| Show quicksilver r production reduction ro in n 1915 5 the domestic output of quicksilver in 1915 based on preliminary figures collected from the individual producers by H D mccaskey of the united states geological survey was flasks flacks of seventy five pounds each valued at the average domestic price for the year at san francisco estimated at a flask at compared with the surveys final statistics for 1914 which gave a production of 16 flasks flacks valued at tile the smallest since 1860 the output of 1915 shows an increase of flasks flacks in quantity and of in value the value therefore more than doubled owing to tile the greatly increased prices demanded but the quantity increased only about 25 per cent the production was the largest in value since 1881 and the greatest in quantity since 1912 on comparing the production of 1881 with that of 1915 in value it is interesting to note that it required flasks flacks at the average price of 2983 per flask for that year to exceed in value the much smaller output at the greatly enhanced average price for 1915 increase in california the estimated output for california in 1915 was flasks flacks valued at against flasks flacks valued at in 1914 the chief producers in california in 1915 were the new idria mines of san benito county the new guadalupe and new almaden of santa clara county the oceanic of san luis obispo county the st john of solano county and the oat hill of napa county among other producers were the mercy of fresno county great western wall street and helen of lake Park markfield parkfield field of monterey the knoxville and the aetna mines of napa the wonder and hernandez of san benito the cambria and karl of san luis obispo the L los os prietos prietas Prie tos of santa barbara the phoenix of santa clara the great eastern and cloverdale of sonoma and the reed of yolo the output of the famous new idria again showed a decrease tile the new guadalupe and new almaden showed large increases tile the oceanic had about the same output as in 1914 and the st john and oat hill showed considerable increases the cambria and karl were producing in 1915 after being idle in 1914 some other mines reported relatively small changes from their production in 1914 altogether california quicksilver mines were active in 1915 and were making every effort to produce and market their metal for the best prices that have been offered for forty years increase in nevada and texas no production of quicksilver was reported to the survey from arizona oregon utah or washington in 1915 although some development work was reported from arizona and from oregon in nevada active prospecting ond dp ae continued in 1915 and the total output increased in humboldt county the Gold banks and ruby mines productive in 1914 made no output in 1915 reports stating that the pipe retorts used were unsatisfactory is A 50 ton furnace was under construction st at the Gold banks however during the year in mineral county the prop arties near mina were not yet brought to the productive stage in nye county the mercury mine near lone ione was shut down from february to july but made a considerable output the latter half of the year tile the nevada cinnabar company reported an active year and largely increased yield the telluride group near beatty was hampered by litigation but made a small output from concentrates treated in a retort the combined output of quicksilver in nevada and texas was flasks flacks valued at in 1915 against flasks flacks valued at in ill 1914 much higher prices the european war directly affected the domestic quicksilver industry first by greatly increasing tile the demand for the metal in the manufacture of fulminate or explosives and second by reducing the imports of foreign supplies into the united states the net result has been steadily increasing prices and encouragement to producers to operate at maximum capacity for the first time in many years the demand has called for more than the output the productive capacity of the domestic quicksilver mines is small but has averaged in recent years more than the demand which has fallen off since has so largely replaced amalgamation in the recovery of gold and silver from their ores the average san francisco domestic market price is estimated at for 1915 against for 1914 with the exception of the year 1874 when tile the average price was per flasks flacks of seventy six and one half pounds the average price of 1915 was tile the highest since the beginning of the industry in when the average for the year was give nas the monthly averages for 1915 show a rise from in january to 78 for march a decline of 75 for may a reco recovery and rise to 95 for july a decline to 91 to september and steady increases since to an estimated price of for de cember though there have been tempo ary setbacks the tendency has therefore there been steadily upward and tile the year ends en as 09 the t with prospects of still higher prices and a demand continues stocks are scarce production fails to supply the market requirements quire ments larger exports and smaller imports the records of the bureau of foreign foreia n and domestic commerce of the department of commerce show that the exports of quicksilver from the united states for the calendar year 1915 were about flasks flacks valued at an average of about per flasks flacks against exports of 1466 flasks flacks in 1914 the imports entered for consumption are estimated for 1915 at flasks flacks valued at about per flask against flasks flacks in 1914 most of the belligerent nations have not permitted the exportation of quicksilver and indeed great britain france germany russia and austro hungary have specifically prohibited it some of these allies or to neutral nations consistent with nations permit exports however to their the home needs italy has prohibited the export of metallic ores but apparently not of quicksilver as a metal the greater part of the output of spain from the almaden mine has been controlled in london the european production has been derived mainly from spain italy austria and russia stocks have probably been available also in france and germany the Euro european peau output has doubtless been encouraged to maximum activity but the nations at war have required the bulk of the production and have demanded that supplies be withheld from the enemy during the war the domestic producers will undoubtedly enjoy profits that have been denied them in normal times by the end of the war domestic resources may not be more than equal to the reduced demand for undoubtedly the known quicksilver quick silver mines and prospects of this country are being heavily drawn upon now and their capacity is by no means unlimited |
