The Goldfield news and weekly tribune. [volume] (Goldfield, Nev.) 1911-1947, 1914-01-17
GOLD AND SILVER MINING IN 1918:
GOLD DECREASES. SILVER INCREASES

$1,000
about $24,639,591 against an ex-
cess of imports over exports of $19,-
1890 in 1912, $2O,262,11O in
1911, and ~$447,696 in 1910. In 1909
the excess of exports over imports
was $SS,793,S55.
The gold imported in 1913 was
mainly in the form of ore and bullion
and the exports consisted chiefly OF
refined bullion and coin.
The preliminary estimates of the
United States Geological Survey and
bureau of the mint indicate a domes-
tic silver production in 1913 of 67,-
6O1,111 fine ounces, valued at S40,-
| S64,S71. This was the greatest out
put Though not the greatest value)
since domestic silver production be-
gan, according to H. d. McCaskey,
of the United States geological Sur
vey 1t was the greatest value OF
domestic silver output since 1898
figures for 1912 co.. 766,SO0 fine
ounces of silver, valued at $39,197,-
oO0) showed the output of that year
to be the greatest in quantity up tc
that time, but the yield for 1913
gives an increase of 3,S43,311 ounces
over hal of 1912. The highest mar.
ket value of the domestic silver pro.
duction in any one year was reached
in 1891, when it was 57,630,00C
for 5~S,330,000 ounces, the average
market price being, therefore. 9S.S
cents a fine ounce. In 1912 the aver.
age price was 61.5 cents an ounce
and in 1913 it was CO.'S cents.
The notable increase in produc
ton may be attributed chiefly to the
record output and increase of owe
1905 900 ounces from the silver
lead pres of the Occur d'Alene re.
gion of Idaho and increases from the
silverlead and other mines of Colo
RADIO generally, the silver-gold ores
principally of T%onopah, in Nevada;
the zinc ores of Butte, Mont; the
siliceous ores of Oregon; and the cop
per, lea.i and gold ores of Arizona
and California. The chief decrease
in silver production in 1918 was thai
of over 100000 fine ounces II
Urah. mainly in the yield from the
PARK City and other lead ores. The
output Of silver from the copper ores
OF Pltte, Mont, and of the Lake
mines Ct Michigan, fell off in 1913
but the decline at Butte was offset
by greatly increased output from zinc
ores. With the return of copper pro.
duction to the high figures of 1912
and increased output of ~silver-bear,
ing s%iliceous, lead and zinc ores
the silver output of the United States
may set a new record for 1914; ano
with return of business prosperit!
and fair metal markets and prices the
value of the silver yield should as
sumo even higher rank.
The average official New YORK.
commercial price for silver in 1912
was 61.5 cents a fine ounce. Fol
January, 1918, the average quoted
market price rose to 62.9 cents, only
to fall in February to GIG cents anC
in March to SO cents. In April the
price rose again to 59.5 cents and
in May to 60.4 cents, but it dropped
in June to SO cents and in July tc
5S.7 cents. In August a rise began
at 59.3, reaching COS in September
and CO.'S in October. In November
the price was so cents and in De-
cember it closed the year at about
SIS cents. The average official price
for the year was COS cents. The
latter half of 1913 especially indi
Gated a temporary decline in business
prosperity and the markets were
somewhat less favorable than il
1912. A marked falling off was also
noted in 1912 in shipments of silver
to the far east, those to China being
less than half the shipments fol- 1912
and those to India decreasing over
10 per cent.
The imports of silver in 1913 were
valued at $36,062,674 as estimated
from the records of the bureau OF
domestic and foreign commerce. The
exports during the same year were
valued at $63,62O,S2S, or $685.
154 in excess of the value of the
imports. In 1912 the excess of ex-
ports over imports was valued al
$26.560,669
The imports of silver in 1913 were,
as usual, chiefly in ore and bullion,
and the exports were almost wholly
in refined bullion and coin.