The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1892-04-02
THE ASPEN MINES
The superintendent Say They
viii Not be Closed Down.
CONSIDERATION FOR THE MINERS
Their Discharge Would Entail Much Suffering
If Silver Continues Low Working
Forces Nay be Reduced.

ASPEN, Colo, April 1.-Considerable
anxiety las been caused to miners. bust
ness men, and, in fact, all classes of people
IN Aspen who are dependent solely on the
production of our mines, on account of
the price OF silver. Rumors were rife re-
garding the closing down of several prop
critics whereby hundreds of men would be
thrown out of employment. In view of
tnese facts, an Associated Press represent
stlVe called upon various mine managers
and elected from them expressions upon
the vital subject. Mr.. Fred Buckley, man
ager of the Aspen Mining and Smelling
company, was first seen, and said:
mo. we will not close down
for the present at any rate. A few men
were laid oil, but not many. Our chief
production at the present is a high grade
lead ore carrying ten to twenty ounces of
silver. OF course so long as lead keeps up
we can ship this ore because it carries but
little silver, being desirable smelling ore
The treatment charge is light, and there
lore makes 1t profitable to ship. You can
state positively that there Is no intention
at present of closing down.
DR.. henry Paul, manager of the Aspen
mlne says: 1.-THE owners, or rather those
representing the owners, of the Aspen
mine held meeting in the city very re-
Gently and after carefully looking over the
situation and taking into consideration the
TACT that to close down meant idle men and
the causing of want in great many fam
Ines. decided to operate the mine and meet
loss rather than lay off several hundred
men, majority of whom are supporting
families. l would say, however, that in
case silver continues at the present price
any great length of time. we would be
compelled to cease operations
Manager Z. h. Palmer, OF the Mollie
Gibson, said: Eyes. work will 90 ahead
on the Mollie as usual. We realize fully
the great loss which will be incurred by
continuing our production, but we prefer
shipping ore and keeping men in employ
ment TO closing down. Still we are sure
IN case silver does not advance in the near
future to reduce the working force. This
i DO not think, and certainly trust VIII not
De necessary, as l am confident silver will
soon be considerably higher"
Frank Buckley, general manager of the
Bushwhacker and Park Regent, said:
The Regent working force has been
slightly decreased on account of bad roads
and the low price of silver. We will. of
course, continue steady production, but
only a suficleut amount of ore will be
shipped 10 carry the necessary expenses,
When silver advances to a reasonable price
our production Will be from thirty to
thlrty-hVe tons per day. The Bushwhacker.
you know, of course, is only showing small
lots OF ore, which is principally averaging
80 per cent"
Manager Newberry, of the Aspen Con-
tact, Mr.. Kay, OF the Argentum and Dur
ant Compromise, and several other mana
gers were seen, who made practically the
same statement regarding their future &C
ton as those already given. He said it
was to the everlasting credit of mine own
els that when an emergency did arise
whereby to discontinue operations would
be money making scheme, they possessed
su1nclent manhood to rise above these
mercenary temptations and decided to on
ahead, and if possible avert calamity
which would have affected all classes of
business, aside from the immediate effect
the closing down would have had upon the
miners.