The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1915-07-04
LEAD AND ZINC ACTIVITY,

The high price of spelter that has
obtained almost continuously since the
European war began, has greatly slim
ulated the mining and smelling Of
zinc ore in the United States. The
recent rise in the price of lead has
given double impetus to mining in
those regions, such as the Joplin dis
trict, where the zinc ores are asso-
ciated with lead ores" This is the
Introductory statement in the mid
year review of the lead and zinc situa.
ton by c. E. Siebenthal of the United
States Geological Survey.
The present smelling capacity is
scarcely equal to the demands upon
it. This renders it imperative that as
much spelter as possible be produced
per retort, and puts premium upon
high-grade ores. The Joplin district
blende averages about So percent zinc
content, though considerable guam
tity of the concentrates averages so
percent and higher and contains very
little iron or lead; that of eastern
Tennessee averages over GO percent,
and Butte, Mont, So percent; Wiscon-
sin, district blende averages SIS to- SO
percent after roasting and magnetic
treatment to remove the iron. High
grade calamine ores are also in de-
mand, and an increased yield Is being
made from Arkansas and Missouri;
also lead-free New Jersey ores are In
demand
The spelter required for the manu-
facture Of munitions of war must be
Of good quality, suitable for making
sheet zinc and brass, and particularly
of the highest grade for brass cart
ridge shells. This puts further pre-
MUM on the higher grade, purer zinc
ores. To meet the demand for such
metal, some smelters are redistilling
their output to bring it up to high
standard, and are thus able to use a
lower grade Of ore. Such method
reduces the output Of the plant by
one-half, however, and adds greatly
to the cost of the product.
The lack of smelling capacity has
resulted in starting up old coal-fired
plants in Missouri and Kansas that
had been out Of commission for years.
ALI smelters are being rushed to their
maximum capacity and additions to
capacity are being rushed to compile
ton.
The high-grade zinc ores of the Jop-
lin regions are in greatest demand.
and the district is teeming with ac-
t1y1ty. Cnurn QflllS are prospecting
on every hand. Innumerable new
shafts are being sunk, and old ones
reopened. Old diggings are being
unwatered, for ground too lean to
work at previous prices can now be
operated at profit. The drilling cam
paign that has been proceeding north
of the Miami, Okla, district for more
than year has resulted in many rich
strikes and number of concentrating
plants are being built. This region IS
Just now the most active part of the
Joplin district.
Demand for lead during the early
part of 1915 was not sufficient to in
crease prices materially, but in March
the Price per pound averaged above 4
cents for the first time since Febru-
airy, 1914 In April and May the adj
vance continued, and during June
there was a marked increase past 3
cents and well beyond s cents per
pound The lead-zinc, and silver-lead
mines will, Of course. benefit by re-
turn to favorable prices for lead. and
this market, 80 slow to respond to
the general revival. has thrown an
other favorable factor into the metal
mining situation at the half-year end.
The lead production has probably been
above normal demands for it in 1914,
however, and amount OF surplus stocks
is not known.