Mohave County miner and our mineral wealth., 1922-07-28
hIDYfAR CONDITION ?
 OF ARIZONA MINING


 The mines and smelting plants of Arizona showed marked activity dur ing the first six months of 1922 after a period of small production for near ly year, according to V. c. Heikes, of the United States Geological Sur vey, Department of the Interior. Even if the smelters should be worked at full capacity for the remainder of the year 1922 they could not possibly make an output so large as that of some past years, though they might easily exceed the output of 1921, which was valued at 29,56S,472. The copper produced in Arizona amount ed to 185,034,194 pounds in 1921, val ued at $23,S69,411, against 55S,256,- 302 pounds in 1920, valued at $1O2,- '719,160. Most of the output of cop per in 1921, which was less than that in any year during the last nineteen years, was produced during the first three months of the year, after which all the larger mines except the Miami and New Cornelia were closed. By June, 1922, the mines had resumed production, though they were not making their normal output. Though the price of copper has not increased greatly in 1922, the smelters at Doug las, Hayden, Miami, Globe, and those near Jerome were working at moder- ate rate. The United Verde Copper Co. has made noteworthy improve ,ments at the plant during the period of idleness, and a new smelting plant is promised for the Magma mine, in Pinal County.
 | The value of the output of gold in Arizona in 1921 was $2,930,303, a de- crease from $4,7S6,122 in 1920. In 1921 the San Francisco (Oatman) dis ,trict, in Mohave County, produced nearly 79 per cent of the total gold of the State, and the Calumet and Arizo- na Mining Co. was large producer of gold from copper ore. In the first |. half of 1922 these mines were active, so that the output of gold in Arizona will probably increase as soon as the output of the copper mines is normal, The output of silver in 1921 was 2,469, 1894 ounces, valued at $2,469, 1894, a decrease from 5,955,903 ounces, val ued at $5,S37 ,29O, in 1920. An in- crease in the output of silver can be expected in 1922, as the price of the metal is high, and the output of cop per bullion will be greater as the met al market improves. Tombstone, in Cochise County, has been rejuvinated by the price of silver, though the out put in 1921 was somewhat curtailed by the closing of the Douglas smelt- CTS. The shipments of ore and bull lion increased in 1921, and will pro- bably continue to do so, as the newly opened smelters require siliceous ore. The Commonwealth mine, at Pearce, has recently increased its shipments of crude ore and tailing.
 h The output of lead in 1921 was G. 541 ,433 pounds, a decrease from 14,- 599,765 pounds in 1920. The price of lead increased from AS cents pound in 1921 to about 5.5 cents in June, 1922. The lead output from Bisbee and Tombstone was small in 1921, but an increase is expected in 1922. The lead plant at Ell Paso remains active, and lead stack may be added to one of the smelters at Douglas. No zinc ore was mined in 1921, but some zinc ore was being shipped from the War ren district, in Cochise County, in 1922. Dividends were paid during the first five months of 1922 by the Phelps Dodge, New Conelia, Miami, United Verde Extension, United East ern, Calumet & Arizona, and Arizona Copper Co.