The Wallace miner. [volume] (Wallace, Idaho) 1907-current, 1918-03-21


the mining industry of Idaho during
1917, exceeded all it's previous great
record years of output. Due to the
depressed feelings of the producers,
caused by the serious slump in metal
values in the fall, early estimates were
placed about the same as that Of 1916
but after the full year was rounded
out the largest producers maintained
their maximum output to the end of
the year and the gross totals showed
q marked increase, especially in lead,
and indicated that the total metal con-
tents Of all minerals and bullion ship
ped aggregated the remarkable yield
as follows:
Lead, pounds ..........,S s5, 900
Zinc, pounds ........,...r.. o,l23,ooo
Silver. ounces ............' l2,4919lI
Copper. pounds ... 1882, 900
Gold, ounces .. 1926
These figures are based on the total
metal contents Of the finished mineral
and bullion as shipped from Idaho
without discounting for loss in smelt-
ing, which Is variable amount and
hard to determine and to some extent
made up with by-product recoveries
that are not paid for by the smelters.
These figures. ! think, will maintain
Idaho's long established second place
In lead production among the states OF
the Union and its rank as a close Sec
ond in the principal silver producing
states, and Is a splendid endorsement
of the continued capacity for produce
ton of our principal mines in the
Occur d'Alene district from which the
bulk of our silver and base metal pro-
duction, except copper, is derived,
BY reason Of excessive operating
costs and the uncertainty of the gov
ernment's requirements, under the new
excess profit tax law, the dividend dis
bursements from Idaho mining opera
lions amounting to about $9,91S,O00
will be about 100000 less than they
were in 1915 in spite of the exception
ally high market value of the metals
Prevailing during the first nine months
o. the year. The balance of the grand
total going to the payment of labor,
material, taxes, transportation charges,
smelter costs, losses and discounts and
represents total gross value for all
metals of $56O91 $40.
Lead Silver.
By reason of the war demand and
high prices prevailing for lead during
the first nine months of the year,
which ranged from ~ cents to over
IL cents per pound, our big producers
of this class of ore in the Occur
d'Alene district were worked at capa
city and by virtue of extensive add
vanced ore development were able to
select their product from their better
Slopes, and made another record out
put of mineral. The aggregate con-
tents were nearly 4O0,OOO,OOO pounds of
lead, exceeding the previous years
great record yield by nearly 3O,000,O00
pounds. together with an associated
yield in silver totaling nearly 12,500,-
GEO ounces, which was several hundred
thousand ounces in excess Of the pre-
vious year. In October, due to a flood
ed metal market brought about by a
change in war which affected demands
for metal, and probably due to the
curtailment of the use of metal as pig
ments in this country, resulting from
our entrance into the war, lead prices
relapsed back to about 6 u cents a
pound, and have since lowered around
that figure. At this price, under pre-
Gent high operating costs, no margin
of profit remains for the lead produ-
Ger in the Occur -d'Alepe district, and
his profit must be derived from the
associated silver values in the ore,
which are. unfortunately, an important
factor, and permit of continued opera
ton, as the price of silver still re-
mains strong. with an upward ten
dency.
1t seems a sin, however, to continue
to work these splendid developed re-
sources at anything like capacity and
throw the lead on an already flooded
market for the associated silver pro-
fits that the ore contains, and the cur
tailment of production would Seem
warranted under present conditions.
There is none of the extensively used
base metals that in my opinion have
as sure prospect for advanced flu
ture market values as lead, l think
Idaho producers would be warranted
in letting the eastern mines with lower
operating costs and more convenient
means of disposing of their output,
have a little advantage in marketing
their product, for at the end of ten
year period, they would doubtless
come out ahead Of the game by doing
so.
Lead Conservation.
From a cursory study of the sub
ject / am of the opinion that the pro-
ven lead ore supply of the world at
large is two-thirds exhausted at this
time, and the proper conservation of
the future supply and requirements
by this country, particularly, should
be a matter of present concern. This |
may seem like strange doctrine for a |
writer who has been convicted of be- |
ing a booster and who has refused to |
&c oounizo Ip,;tatin nf etpply ae,no