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LEAD.

By C. E. SIEBENTHAL.

INTRODUCTION.

a

An estimate of the production of refined lead in 1909 was given out in the form of a press bulletin on January 1, 1910. This was based on reports from every smelter giving the actual production for the first ten or eleven months, with estimates for the remainder of the year. The total thus obtained varied considerably less than 1 per cent from the final figures of production. The complete figures of production and consumption of primary refined lead, of imports and exports of lead in ore and bullion, and of the recovery of secondary lead were given in the advance statement of lead production which was published December 24, 1910. The present report contains, in addition, tables showing the production, consumption, imports and exports for a period of years, and a comparison of the mine and the smelter production of lead by States.

The statistics of production in this country have been compiled by the United States Geological Survey from confidential reports by each lead-smelting company in operation during the year 1909. These reports were procured by the Bureau of the Census and the United States Geological Survey acting in cooperation. As the metal statistics collected by the Bureau of the Census were obtained in connection with the general census of the industries of the United States, by direct visitation of field agents, the time required for the work was much greater than has been necessary in previous years. This accounts for the late appearance of this report. The statistics of the recovery of secondary lead were collected by the United States Geological Survey. The statistics of domestic consumption are taken in part from the smelter returns and in part from the records of the Bureau of Statistics of the Department of Commerce and Labor, and the tables for foreign production and consumption were compiled from the sources indicated.

a

By primary lead is meant lead which has been produced directly from ore. This term is used for purposes of distinction from secondary lead, which is obtained by refining skimmings, drosses, old metals, etc., figures for the production of which are given on a later page. Wherever in this report the word "lead" is used without qualification primary lead is to be understood.

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STATE OF LEAD INDUSTRY IN GENERAL.

The lead industry of the world had as a whole a fairly prosperous year, several European countries and the United States making good gains, though conditions in the latter country did not fulfill the expectation at the beginning of the year. The lead output of Australia suffered severely from the labor trouble which prevailed for the first half of the year.

In the United States, despite great gain in soft-lead production due primarily to the southeast Missouri desseminated lead district, the production from domestic ores failed to reach the mark set in 1907; but this loss was more than made up by increase in the production from foreign ores, so that the total production was the greatest recorded. Missouri and Utah both made good gains over their 1908 figures, and each had the greatest production in its history.

PRODUCTION.

The

The production of lead in the United States since 1825 from domestic ores and from foreign ores and base bullion is shown in the table following. For the early years, in the absence of official records, the figures have been compiled from the best available sources. figures for the period from 1825 to 1853 are those published by Whitney; those for the later years were collected by E. A. Caswell. Totals for 1882 were compiled from statistics gathered by the Census Bureau. Since 1882 the figures have been annually collected by the United States Geological Survey.

a

According to Hahn, " argentiferous lead ore was smelted in Montana and Nevada as early as 1866-67, but for the silver only, as the value of the lead would not pay transportation charges to market. With the completion of the Union Pacific Railroad in 1869 and the development of the mines at Eureka, Nev., the production of lead bullion began. The first figures of this production which are available are for 1873. It is evident from the totals for 1871 and 1872 that not much bullion was produced before 1873. Estimates have been made for these years, as well as for 1874, in order to arrive at totals for the different classes of lead. Foreign bullion, principally from Mexico, began in 1891 to be imported into this country for refining, but before 1906 the annual quantities so imported were not distinguished from the lead imported in ore. Since the soft lead is all domestic, the desilverized lead of domestic origin can be readily found by subtracting the total lead of foreign origin from the total desilverized lead production of that year, or by subtracting the soft lead from the total domestic lead of that year. Previous to 1906 the total production of antimonial lead is included in the production of refined, desilverized lead, but since that date it has been excluded.

a Mineral Resources U. S. for 1882, U. S. Geol. Survey, 1883, p. 324.

Production of refined lead in the United States, 1825-1909, in short tons.

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a Included also under desilverized lead and total production prior to 1906.
Including also antimonial lead, except for 1906-1909, inclusive.

c Including also lead from foreign base bullion for 1891-1905, inclusive.

d Included in lead from foreign ore previous to 1906.

e Estimated.

PRODUCTION BY STATES.

The lead content of ores mined and smelted in this country from 1901 to 1905, inclusive, is given below by States from which the ores were derived. The figures were compiled from smelter reports, and it should be noted that they represent the content of the ores and not the actual recovery, which is the quantity available for consumption. The latter quantity, termed merchant lead, has regularly been derived from the figures for lead content by allowing 5 per cent loss therefrom for smelting, desilverizing, and refining.

Lead content of ores smelted by the works in the United States, 1901-1905, by States, in short tons.

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The closer distribution of the lead production among the States from which the ore was derived has necessitated the separate table which follows. The product of refined lead can with difficulty be apportioned according to sources of ore, owing to the fact that lead refiners treat smelted products whose origin may, as in custom refining, be unknown to them, the identity of the ore and thus its original source being preserved only as far as the smelter. Accordingly, this table, showing sources of lead smelted or refined in the United States, is based as far as possible on smelter figures. It includes "pig lead" reported by all known smelters running on Mississippi Valley or southern lead ores, and "lead" produced at all other lead smelters in this country. The greater part of the product reported by smelters operated in conjunction with refineries is in terms of refined lead. A like part of the antimonial lead product is thus eliminated from the "lead" produced and appears only in the figures of production of antimonial lead. No lead ore from the United States was treated elsewhere during the period covered by the table.

Sources of primary lead smelted or refined in the United States, 1906–1909, in short tons.

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The quantity of soft lead recovered in 1907-1909, apportioned according to the source of the ore, as compiled from direct returns by smelters to the Survey, is shown in the following table. In these totals the soft lead which was desilverized is included.

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