THE MINING AND QUARRY INDUSTRY 1914 9 



a smaller output, as did the. makers of tile and sewer pipe. Prac- 

 tically the only branch that showed a gain during the year was the 

 paving brick industry which registered an increase of 15 per cent, 

 continuing the steady growth of the previous years. 



In view of the depression that prevailed in the building trades the 

 large increase in cement manufacture is remarkable, probably not 

 paralleled by the industry of any other eastern state. The output 

 of portland cement was 5,667,728 barrels, with a value at the works 

 of $5,088,677, a record total. Natural cement showed a small in- 

 crease, the output amounting to 232,076 barrels worth $115,117. 



The stone products, including granite, limestone, marble, sand- 

 stone and trap, were valued at $5,741,197, against $6,763,054. All 

 kinds showed a decrease, except granite which made a slight gain. 

 More than one-half of the value was represented by crushed stone 

 used in concrete and road construction. There was a notable 

 falling off in the number of quarries under operation, and scarcely 

 any new developments were reported. 



The salt mines and evaporating works contributed a product of 

 10,389,072 barrels, as compared with 10,819,521 barrels in 1913. 

 With this exception, the industry has had an almost uninterrupted 

 record of growth in the last decade. The value of the product 

 was but little below that of 1913, the actual figures being $2,835,706 

 against $2,856,664 in the latter year. 



In the gypsum industry there was no notable change, although 

 the output fell off slightly and amounted to 513,094 tons, against 

 532,884 tons in the preceding year. Most of the rock was con- 

 verted at the mines into stucco and wall plasters; the remainder, 

 about one-third, was sold crude to cement plants or ground for 

 agricultural plaster. The value of the different products was 

 $1,247,404 as compared with $1,306,143 in 1913. 



The flow of natural gas in the different districts of the State 

 amounted to 8,714,681,000 cubic feet, about 4 per cent less than in 

 the preceding year, but the value which was reported as $2,570,165 

 showed a slight gain owing to the higher prices at which the product 

 was sold. There were no discoveries of importance to counter- 

 balance the normal decline of the developed territory. The oil 

 wells in Cattaraugus and Allegany counties contributed an output 

 °f 933>5 IX barrels, or about the same quantity as in 191 3. Owing 

 to the decline of prices from the high mark of $2.50 a barrel which 

 they reached in the latter year, the value of the product was con- 

 siderably smaller, the total being $1,773,671. 



