The semi-weekly miner. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1882-1886, 1885-11-25
A WORT WITH MIR. DICKINSON.

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The report of Charles Francis Adams, jr.,
as President of the Union Pacific Railway
Company, shows that the towns OF Butte
and Anaconda last year gave that greatsys'
tenn of railways traffic that aggregated in
value one-tenth of the gross earnings of the
entire system. These earnings were due to
the mining operations Of the camp OF
Butte. 81
The large number of men employed in
and about the mines. mills and smelters
has built up here q city OF 20, 900 people,
with the varied commercial interests and
industrial works common to a community
of that size. This year the renewed energy
displayed in the development OF the mines,
the enlargement OF the mills and smelters
and the natural increase in population
must have largely augmented the traf1c.
It now remains for the Union Pacific
Railway Company to say whether it will
hold this traffic and maintain the prosper
ity of the camp, or, whether, by the contln'
uance of an ex~tortionate toll on q single
commodity. it will rob itself of this import
ant trade and destroy the prosperity OF
the camp. If we are correctly informed,
Mr.. E. Dickinson, the Assistant General
Superintendent of the Union Pacific system,
is now in the city to decide this question.
It is a great and serious duty that has been
assigned him, and we trust that he will
weigh it well and seriously ponder upon the
result. He will find our mine and mill
ayers frank, honest and straightforward;
men who are not chronic grumblers and
fault-6nders, but who have a serious griev-
ance, which they will manfully maintain.
We trust that he will mingle with them. alb
sorb their ideas and, above all, visit their
works, to the end that he may learn how
many hands and mouths are concerned in
his decision.
The single complaint that the camp has
make against the Union Pacific Rail-
road Company is the extortionate freight
charge on salt. Upon the reduction OF this
charge depends the future OF the city,
The quantity of salt consumed by our
mills is very large. It costs, on cars at
Ogden, 1915. The charge for hauling it
from Ogden to Butte is $50 per ton. To
have it delivered to the mills involves an
additional expense OF 1925 per ton. Total
cost, delivered, $26 per ton.
To demand $50 per ton to haul salt 416
miles is an outrageous extortion. 1t is
equivalent to nearly 5 cents a mile per
ton. It should be reduced, no matter
whether the mills could afford to pay it or
not. Common justice would demand this.
But the mill men cannot afford to pay any
such rate The baseness of the ores, the
high rate of labor and the great decline in
the price OF silver are the causes that a
it imperative that the cost OF reducing ores
should be decreased-and the railway COM
pany can help materially by hauling salt
at SO instead OF $40 per ton.
It will not do for the company to say
that it cannot afford to do this. There is
of evidence going to show that
It can haul the salt at $40 per ton and do
it at a profit.
The company mines coal, hauls it from
a point 200 miles farther away than Ogden
and thea sells it in this city at So per ton.
II it can do this, it can certainly haul salt
4 shorter distance, with no labor involved,
at $40 per ton. No one can be made to
believe that the company will exhaust it's
and furnish the product therefrom
TO the public at a loss.
If the rate on salt is not reduced to $40,
which is certainly a m~oney-making rate for
The company, every silver mine ard mill in
the camp will be closed down on the first
lay of January. This is not a mere "bluf."
It is not a threat. It is a determination
and understanding arrived at by the man.
ayers after a mature consideration Of the
They are barely making expenses.
In some instances they are not even doing
that. It will be cheaper for them to shut
Town and await for a better rate or for a /
higher price for silver. They will not ex-
haust their mines then, anyway.
The railway company will be the loser
BY such q course. Not only will the ship
ment OF salt cease entirely, but a large por.
ton of the population will leave. and there
be a serious shrinkage in every line OF
For a season the company
might profit by carrying people out OF
Butte, but that would be a temporary in
come.
Which shall it be? Will the Union Pacific
itself with fair profits, or will it
kill the goose that lays the golden eggs?"
Mr.. Dickinson is the arbiter!
While he is in the city, We desire also
to call his attention to the urgent ne
for the construction OF q switch
to the hill. The "switchage" would be a
considerable revenue and yet it would save
consignees large haulage bills.
A few days s~ojourn in the camp willshow
to Mr.. Dickinson, who is a generous, fair
gentleman, the justice Of what we
ask of the Company which he represents.
In an interview in New York ex-senator
Hill, Of Colorado, probably the foremost