Cut Bank pioneer press. [volume] (Cut Bank, Mont.) 1909-current, 1915-04-23
MINING NEWS

Conditions affecting the mining in
dustry, particularly in the Occur
d'Alenes and British Columbia, have
improved materially this spring. and
there is evidence on every hand of in
vestors having gained confidence. Met
al prices have advanced to a point
that has enabled companies that sus-
pended operations entirely or curtailed
their outputs considerably at the be-
ginning of the depression several
months ago to resume full force.
Washington Mineral Products.
Analysis of figures of mineral pro-
duction of the state of Washington
for 1918, made by Prof. Joseph Dan
iels of the college of mines of the
University of Washington, shows the
total value for the year to be $17,-
669,276. OF this $16,616,141 came from
non-metals-coal and coke, cement,
bricks and tile, and construction ma
t~erials, such as gravel, sand, building
stone and road metal-and $1,053, 1875
came from gold, silver, copper and
lead.
Twenty-four counties report a min
eral production. Eight contribute both
metals and non-metals and sixteen re-
port non-metals alone. The lowest
value is reported by Douglas county;
the highest by King county, with a
total production of $4,914,136. Skagit,
Kittitas and Pierce counties each re-
port more than $1,000, 900.
The counties west of the Cascades,
numbering twelve, contribute a pro-
duction of $11,407, 1859, OF IS per cent.
of the total. The eastern Cascade
counties-Okanogan, Chelan, Kittitas,
Kakima and Klickitat-have a total
production of $3,716 ,604, which is 20
per cent of the entire state. The In
land Empire counties-Ferry, Stevens,
Pend d'Oreille, Spokane and Whitman
represent So, 427, 623-14 per cent of
the total-leavIng a few scattered
counties with 1 per cent production.
The counties within 100 miles of
Seattle by railroad, including What
com, Skagit, San Juan, Thurston,
Lewis and Cowlitz, contribute $14,468,-
53S, or 80 per cent of the entire pro-
duction. With Spokane as a center and
a railroad radius of 100 miles, the min
era1 production is $1,673,347; the coun-
ties within a radius of 100 miles give
$2,561, JOG as the production, 10 per
cent of the state total.
Coming now to the products them
selves, in the non-metallic class coal
leads with a value of $9,243,137;
brick and tile, $2,532,426; cement, $2,-
10000; basalt, $632,915; sandstone,
$560,46s; coke, $432,77o; sand and
gravel, $2s5, 1856; lime, $219,163; gran
lite, $14O,279; limestone, $62,913, and
miscellaneous other non-metallics
valued at $66, 1882. Among the metals
gold leads with a value of $~696,275,
followed by silver, $200,06S; copper,
S147,SS3, and lead $1,000.
The purpose of the college in max
ing this analysis was to call attention
to the significance Of the geographical
position of the college of mines of
the state university at Seattle. The
foregoing statistics show the division
of production of minerals within the
state. Were the list of producing
mines and properties to be similarly
tabulated, the Importance of Seattle as
a center would be even more striking.
ly shown. One hundred and twenty
five properties near Seattle report the
major proportion of the non-metallic
production, while forty other plants
scattered over the rest of the state
of metal mines shipping was Sc in
1913, of which 25 are in Stevens and
Ferry; IL in Okanogan and Chelan
and 20 in Kittitas, Whatcom, Snoho
mish and King counties.