Ashland tidings. [volume] (Ashland, Or.) 1876-1919, 1918-03-11

was 29,9S2 flasks, so that the in
crease in 1917 was 6,419 TASKS.
The productive states were Cali
fornia, Texas, Nevada, Oregon and
Arizona.
The output of California in 1917
was 24,251 TASKS, against 21,045 in
1916. Quicksilver prospecting and
mining, stimulated by war demands
and favorable prices, have been ac-
tive in California for the last two
years. In 1917 the Abbott mine be-
came producer, with prospects of
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 new pro-
ducer. The Patriquin continued pro-
duction, and the output of the Bella
Union and La Joya showed consider
able gain. The New Idria yielded
slightly more than in 1916 and re-
mained the largest producer in Amer
lea. The Cambria was idle, but the
Oceanic increased it's output. The
New Almaden and New Guadalupe
both showed material gains. The st.
Johns again made a large output.
The Culver Baer, Great Eastern, Clo-
verdale and Socrates all made gains,
those of the first three being notably
large.
The output of Texas was 1O,579
flasks against $500 flasks in 1916,
and theincreased production is cred
tied to the Chisos, Big Bend, Mari
posa and Chisohm, in the order
named. Further increase may be ex-
pected from the Terlingua district,
which was long ago put on the map
by these mines.
The production of Nevada de-
creased from 2,19S TASKS in 1916 to
916 flasks in 1917, the decrease hav-
ing been due in part to loss of the
Goldbanks plant by fire and in part
to decreased production from che
lone district. Properties near Nina
made notable increases, especially the
Red Devils of Farnham and Drew
properties. Prospecting was active
in Nevada in 1917.
In Arizona and Oregon combined
the production was 422 flasks in
1917 against 3S3 TASKS from these
states and Washington combined in
1916. The small output from Ari-
zona came from the Mazatzal range
and from new prospects near Phoe-
nix, and most of the output from
Oregon was derived 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 reached in the Meadows dis
trict, near Gold Hill, Ore.
The market prices of quicksilver
quoted in San Francisco increased
from an average of $S1 a flask in
January to S126.25 in February, but
declined to $113.75 in March, s114.-
so in April s1O4 in May and $S5 in
June. In July the average rose to
$1O2 and in August to $115, falling
in September to $112 and in October
to $102, rising again in November
to $102.50 and in December to $115.
The average for the year was $1O6.
70, but producers received, as usual,
considerably less for metal sold at
the mines. The high prices were due
to greatly increased war demands,
principally for making illuminate for
explosives, anti-fouling paint for ship
bottoms, drugs and storage batteries,
and for amalgamating paint for ship
bottoms, drugs, and storage batteries,
and for amalgamating gold and silver
ores, but were due also to the large
increase of exports over imports.
The exports of quicksilver for the
first ten months of 1917 were 10,222
TASKS, against $3.50 flasks for the
entire year 1916, and the imports