The Wallace miner. [volume] (Wallace, Idaho) 1907-current, 1918-01-24
LEAD MINING INDUSTRY
WAsPR0sPER0US IN 1917
IDAHO OUTPUT INCREASED 1000
ToNs-MlssoURi STILL
LEADS.

lead mining. Further activity was
stimulated by the extraordinary high
price Of lead in June, 1917, and by the
gradual increase in the price Of silver,
which led to the reopening of silver
lead mines that had been abandoned
years ago on account of the low price
Of silver. During the first half of 1917
the lead industry was therefore very
prosperous although there was a gen.
eral increase in the cost of both labor
and supplies. The great decline in
price that set in just before the middle
Of 1917 continued until the end of the
year when the price was lower than
at the beginning of the year, but the
decline was accompanied by no CORE
spending decrease in the cost Of pro-
duction, 80 that the producers COM
planned that lead was selling below its
actual cost
The lead content of ore mined in the
United States in 1917 was about 640,-
900 tons as compared with 622,967 tons
in 1916, gain Of 10000 tons. The Jop-
lin district gained 5000 tons, California
over 5000 tons, Idaho 1000 tons and
Washington and Montana 1000 tons
each. Tennessee, which made an an
nual output of only few tons in pre-
vious years, reported q production Of
nearly 5000 tons. Arizona and Utah
lost about 1000 tons each and Colorado
about 1000 tons as compared with
1916. The disseminated lead district
OF southeast Missouri remains the
largest producer of lead the output
for 1917 being practically the same as
in 1916.
The Bunker Hill smelter at Kellogg,
Idaho, was completed and put in oper-
alton during the year. The Empire
Smelling & Refining company rebuilt
the old smelter at Deming, n NJ, and
treated ores from April until October,
when the plant was destroyed by fire
The Ontario Smelling & Refining COM
pany Is building soft lead smelter in
the northeastern part of oklahoma,
few miles southwest of Baxter Springs,
Kan. 1t will be equipped with four
Newman automatic hearths, lead
stack and bag house.
The following estimates have been
compiled without change by c. e. Sic
benthal from reports made to the
United States geological survey, de-
partment of the interior, from all the
lead refineries and soft lead shelters
that were in operation during the year.
These reports give the actual produc-
ton of lead for the first 10 or IL
months and estimates of the output for
the remainder of the year. The sta
tistics Of the imports and exports and
Of lead remaining in warehouses have
been made up from the records of the
bureau of foreign and domestic COM
merce for 10 or IL months and from
estimates for the remainder of the
year.
Decrease in Lead Of Domestic Origin
But Large Increase in Lead From
Foreign Ores and Bullion.
The production of refined lead, de-
silverized and soft, from domestic and |
foreign ores In 1917 Is estimated at /
$4,000 tons, worth, at the average
New York price, about $4,000, 900,
with 571,1S4 tons, worth
E1S,S16,000, In 1916. and with 550,055
ions, worth s51,7O5,0OO, in 1915. The
igures for 1917 do not include an es-
output of 10000 tons Of anti
nonial lead, worth about $4,000, 900.
with 24O3S tons in 1916 and
with 23,224 tons in 1915. The produc-
ion of desilverized lead of domestic
loft lead, is estimated at 1000 tons.
against S16,469 tons In 1916 and 301,-
1914 tons in 1915; and that of desilver-
zed lead of foreign origin at $4,000
ons, compared with 1906 tons In
.S16 and 43.029 tons in 1915, The pro-
luction of soft lead from Mississippi
ALLEY ores is estimated at $4,000 tons.
with 235,759 tons in 1916 and
06,462 tons in 1915. The total pro-
luction of desilverized and soft lead
rom domestic ores was thus about
10000 tons, valued at 500, 00O, 900,
ompared with 552,22S tons, valued at
76,207.000 in 1916, loss Of about H.
90 TONS The loss of nearly 10000
ons In domestic desilverized lead was
artly Offset by gain of 1000 tons in I
omestic soft lead and much more
han made up by gain of 10000 tons |
desilverized lead of foreign origin. +,
The final figures for the production I
soft lead will show an increase of I
few thousand tons over those here G
wen, for the smelters and refiners of v
rgentiferous lead undoubtedly treated =
Dme soft lead ore from the Mississ- (
'pi valley which in their preliminary I
is not distinguished from r
lver-lead ore. 10
In consequence of the great demand
nd high price about 5000 tons of sec
1dary lead and over 1000 tons of sec
ldary antimonial lead were recovered
the regular smelters. II
Imports and Exports. -
The imports Of lead are estimated at m
200 short tons of lead in ore valued II
$2,20O,OoO $4,000 tons of lead in b,
Ise bullion, valued at $4,000 and lie
90 tons Of refined and old lead, val IT.
N AZ ee6n nan n 49,, n, ,on