The Wallace miner. [volume] (Wallace, Idaho) 1907-current, 1915-12-30

Notable INCREASES WERE LEAD, ZINC AND coe1E, $500,
CONTINUES THE BIG PRopucr-znc s e,o
AND RAPIDLY GROWING FACTOR.

The United States geological survey
-anorts that the output of gold, silver
aonner. lead and zinc from ores sold OF
troated from Idaho mines in 1915, had
total value of about $37,7SO,OO0. This
i an increase of more than So per cent
over the production of 1914, which was
yalued at $24,645,84s. There was no
oreat change in the output of gold and
! slight Increase in that of silver, but
there were material increases in the
nroduction Of copper, lead and zinc,
oeneeially of zinc. The increase in the
total value of these metals, amounting
"a over s13,000,000. was due largely to
the increased price of lead and zinc
These estimates are reported by C. n.
Gerry statistician, at the Salt Lake
CITY office of the survey.
Gold.
The mine production of gold was
nearly the same as that of 1914, val
ued at $1,152,315. The yield of gold
from dredging was over half million
dollars, but no more than during 1914
The Boston Idaho, in Boise county;
and the Idaho Power company, in
Clearwater county, were the main con-
tributors. The American Placer Min
ing company merely tested the ma
chinery of their new plant at Pierce.
There was an increase in gold yield
from copper ore, particularly from the
Empire Copper mine at Mackay, which
had a record production of ore. De-
posits of gold bullion at the govern
ment assay office were greater than in
1914 In Gilmore county, the Atlanta
mines and the old Bagdad Chase pro-
perty, now operated by the Boise Ro-
chester Mining company, produced
bullion. In Owyhee county. the Silver
City NJ. & M. company was operating
a 1O-stamp mill
Silver.
The production of silver from Idaho
mines increased from 12,479,516 ounces
in 1914 to about 100000 ounces in
1915, or more than 4. per cent. The
price of silver. however, was compare
lively low and the value of the output
was over 100000 less than in 1914.
The shipments of silver-lead ore and
concentrates, which contained the
greater part of the silver, decreased in
the early part of the year, but increas-
ed considerably toward the end of the
year, when the price of lead was over
Sc cents an ounce A considerable
part of these increased shipments will
not reach the smelters until 1916. The
Hercules mine, which produces much !
silver, was idle for three months dur
ing the year on account of a contro-
versy with the smelling company. The |
largest increase in silver output came |
from the Caledonia mine. Other pro-
perties which increased their produc-
ton of silver were the Federal, Bun
ker Hill, Hecla, Gold Hunter, Tama-
rack & Custer and Ontario, all in Sho-
shone county. The lead mines at Gill
more and the copper property at Mac
kay increased their output of silver.
Copper.
The output of copper from Idaho
was increased from 6,445,1S7 pounds In
1914 to about 7,169,000 pounds in 1915.
As the Snowstorm mine at Larson is
no longer a large producer, and as the
Lost Packer mine, at Ivers, shipped
only few cars of matte, the increase
was due almost entirely to unusually
large shipments from the Empire Cop
per company at Mackay, in Custer
county, which, in the middle of the
was shipping at the rate OF
about 5000 tons month. The Nation
al Copper company did not mill any
ore. but large amount of copper was
said to be developed in the Horst
Powell property on the Little North
Fork, north of Kellogg.
Lead.
The mine output of lead, which Is
the main mineral product in ldano,
Increased from 348,526,069 pounds in
1914 to about 377,OOO,00O pounds in
1915. A large part Of this output,
however, had not reached the smelters
at the close of the year. This is an in
crease of over per cent in quantity
and nearly 100000 in value. Nearly
all the large mines of the Occur
dAlene region produced more lead in
1915 than in 1914 on account Of the eff
Tort to market the ore the last half Oh
1915. This was true also of the Will
bert Mining company in Fremont
county and the Pittsburg- Idaho ana
Latest Out properties at Gilmore, In
Lemhi county. The Idaho Continental
mine in Boundary county, formerly
Bonner county, was sending lead pro-
quot to Porthill by tractors when work
was interrupted by the burning of the
mill on July 30. A new mill was being
constructed at the H. e. & M. proper
W northwest Of Wallace. At the Marsh
mine and mill improvements were
made which have already increased