The Wallace miner. [volume] (Wallace, Idaho) 1907-current, 1915-07-15
LEADING MINES
SHOW ACTIVITY
GOVERNMENT REPORT REcITEs
OPERATIONS IN VARIOUS
CAMPS.

1.-THE high price of spelter that has
Iobtalned almost continuously since
the European war began, has greatly
stimulated the mining and smelling of
zinc ore in the United States. The
recent rise In the price of lead has
given a double impetus to mining in
those regions, such as the Joplin dis
trict, where the zinc ores are associ-
ated with lead ores" This Is the in
troductory statement In the mid-year
review of the lead and zinc situation
by C. E. Seibenthal of the United
States geological survey
The present smelling capacity Is
scarcely equal to the demands upon It,
This renders 1t imperative that as
much spelter as possible be produced
per retort, and puts a premium upon
high grade ores, The Joplin district
blende averages about So per cent zinc
content, though considerable guam
ltlty of the concentrates averages 60
per cent and higher and contains very
little iron or Lead that of eastern
Tennessee averages over so per cent,
and Butte Mont, SIS per cent; Wiscon-
sin district blende averages 30 to 90
per cent 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, al
so 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 car
fridge shells This puts a further pre-
MUM on the higher grade, purer zinc
ores. To meet the demand Tor such
metal, some smelters are redistilllng
their output to bring 1t up to high
standard, and are thus able to use
lower grade of ore. Such methoo
reduces the output of the plant by
one half, however, and adds greatly 10
the cost of the product.
The# RACK OIL SIiltlliiih SSPt"~'N'
resulted in starting up old coal hree
plants in Missouri and Kansas that
had been out of commission Tor years
All 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 ana
the district Is teeming with activity
Churn drills are prospecting on every
hand. Innumerable new shafts are
being sunk and old ones reopeheo' oia
Idiggings are being unwatered, Tor the
Ground too lean to work at previous
nrlces can now be operated at proht
The drilling campaign that has peeh
,nroceeding north Of the Miami OKLA
district for more than year mas re-
suited in many rich strikes and num-
her of concentrating plants are belhS
built. This region is just now the
most active part of the Joplin distrlet
Demand for lead during the early
mart of 1915 was not sufficient TO III
craasa nrices materially, but in March
the price per pound averaged above
cents for the first time since February
1914. In April and May the advance
continued, and during June there was
a marked increase past five cents ana
we'll beyond 6 cents per pound me
lead zinc, and silver-lead mines Will
Of course, benefit by return to favor
ab,A prices for lead, and this market,
so slow to respond to the general re-
vival, has thrown another Favorable
factor into the metal mining situation
at the half year end. The lead produc-
zion had probably been above normal
demands for it in 1914, however and
amount of surplus stocks is not known