Bisbee daily review., 1918-02-03
DOMESTIC OUTPUT OF QUICKSILVER GREAT
 DURING PAST YEAR


 The domestic output of quicksilver in 1917, according to statistics com piled by H. D. McCaskey of the United States geological survey. department of the interior, was 36.351 iasks Of 75 pounds each. valued st the average quoted market price at San Francisco (S1O6.l2 per flask at about S3.S5I.O0O- The output was. therefore the great est quantity since 1883 and the great est in value since 1S75- The prOduc- tiOn in 1916 was 2S.932 fasks, so that the increase in 1917 was 6419 fiasks-
 The productive states were CalifOr- mia. Texas. Nevada, Oregon and Ari- zOna-
 The output in California in 1917 was -4-zI5I flasks against 21,045 flasks in ISIs Quicksilver prospecting and mining, stimulated by war demands and favors ble prices. have been ac- tive in California for the iast two years h 1917 the Abbott mIne be came a producer. with prospects of a considerable increase in 1918 The Helen mine continued production and the Sulphur Banks made gains that are likely to be continued in 1918 The Big Injun was a producer The Patriquin continued producing. and the output of the Bella Union and La JOya showed considerable gain The New Idria yielded slightly more than in 1916 and remained the larged pro duced in America The Cambria was idle. but the Oceanic increased its output. The New A'maden and New Guadalupe both showed material gains. The St Johns again made a large output The Culver Baer. Great Eastern. ClOvendale and Socrates all made gains. those of the first three being notably large
 The output of Texas was 10.759 isaks. against 63os fasks in 1916. and the increased production is credited 10 the ChisOs. Big Bend. MaTipOsa and Chisholm. in the order named. Fur ther increase may be expected from the Terlingua district. which was long ago put on the map by these mines
 The production of Nevada decreased from 2IsS hsaks in 1916 to 9I6 nssks in 1917. the decrease having been due n part to loss Of the Goldb3nks plant by fire and in part 10 decreased pro dUction from the lone district Prop critics near Nina made notable in- creasss, especially the Red Devils or FaTnham and Drew properties Pros pecting was active in Nevada in 1917.
 In Arizona and Oregon combined Ta r.-nIrrr-rr~4 rr-.- aga sn 1QT- against 3S3 fasks from these states and Washington combined in 1916. The small output from Arizona came from the MazatZal range and from new prospects near Phoenix. and most of the output from Oregon was de rived from the Black Butte mine Only prospecting and development work were carried on in the Morton district in Washington. and the stage of production has not yet been Esaeh- ed in the Meadows district near Gold Hill. in Oregon
 The market prices of quicksilver quoted in San Francisco increased from an average of SSI a flask in January to s16225 in February. but declined to S1I3.75 in March. s11E50 in April. S1O4 in May and SS5 in June. In July the average rose 10 S102 and in August 10 SIS. falling in September to SIP and in October to s102 rising again in November to Sl02 50 and in December 10 SIS. The average for the year was SI0652. but producers received as usual. consid- ersbly less for metal sold at the mines. The hish prices were due to greatly increased war demands. prin- cipally for making illuminate for ex plcsives. antifCuling paint for ship bottoms. drugs and storage batteries and for amslgamating gold and silver ores. but were due also to the large increase of exports over imports.
 The exports Of quicksilver for the first 10 months Of 1917 were IO.22z issks. against sSS0 fasks for the en. tire year 1916, and the imports were 44S1 flasks for the first nine months Of 1917. against 565S fiasks for all O. 1916.
 Most of the output continues to come from properties that were pro ducing before the war. but part of il comes from old surface material. fOI new development work and furnace construction require time and money and quicksilver deposits. unlike the larger deposits Of more common met calls are not readily measurable in a gusntitative way Uncertainty as tC var demands and postwar market. and prices have prevented extensive financing Of an industry in which there had been little profit for decades be fore the war Some improvement il the Treatment of lOw-grade ores is in dioated al the larger properties. and i Is from lOw-srade ores that the sup ply of Ihe future must chiefly come.
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