Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1892-12-01
THE COAL STINDlE'
r,,rnoH, Profits Made by a. Band
Of HeartlsSS Dealers
WAT coal Is MINED FOR,
,.j What II Can be Delivered aud
Sold For In This
CITY.
WHAT co,L is MINED FOR.

Gentleman Of this city, claiming
~. ,,niliar with the subiectiof which
:. ,peaks, said ioday'
"a few ycafs ago coal operator OF
tatrd expefienfe In the east, M
Ce n, aud manager Of coal mines,
oSr,i,,ed 10 the Pleasant Valley Coal
Wnsny a proposition to operate Ito
oo.Ifr,in.e ia Winter Quarters Canyon,
Ta's,v county, Tor "a period OF years,
,be following terms; lie would
~. The mines in the condition they
so, In then, wouli do all necessary
s,.sd work. furnish all necessary
"a and app rails, lay all required
h'.sks ia the mines, furnish mine cars,
lathe mines in iirst.Clnss condition,
,n,nish all fofemen, clerks and
~, help, all at his own
w., and would load the
on the cars. for one dollar aud five
s.nts per ton. In other words, the
,oiI ,1s, 10 tho company for mining
M. coal anu keeping the mines IN first
slass condition was TO be the figure
AIMED. The party making the propo.
s,ton only Ask,d, In addition TO this
mice ~ tht iothl Cu'A W. Il"AuNahk Wv
coal and loading IL in the cafs, the
priyile % OF eating timber for props on
he conpany's land surrounding the
mines, aud the exclusive privilege OF
unning store AMI boarding house at
The mines. lie was Willing 10 guar.
antee TO furnish any amount OF coal
ihat might be- required, aud 10 give n
suitable bond for the faithful perform
ance OF his contract.
At that time the mincrs were being
Maid ~ cents per ton for min
Inc the coal, and, he gays,
there was no complaint among thom
against that price, which was what the
tariy making the above proposition
exp,ctol 10 continue 10 pay. Good
miners easily made from 81 80 TO $500
ref day. The amount paid the miuefs,
70 cent?, deducted from the price the
compapy were 10 pay for tho coal on
tho cars, Sl05, left rs cents on each
ION mined, out OF which was to come
the cot Of "dcad work, " timber, track,
iofemanship, clerk hire, and the OpeI-
atof,s profits. The latter, according to
the expectations OF thu party making
the proposition, based on forty yeare'
experience In the business, would have
baeu fair.
The proposition was rejected, pre-.
pumably for the reason that the com.
pany could keep its mines In good cou.
ditlOn anl putits, coal ON the cars forll lees
than 81. 05 per ton. Since that time con-
dilions have changed but little at those
mines. The cost Of taking the coal from
the earth has not necessarily been In.
atH Ia IA lao faFIhAN
pumed he Gays, that modern appliances
aud methods have made II less, and
that the miners are now being paid
sixty.nvo Instead VI seventy cents per
ton.
The Pleasant Valley coal mines aro
situated about 1875 miles from Salt
Lake ely; yet citizens have TO pay
S5.s5 delivered, or s4.75 at the yard,
for q ton Of coal which costs, laid on tho
cars Of the mines. including every item
entering into the expense Of it, pro.
duciion, not more than from one dollar
10 onc dollar aud five cent?.
II II stated that about one half OF tho
coal consumed In this city comes from
the Pleasant Valley mines, and that
the dealers OF this city sell, In the az.
gfegate, about n ton per minute. The
mines named may, therefore, be- cred.
tied selling about thirty tons per hour,
or ray 2jO tons per day, in this city
alone, which certainly Is not an over.
Thofe n comparatively little com.
plant nj paying 50 cents for the de.
livery VI ton Of coal. Purchasers,
therefore, take the price NJ which IL u
sold at the yard, viz. si.75; deducting
the cost OF mining, which IL put AT
sl.t6, leaves $40. Al the time the
above proposition was made the NEWS
informant states that the railroad
company charged the enormous rate Of
~ perlon freight 10 this city, and al
lowing the road the same rate now,
there siill remains Sl.70 PROFIT on
every ton VI Pleasant Valley coal sold
In this city. He Gays also that on a
staple Ike coal, where cast iron
"cash down" rule l. enforced, ar IL the
case In this city ut thu present time,
% cents per ton profit on such an out
put ~ the Pleasant Valley mines dis.
pose OF In this city would pay better
than any ordinary line Of merobandis.
Ing, and ono dollar per ton freight |
would he high rate from the mines
" lulh pOiHk.
From tho foregoing he pays It can
be seen that Pleasant Valley coal
might bo sold In this city Tor Cost on
The cars Rt the mine, 81 .O5, plus freight,
Sl.OO; plus profit, 25c; total, $3.50. In any |
event, the gentleman claims that coal
ought to sell In this city 10 the retail
customer for not 20 exceed 80 per ton
NJ NE yard Instead OF SAID, and 10 tho
Wholesale customer Mt considerable
discount. lie concluded hlH Interview
WIN The NEWS representative by say
ing rather emphstically;
4, "lhe railroads amt coal mines com.
olnei are rObbiDg the inhabitants OF
luis ely TO The extent OF at least Sl.75
Gu every ton OF coal sold at retail to
ihem. Tho question Is: How long
WI city az large, wealthy and pow.
tftul A4 llWu gnAs,.lt D.. IA a,u,.. -