The copper era and Morenci leader., 1919-08-08
METAL MINING IN
 ARIZONA IN l9l9 M|D- APPROXIMATIONS
(From U. s. Geological Survey Department of the Interior.)

in 1918 was $2O2, ,134,SSO the greatest part of which was for copper accord ing to " c. Heikes of the United States Geological Survey, Department of the Interior. Arizona continued to be the largest producer of copper in the United States and will probably maintain it's position in 1919 but with a greatly reduced output durng the first six months, when curtailment of production has followed the reduction in the prices of metal.
 The output of gold in Arizona in 1918 was 262,919.43 ounces, valued at $5,435 O27 which represents a consid erable increase over that of the pre- vious year.. The United Eastern and other gold mines in Mohave County which contribute the largest part of the States output of gold continued to produce heavily during the first half of 1919, the grade of ores per hitting mining under the prevailing high costs The gold derived from copper ores, however, will undoubted- ly be much less in 1919 than in 1918, for two of the large mines and smell ters near Jerome were closed for 3 months. The copper ores of the Ray Consolidated, Miami, and Inspiration contain little or no gold, but the ores of the Copper Queen, Calumet & Arizona United Verde, and United Verde Extension contain much gold.
 Most of the silver produced in Ar- zona is derived from copper ores and lead ores. The total output of silver in 1918 was 6,6S6,152 ounces, valued at $1 an ounce. Mines in Yavapai and Cochise counties produced the greater part of it. In 1919 there will prob ably be a decrease in output cores bonding to the reduction in the out put of copper. With the increase in the price of silver some of the old sill yer mines in Yavapai County will be- come producers, and the new mill that treats the silver ores of the Hack berry property, in Mohave County, will probably add to the output of silver in 1919.
 The production of copper in Arizona was 764,SS5,S74 pounds in 1918 against TIP, ,166.S91 pounds in 1917. The mark ct for copper in the first part of 1919 was decidedly poor and the price de- creased from an average of 24.7O cents per pound in 1918 to about 15 cents in March 1919 Much copper in in gots was piled in nearly all the smelter yards awaiting shipment, and only the greatly reduced current production was sent to the eastern refiners. Say. era of the sn,, ting plants were sl' s. ed, the Shannon in January and the Sasco, United Verde and United Verde Extension in February, though the last two resumed operations in May and June. The mines were producing at the rate of about 60 per cent of their output in 191S The monthly production of the Inspiration and Miami companies was close to that of the previous year, but the Ray Consolidated was making about half it's former output. There was a general scarcity of miners and me- chanics and even the return of the troops failed to meet the demand: but the curtailment has permitted mine development and repair and recon l of forced production. One of the in- teresting features of the work of the first six months of the year was the continuation of stripping by steam shovel on Sacramento Hill, at Bisbee The United Verde began work with steam shovels to uncover a large body of low grade ore and kept large force of men making extensive improvements and additions to- the capacity of the new smelting plant at Clarkdale. At Ajo the New Cornelia Copper Company plans to contract a 500-ton experimental Notation plant for it's sulphide ore, and at Ray the, new mill of the Ray Hercules Company was treating about 500 tons of low grade copper ore a day.
 The output of Head in 1918 was 12,503,6S9 pounds a decrease from g 465 AS pounds in 1917 As the price was only about cents pound in April 1919 and there was no great demand for the metal there will prob ably be a further decrease in 1919. This statement also applies to the output of zinc, which fell from 20,S94- S60 pounds of recoverable metal in 1917 to 2, 269 643 pounds in 1918 The Arizona Hillside property, in Yavapai county continues it's shipments of rich zinc sulpnide ore. Good zinc ore was said to have been mined by the Schuylkill Company through the Tennessee mine formerly "a large pro- ducer of both lead and zinc
 The dividends of Arizona mining companies were reduced considerably in 1919 The largest contributors were the Phelps Dodge, Inspiration, United Eastern, Ray Consolidated, Arizona Copper, Iron Gap, Miami and United Verde. ,-