The Wallace miner. [volume] (Wallace, Idaho) 1907-current, 1916-12-28
MINERAL PRODUCTION
UTAH SHOWS INCREASE
MINES WILL CLOSE YEAR WITH
GREATEST RECORD IN THE
STATES HISTORY.

Utah mines will close the year 1915
with a record breaking ore output of
gold, silver, copper, lead and zinc hav-
ing a total value of about $97 100000
as estimated by Victor c. Heikes of
the United States geological survey,
ord indicates an increase of nearly II
per cent, or $42,000,000 over the output
of 1915. All the metals showed in
creases and there were record outputs
of copper, lead and zinc. About IA
000,000 tons of ore were mined in 1916,
against 10,451 ,445 tons in 1915. The
mines at Bingham produced the larg
err part of this ore, or nearly 13,000,-
600 tons, mostly by steam shovel min
ing. This quantity includes about H.
100000 tons of porphyry copper ore,
the output of which in 1915 amounted
to S,90S,56 tons. In all districts many
OF the old mine and failing dumps
We're reworked or shipped directly to
the smelters. ore shipments from the
tons, representing an increase of 36
per cent over 1915. The estimate in
cudes a quantity of oXidized iron ore
greater than that shipped In any pre-
vious year, caused by the demand for
flux at the different smelters. Several
thousand tons of ore and old dump
material that are not Included in the
estimates We're milled in the district
In the Cottonwood and American Fork
districts over $4,000 tons of ore of
shipping grade was produced in 1916.
Nearly half the output was hauled by
wagon and tractor engines down Big
Cottonwood canyon to the valley fur
naces. The Park City region produce
ed less milling ore and more ore Of
shipping grade which, with concen-
trates from three ore mills and two
large failing plants, amounted to near
ly 10000 tons, a decrease of about 1900
tons from the output of 1915. In 1915
two new mills were erected at Frisco
and Newhouse, in Beaver-county, to
work failing yielding copper, lead and
zinc concentrates, which, with the ore
shipped from the different mines, ag-
gregated $4,000 tons. This is an in
crease of more than 10000 tons over
1915. The ore output in Tooele coun-
ty, principally at Ophir and the
Stockton camps, including the smaller
districts, North Tintic. Columbia,
Dugway and Erickson, amounted to
10000 tons. This included the mill
ing ore of the Ophir and Bullion Coali-
ton properties There was an in
crease of $4,000 tons of ore compared
with 1915.
Some Increase in Gold and Silver.
The gold output of Utah shows a
slight increase, from $4,000, 1O9 in 1915
to $3.647 900 in 1916. Most of the in
crease is probably derived from cop
per ores, as the gold producing dis
tricts were not very active. Bull Val
West Mercur mines each produced {
| little gold bullion. The placer gol(
production in the state is negligible.
The production of silver is per cen
greater, increasing from 12,313,20I
ounces in 1915 to 1887, 900 ounces il
1916, amounting to an increase il
value of over $2,5O0,OOO. Among the
silver mines the ontario was produc.
ing ore of shipping grade, and large
increase may be made from the Cot
tonwood districts. In the Tintic dis.
trict silver ores will benefit by the
chloridizing roasting process, which
was put in successful operation, treat.
| ing ore and old dump material from
the Iron Blossom, Dragon, Swansea
and Black Jack mines. Precipitates
containing high silver were produced
and averaged a car a month before the
increase of 100 to 800 tons in the
roasting capacity of the plant
Large Copper, Lead and Zinc Increase
Copper production in Utah broke
all records, increasing from 1851
1888 pounds in 1915 to 242,OOO,00(
pounds in 1916, an increase of 20 pei
cent in quantity and over $33,O0O,0OC
in value. The gigantic operations by
steam shovel at the great porphyrJ
copper mine of the Utah Copper COM
pany, kept two railroad lines busy
hauling an average Of $1,000 tons Of
ore daily to it's two concentration mills
at Garfield, Is miles distant. There
were days when the ore hauled ex-
ceeded 10000 tons. At Lark, the Ohio
copper mill operated on low grade
copper ores from its mine, which was
in the hands of lessees.
Lead production also surpassed al
former records, increasing from 1885,.
967, 437 pounds in 1915 to over 215,
100000 pounds in 1916, the increas'
amounting to about 7 per cent IL
quantity and over $5,000,000 in value
A large increase in the output of Leaf
was made from the mines at Bing
ham. The principal producers wer'
the Utah Apex, United States, High
land Boy, New Haven, and Dalton &
Lark properties. The production o
lead from the Tintic and Park Cit.
districts will not be much greater thai
in 1915.
Prices for zinc continued high dur