The Goldfield news and weekly tribune. [volume] (Goldfield, Nev.) 1911-1947, 1914-01-17
PRODUCTION OF QUICKSILVER In
UNITED STATES FOR YEAR 1918

The domestic production of quick
silver in 1918, according to prelim-
mary figures collected by H. d. Nc
Caskey, of the United States Geo
logical Survey, from the individual
producers, was 1861 TASKS of rs
pounds each, valued, at the estimated
average San Francisco domestic price
for the year of 1898, at $774,054.
A comparison of these figures with
the final published survey of these
for 1912 shows a decrease of $3.50
TASKS and of $279,SS7. This is the
lowest recorded output since 1860
and the lowest except in three years
since 1850, when the commercial pro-
duction of quicksilver began in this
country. There ware % mines re-
ported productive in 1913, however,
against 20 in 1912, and, outside of
California especially, new prospect
ing and development were active,
and the output in two of the three
producing states increased in 1913
and gives promise of further increase
in 1914. AS was indicated in the
preliminary review of the quicksilver
industry published by the Survey one
year ago, the reported gradual de-
cline in output from some of the
larger orebodies, especially in Cali
fornia, and unfavorable decrease for
1913.
Falling OFF i'm California
The output estimated by the Sur
vey for California in 1913 was 1896
TASKS, valued at $6O5,525, a decline
of 512S TASKS and of $257,509. This
was the smallest recorded production
of California since 1860, when the
production was estimated at 10000
TASKS of 76A " pounds each, valued
at $535,500, and except for 1860 the
value of the output in 1913 was the
lowest since the commercial mining
of quicksilver in that state. The de-
crease was due mainly to falling off
in yield from the important Guada-
lupe and New Almaden mines, in San
ia Clara county, and it may be noted
here that the increased output for
1912 over 1911 was to be credited
chiefly to the Guadalupe mine. There
was also a decline in Sonoma county
in 1913, from the Culver Baer and
ClOverdale mines, where the loss
nearl yequaled the output for 1912,
Trinity and San Benito counties. The
famous New Idria mines of San Be-
nito county have declined slightly in
output for the last two years but
remain the largest producers in
America and produced nearly half
the entire output of the United States
in 1918. In Fresno, Napa, Santa
Barbara and Lake counties there
were gains, chiefly in the Helen mine
of Lake county, and in San Luis Obs
pc county there was a notable in
crease at the Oceanic mine, where, it
is understood, considerable orebodies
have been developed. No new fur
naces were reported to have been
erected in California in 1913.
Production in Other States
No production of quicksilver was
reported from Oregon, Utah, or
Washington in 1913, or from any of
these states or Arizona in 1912, but
an output of the metal vas reported
in both Maricopa and Yavapai u
ties in Arizona in 1918. in the
Quartzite district and in the MazatZal
mountains, respectively. Develop
ment work has been under way at the
latter locality especially, where ex-
tensive surface showings have been
found and brisk mining has begun,
and a 4-pipe retort was in operation
on the Sunflower claims at the close
of the year. In Nevada there was an
actual decline in output of nearly
so per cent from that of 1912, but
more interest and activity in quick
silver mining were indicated in this
state in 1913 than in any other state
in the country. In Humboldt county
considerable development work was
done in American, Coronado and Ell
dorado canyons, a number of prom