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Secretary of Missouri Bureau of ; Mines Discusses Industries Producing1 Great Wealth.By JOHN H. BOOS,Secretary Missouri Bureau of Mines In line with the policy of the Missouri Association to “sell Missouri to Missourians,” and recognizing the fact that comparatively few Missourians know the value of Missouri’s mineral wealth .and the greatness of the industries produeiug these minerals and converting them into the finished product or refining tho minerals for the general market, the Missouri Bureau of Mines in its thirty-ninth annual report, which is now ready for distribution, has exercised great care in. preparing information of value to our citizens and the industries concerned. A condensed outline of the information contained in this report is given herewith:Where Missouri Leads.It is an outstanding fact that within the confines of Missouri, in the southeastern portion of the state, is found the greatest single lead district in the -world, whose production during 1926 represented a total value in lead concentrates of more than thirty million dollars. This does not include the lead mined in the Joplin district. More than 4,000 men are employed in the Southeast Missouri lead mines exclusive of the smelter workers.Missouri enjoys the distinction of having the largest plate glass manufacturing plant in America, employing .about 1,800 people, loeated at Crystal City in Jefferson county.’The glass sand mined there,and used in the manufacture of plate glass and other glass- ’products, is reputed to be the finest glass sand found- any-■whever in the world. / This: company produces at its Jefferson county mine an average- bf; -12,000 tons of glass sand ; per month.. -In point of clay production both as to the raw material and the manufactured products—fire brick, tile, boiler linings, pottery, etc.—Missouri stands weTl in^he': frbiit? yank among the states of the union, occupying third place, while two1 or three of the plants in Missouri are larger than' those found in other states with-.branches all- over • the United States. The diaspore ‘ clay found in the.-south-central part of the state is considered the only im-, portant supply known to be in existence and this .clay is being shipped to nearly every state, in the union and to many foreign countries: The value of the manufactured products of the clay (ceramic) industries of Missouri for 1926 represents approximately,? 37,00 0,000.00.Barytes, the Mineral which in its refined form is used as a principal ingredient in inside paint as well as serving as a filler for linoleums, oil cloth, rubber goods window shades, etc., is found in ten Missouri counties and Missouri leads by producing nearly half, of all the barytes produced in America.“ According to authorities the onlypaying tripoli mines in the world are located in Missouri. Tripoli is mined and marketed in Newton county in the extreme 'southwestern portion of the state. The product of these mines is pulversized and is then known as tripoli. flower, used in the manufacture of the best known cleaning compounds, household cleansers, water filters and other products.Better Coal Is Marketed.Not only has the production of coal in Missouri increased - by more than 300,000 tons during 1926, but a method has been adopted by many companies having as its purpose the purifying of the coal that is mined before it is put on the market.According to the figures given out by the United States Geological Survey, the untouched coal deposits in Missouri amount to '78,862,010,000 tons, or a supply sufficient .at the present rate of consumption to last 9,000 years. The coal deposits’reach clear across the state from Adair 1 county on the northeast limits to Barton county on the southwestern limits. The coal mined during 1926 represented a value of ?S,799,893.42. Nearly 6,000 miners found employment in the coal fields of Missouri | during the year.Zinc Mines Mot Active.The price of zinc, while occasionally rising to a fair level, has never full3' recovered after the slump following the closing of the war, and while there are still great deposits of zinc ore to be- found 'in’ the- Joplin zinc and lead district, there is little activity because, of the fact that the sheet ground mines cannot be operated at a profit at the .present price... of zinc. Much development work has been, done.during the past year and many new ore bodies.have been discoverefd' in1 tliisdistrict; -but after the mill-sites were located,- work has been dropped, awaiting better market conditions. Still. Missouri produced • over $2/000,000.00 worth of zinc concentrates during the-year;Low Accident Bate. 1No mine cataslrophies of any Importance occurred during the year.: The total number of fatal accidents: occurring in 1926 was 18. This was 10 below:;tlie ;-f a taiacci dent-percentage for the last: 10-year- period. The Bureau of. Mines, : under the guidance of Gliief' Mine '-'inspector Frank Fenix of Joplin, . keep under close observation all -mining operations in the state. The chief inspector and three deputy, inspectors are continuously visiting the mines in the Various sections'of the state and this, careful inspection and . ‘the :cd-opePatFoiv give'rii The Sin# Bp-: era torsi: an d-.-; meh cm pi oy.e d .i are tea great extent responsible' for the low rate of accidents In the mines of Missouri. . The Bureau of Mines is financed, by -a^fe.e paid by.: the various operators on minerals produced, and with the.-practice of economy and efficiency the bureau is self-sustaining and, has. accumulated a surplus as a working’, capital. i In order to give industries an opportunity to lay: their problems before ..thef general public so that home buying may be stimulated with a. view of adding'.growth to Missouri industries, the”' Bureau' of Mines, has invited these industries to prepare special articles containing such information not generally- available: to the public, and the coal industry, the ceramic Industry and the lead and zinc industry have responded to. this request with articles contained in the thirty-ninth annual report ■which should be read by all eitizepis.: A copy of the annual report may be-IJ cus Sta stei ■'trut betGalsee*tioieve.eveinvplatheofumonbetI : im eig Sc ve: thi ica opla:titBepli
Newspaper Details
Jefferson City Tribune Post
Jefferson City, Missouri, US
Sat, Jun 04, 1927
Page 1
Full Page
Clipped by
Barbara D.
USA 14 Jul 2024
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