American Falls press. [volume] (American Falls, Idaho) 1907-1937, 1915-12-30
THE u. S. MINERAL PRODUCT.

The Department of the Interior has put out its annual
table of the quantity and value of the mineral products of
the United States. This year the table includes the yield
of minerals annually from 1905 to 1914. 1t is a colossal
showing. Running over it one finds himself saying, in
voluntarily, ut is enough to run the worlds englnery.
The next thought is: "HOw omnipotent was the fore
thought that originally freighted the world for Its mighty.
voyageW
Through the ages man has been learning how to utilize
these gifts to his own use, and his success gives us gllmpses
of the progress he has made in his conquest of the earth
and its treasures, since he, a naked savage, began to cllmb
up into enlightenment.
Come to think of it, his advance, if traced, would seem
to be marked by the progress he has made IN utilizing the
gifts from the mineral kingdom.
He invented the bow and arrow and killed birds with
them. When one, more observing that the others, thought
to tip his arrow with a sharp flint, he was able to bring
down a deer, then the price of venlson was reduced ~ per
cent in a year. =.
that period wanted the nuggets for nose and ear orna-
ments, and the man who had them could exchange them for
venison enough to enable him to live almost without labor
When the contents of the cave in which the CaVenen OF
the early world lived, caught on fire and everything within
it was consumed except the white and yellow nuggets
then two new truths were learned, to-wlt: the nuggets
were indestructable, but their forms could be changed by
fire, and second the fire did not change their ustre. linen
the first rude jeweler opened a store and exchanged bang
les and nose rings and ear rings for meat and clothing,
and wild rye for bread, and manufactured gold and silver
from the native nuggets and soon began toWearflnerskins
for clothing and to eat the choicest cuts OF steak, and MS
neighbors began to be envious Of him
When he heard that a conspiracy was beng formed 10
slay him and loot his place of business, ne Offered bangles
to those who would help defend him and by them over
threw and killed the conspirators. For this, he was elected
chief. He was able too, to marry the prettlest girl IN all
that region, not because of any graces, physical or mental,
but because of the bangles and nose and earrings.
His fame spread and when men far in the interior drove
their flocks to the seashore and exchanged them for his
manufactured jewelry, then land in the interior advanced
in value.
When he came to sell the flocks and herds to his neigh
bors he charged them double the prices he had paid. That
as the first interest. Then he became king and his first
recommendation to his parliament was that for purposes
of defense there should be a treasury and the sovereign
mower should alone issue money and declare the value
thereof. The bill was entitled "For the better regulation
of the Currency" and was introduced by j.. j. Knox OF An
timlitv. The result was that the state officers wore soft
frrs every day and the people worked. 1t has been SO ever
since. ,oo-
But we are DEPRESSING. The table shows that IN 1919
the country produced 4,265, TAP troy ounces OF gold OF the
vaIue of S94.581, 800, and the value of the product IN the
intervening wears has been almost the same every year.
The silver produced in 1905 was $3.50 600 troy ounces,
with q value of S34, 222, 941; in 1914 there was produced
70 455 100 of the value of S40,O67, 700. AS a rule the pro
duct has increased nearly every year and the value has de-
creased. 1t shows to silver miners a loss OF $5O,OOO,OOO an
nuaIIv because of the nefarious legislation of 1893.
The copper product of 1905 was 888,784,267 pounds OF
the value lin New York City, of S137, 1851; in 1914, l.
10 1877 1872 pounds of the value of $152968y946. In 1905
the zinc product was 203,849 tons valued Tin st. Louis) at
s24 04 1872. in 1914 the product was 343,418 tons of the
valIe Of S35 O28,6 36. In 1905 the lead produced was ire
fined 3O7, 54 of the value of $2S,9O6,316 in 1914 there was