is indi
Gated by the large number of out
standing assessments, showing that tn
efforts to open new mines are evel
more persistent than in boom times.
Coeur d'Alenes a Favored Spot.
If there are any residents Of thi
wonderful mining district who are un
der the impression that we are harde
hit than other sections Of the countr
through the business depression. le
them take a trip through South Idah
and other parts Of the northwest an
=, he will return with an altogether oil
ferent view Of the situation. He wi
find that from the standpoint OF tn
wage Garner business man and cap
talists. the opportunities here are fa
superior to those of any other place
, the northwest; that money Is MOI
plentiful, and that the nature or OF
great mining resources Is such that
. will more quickly respond to the retur
of good times. and at the same tin
maintain itself better during period
' of distrust such as the present.
DEVELOPMENT Work Goes On.
From Pine Creek to Saltese. frol
Murray to the St. Joe. the work Of d.
e velopment goes on with energy ar
: determination, and with confident
, that nothing can shake. The optimis
:, Of the peopel Of the mining districts
4 their best characteristic. without
most of the wealth in the depths OF Il
mountains would remain buried for {
time If It sometimes fails to read co
rectly the hand writing Of nature,
l. nevertheless creates and maintains
demand for labor and market
g supplies where none existed befol
But the fine spirit that possesses t
people of the Coeur d'Alene distr
% now is not merely optimism. 1t
4 based upon the absolute knowledge
). what the mines have accomplished
). the past and what they will continue
- do when normal conditions return, a
!. the almost equal certainty that NJ
10 mines will duplicate the records Of {
,s older ones. 1t is this combined W
a, optimism that keeps the wheels Of
!. mining industry moving, that explo'
the mountains through tunnel \
a. shaft, and makes of the Occur dale
,s district the best place In the nor'
:. vest today.