Weekly journal-miner., 1920-01-07
MARKED DECREASE IN METAL PRODUCTION IN ARIZONA FOR
 l0l9---TOTAL OFF S93,OOO,OOO

States geological survey, department of the internor, had a total value of about $lO8,707,OOO, q decrease of 1 S93, ,427 ,88O.
 There was decrease in both the quantity and value of all these metals but the largest decrease was that in copper. During the first part oi the year, there was a marked curtailment of output, and in the Verde district labor troubles closed the mines for nearly four months. During the last three months of the year many of the large companies again curtailed production as a result of market con- ditions
 The production of gold mines in Arizona decreased from $5,435,027 in 1918 to about S4,23l, ,OOO in l9l9. This decrease, which amounted 10 $l2O4, 900, was a result of the general cur tailment in the production of copper ore. More than half the output of gold from Arizona came from the 1 gold ores of the San Francisco dis trict of Mohave county, though there was a decrease from this source as well as from the copper ores. The United Eastern Co. remained the largest producer of agold in the state, and the Tom Reed Co. continued its large output. The Copper Chief mine, in the Verde district, and the Gold Road mine, at Oatman, were idle.
 The mine output of silver de-
 creased from 6,6s6,152 ounces in
 1918 to about 4,e27 ,OoO ounces in
 1919. In spite of the increase in
 the price of silver the value of the
 output decreased from S6,686,152
 to about S5,479,8oO.
 The largest producers of silver were the Calumet & Arizona, Copper Queen, United Verde, Magma and United Verde Extension mines. Be sides the copper mines, the largest producers of silver were the Bunker I Hill mine at Tombstone and the Commonwealth mine at Pearce. i The mine output of copper de
 creased from 734,555,S47 pounds 1 in 1918 to about 52Z,CO0OO0 in
 1919, decrease of nearly 32 per
 cent The value of the output
 decreased from S188,919,4O1 in
 1918 to about $98,z96,OO in le1S, 1 and the average price of copper
 decreased from 247 cents to about
 1883 cents a pound. There was
 a decrease in the output of each
 of the smelling plants in the state
 except the United Verde Exten-
 sion shelter at Verde. At Miami the output of the International 1 plant was close to the record of 1918. The Shannon smelter at Clifton was closed in January, and the plant at Sasco was closed early in the year. At Ajo the
 New Cornelia Copper Co. contin-
 ued the teaching of copper ore,
 but its output was reduced about 20 per cent In the Warren dis trict development work opened extensive ore bodies on the Denn Arizona ground and on leases on Copper Queen ground. The mine production of lead i'll {, Arizona decreased from 12,503,689 i pounds in 1918 to about 10000, ,000 !. pounds in 1919. The value Of the output decreased from $887,762 to ! about $575,O00. Large shipments of i lead were made from the Shattucll | mine. in the Warren district, in spite | of the delay caused by fire on the . SOO-foot level in March. In Pinal i county the property of the Ray Sil- yer-Lead Co. produced considerable | lead ore, though less than in 1918
 The output of recoverable zinc de- creased from 2,269,643 pounds in 1918 to about I,717OOO pounds in 19l9 The value decreased from S206,53S to about $l25,700. The Arizona Hillside . Mining Co.,, in Yavapai county, was the only important producer.
 Dividends from Arizona mining companies during the first II months of 1919 amounted to about $19,84l ,000 exclusive of those of the Phelps Dodge corporation, which also oper- ates mines in Mexico and New Mex ico. Including the dividends of the Phelps-Dodge corporation the total was nearly $26816OOO. The con- panies that paid dividends were the Miami, Inspiration, Iron Cap, Shat tuck, United Eastern, United Verde, United Verde Extension, Arizona Copper, Calumet & Arizona, Magma, Ray Consolidated, Arizona Bingham ton, and the Phelps Dodge corpora ton.