The Goldfield news and weekly tribune. [volume] (Goldfield, Nev.) 1911-1947, 1916-01-15
PROSPERITY FOR
AMERICAN MINES
YEAR JUST CLOSED ONE OF
BEST IN HISTORY OF
INDUSTRY

survey is well supported by the pre-
liminary reports for the year sub
mitted today. The geological sur
vey is making public its usual esti-
mate of mineral production for 1915
in the form of a separate statement
for each of the more important min
eral products.
A review of these statements con-
firms Secretary Lanes comment OF
last July to the effect that the min
ing revival is in full swing. In the
western states alone the metal pro-
duction shows an increase in value
of more than $4,000, 900 over the
corresponding figures for 1914; and
the years increase in output for the
principal metals measured in value
is more thar %$25O,0O0, 900.
Moreover 1t is not unreasonable
to expect that when the full returns
from all mineral products are com.
piled they will show that 1915 was
the c~entury's most productive year
in the mining industry. The total
may I've reach two and a half bill
lion dollars.
In the response to bettered con-
ditions the production figures for
copper, iron and zinc show the larg-
est increase.
Copper Beats All Records
The copper mines passed all rec
ords for previous years. the 1915
output having a value of $236,OOO,-
600, or S3,00O,00O more than the
value of the production for 1914.
The statistics and estimates received
place the output of blister and lake
copper at 1,365,5O0,0O pounds, or
more than 2O,00O,OO0 pounds in
excess of the largest previous pro-
duction and Is per cent above last
years figures. Only twice in the
history of copper mining has there
been a larger increase in quantity
of metal produced.
The output of zinc (spelter made
from domestic ores was about 515,-
ever before, being about $4,000
tons, worth $12O,0O0,O 900 as com
pared with 343,41S tons in 1914, an
increase of about $4,000 tons, Or
nearly 25 per cent in quantity and
of $4,000, 900 in value. Produc-
ton was increased during the lat
ter half of the year. as the pfoduC-
ton during the first half was at The
rate of $4,000 tons annually and
at the rate of 436,O0O tons during
the last half.
The output of refined pig lead
from domestic ores was about 51g,-
900 tons. worth about $4S,50O, 900,
as compared with 512.794 tons in
1914, an increase of only $500 tons
in quantity, but of $500, 900 or 20
per cen in value.
The production of antimonial lead
was 2O,55O tons as compared with
2,SS2 tons or 23 per cent in guam
tity and an increase in value of
nearly $4,000 900.
Gold and Silver Increases
The animal preliminary estimates
on the production of gold and sill
yer in the United States, made joint
ly by the United States geological
survey and the bureau of the mint,
are not yet complete, but early fig
ures based on reports from the
mines indicate an increase in mine
production over that of 1914 of oven
1000, 600 in gold, principally from
{ dorado, California, Alaska, Mon
lana and Idaho, and an increse in
mine production of silver of fully
4,OOO,0 900 ounces, chiefly from Mon
tana, Utah and Arizona. This in
crease in gold production may
bring 1915 up to the record year OF
1909, when the gold output of this
country was nearly 100000 ,000.
Quicksilver also had it's best year
in 1915. The quantity increased 25
pei cent over 1914, but the value of
the output more than doubled, owing
to the much higher prices. The es-
timated production was 1851 TASKS
erage price for the year-the high
est in the last 40 years-at ST.
76S,225. In value. this domestic
production "a the highest since
1881 and in quantity the largest
since 1912.
Perhaps the most notable item in
the years record is the stimulation
of metal mining in the eastern states.
Almost without exception the in
creases in production were large.
and in several states 1915 was the
best year on record. In Arizona,
which leads in copper, the output
of that metal exceeded the previous
record production of 1913.
California continues to lead in gold
and had the largest yield in 80
years, and with one exception in
half a century. In Montana and
Arizona record outputs of silver are
reported and in Alaska the increas-
ed production of gold and especially
copper made 1915 a much more pros
nervous wear than even 1906. when