Mohave County miner and our mineral wealth., 1919-08-09
METAL MINING IN
 ARIZONA IN 1919

iedO, ana Zlnc mined Tn Ar1ZOna IT
 1918 was $2O2,134,SSO, the greater
 part of which was copper, according to
 V. 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 main
 tain its position in 1919 but with a
 greatly reduced output during 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 con-
 siderable increase over that of the
 previons year. The united Eastern
 and other gold mines in Mohave County, which contributed the largest
 part of the states output of gold, continued to produce heavily during the first half of 1919, the grade of ores permitting mining under the pre- vailing high costs. The gold derived from copper ores, however, will un- doubtedly be much less in 1919 than in 1918, for two of the largest mines and smelters near Jerome were closed for three 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 Arizona is derived from copper ores and lead ores. The total output of silver in 1918 was 6,6S6,t52 ounces valued at $1 an ounce. Mines in
 Yavapia and Cochise counties pro- duced the greater part of it. In 1919 there will probably be a decrease ir output corresponding to the reduction in the output of copper. With the in crease in the price of silver, some of the old silver mines in Yavapai county will become producers, and the new mill that treats the silver ores of the Blackberry property, in Mohave county. will probably add to the output of silver in 1919.
 The production of copper in Ari- zona was 764,885,S74 pounds in 191e, against 712,166,891 pounds in 1917. The market for copper in the first part of 1919 was decidedly poor, and the price decreased from an average of 24.7O cents per pound in 1918 to about 15 cents in March, 1919. Much copper in ingots was piled in nearly all the smelter yards awaiting ship ment, and only the greatly reduced current production was sent to the eastern refiners. Several of the smelt- ing plants were closed, the Shannon in January and the Sasco, United Verde, and United Verde Extension in February, though the last two re- sumed operations in May and June. The mines were producing at the rate of about 50 per cent of their out put in 1918. The monthly production of the Insperation and Miami compan- ies was close to that of the previous year, but the Ray Consolidated was making about half it's former outpu-. There was a general scarcity of min CTS and mechanics, and even the re- turn of troops failed to meet the de- mand; but the curtailment has per mitted mine development and repair and reconstruction of furnaces after a period of forced production. One of the interesting features of the work of the first six months of the year was the continuation of stripping by steam shovels 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 ex- tensive improvements and additions to the capacity of the new smelting plant at Clarkdale. At Aoj the New Cornelia Copper Company plans to construct 500-ton experimental flo tation plant for it's sulphide ore, and at Ray the new mill of the Ray Her cules Company was treating about 800 tons of low grade copper ore day.
 The output of lead in 1918 was 12,503,689 pounds a decrease from 23 3,465,445 pounds in 1917. As the price was only about cents a pound in April, 1919, and there was no great demand for the metal there will prob- ably be further decrease in 1919. N' This statement also applies to the output of zinc, which fell from 20,. S94, ,860 pounds of recoverable metal in 1917 to 2,259,543 pounds in 1918. The Arizona Hillside property, in Yavapai County, continues it's ship ments of rich zinc sulphide ore. Good zinc ore was said to have been mined by the Schuylkill Company through the Tennessee mine, formerly large producer of both lead and zinc.
 The dividends of Arizona mining were reduced considerably in 1918. The largest contributors were the Phelps Dodge, Inspiration,