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Show SILVER PRODUCTION COMES MEASE I Newly Discovered Camps Expected to Swell Total Quantity Mined. "U'he:i official figures of United States .silver production for are issued, they will show a decided increase over total production of IMS, says the New York T-k-;raph. This increase will be largely due to greater output by the silver producing pro-ducing cupper companies, which, up to the signing of the armistice last November, Novem-ber, were mining and smelting to their utmost capacity. The American Smelting & B.e fining company produced In 1 1 S 71i. 57.505 ounces of silver. ;is compared with 63,S41,0bL ounces in li17. The United Suites Smelting & Refining company produced m IMS lo.y.'.l ounces silver, as compared with 1,'1,0ju,1S7 ounces in lyi 7. The, company is increasing its milling capacity at l'acluica, Mexico, and L'JiU output of stiver will b much greater. The Anaconda Copper Mining company produced in llS lo, lJ7(0t.j ounces silver, as compared with 9,0;il.0.'l5 ounces in 1917. It is predicted that final figures for' U'18 will also show increased production from straight silver mines. The outlook for still further Increase In production for the current year is most encouraging. The improved conditions of" the copper market and advancing1 prices for that metal will induce greater production of the silver-bearing copper ores, the high price of silver serving to compensate for the lower price of copper, as compared with the price of 25 cents a pound, which prevailed during tlie latter part of the war. The realization of these conditions is undoubtedly one of the main causes for the recent advance In the market price of the copper-silver stocks. Increased production from the silver mines of Utah, Colorado and Nevada is freely predicted because of the fact that, owing to the prevailing high price of the metal many companies are now profitably treating ore which was not payable a year ago. This is practically true of the Tonopah district. The new camp of Divide, six miles from Tonopah, is also expected to produce a considerable amount of silver during the current year, although production at present, pres-ent, during tlie development and discovery period, is inconsiderable. Silver mining in Nevada is, however, advancing with giaijt strides under the stimulus of the high price of silver. Many old camps are being revived and wiil again be on a producing basis this year, new important discoveries are being made and the silver output of the state for t!19 will undoubtedly be greater than for many years. Mining men closely in touch with conditions condi-tions in Mexico do not view the outlook justified by recent events. It is believed that before tlie end of this year It -will be possible to resume operations opera-tions at many mines situated far from the scene of tho recent disturbances. The output of cobalt for tho first quarter of 1019 shows a decline of l,O09,S54 ounces, compared with the same period of 1918. Any increase of production of cobalt will probably be due to the treatment of tailings tail-ings and low-grade ores which were not payable under the lower market price for silver. In Colorado preparations are being made to resume operations at many old mines which show large tonnages of what is now payable ore. The silver-lead mines of Idaho and I .tali -will also greatly Increase their production pro-duction as', the low price of lead is compensated com-pensated for by the high price of silver. In every way the outlook for silver mining companies denotes greater prosperity pros-perity and larger profits than have prevailed pre-vailed for twenty years. |