The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1895-10-14
HOW 1T Is DONE IN JAPAN.
Famous Meta1lurgist of That Ma

ton Tells of Mining Operations.
S. FTujioka, Nj. E., of Toxic, Japan
devoted his energies to an inspection of
the principal mines and smelters of
Butte and Anaconda in order that he
might study the latest methods of min
ing and ore treatment. The gentleman
is superintendent and general mana
ger of the Ashio copper mine in Japan
and Is en- route home after travelling
two years in America, Europe and Aus
traHa, and visiting the principal min
ing districts of these countries with a
view to finding out the most modern
and scientific appliances in mining and
milling and introducing them in the
property he controls. While in Butte
he gave a reporter of the Inter-MOunt-
aim some interesting data connected
with the mining and smelling industry
IN Japan. During the course Of the
conversation he said:
The property that l have charge
of is called the Ashio copper mine, in
the province of Shim0tsku, about 100
miles from the famous temple Vik-kO,
where in the summer season many ma
tive mobiles, as well as foreign visitors,
take their outing to enjoy the salub-
waterfalls and green forests. The
mine is developed to a depth of 300
feet and is being operated just as the
Butte mines are. 1t is we'll equipped
with the latest improved machinery
and we have just replaced the old
steam engines with complete eleeIric
plant.
Il was at the Worlds fair at Chi
cagO and after that spent eighteen
months in Berlin, looking into electro
cal mining appliances, and as l had
shipped home what ] believed to be
the latest and best plant, both for
our mine and the smelter.'
What are your methods of mining
and smelling in Japan?" the reporter
asked.
Our methods in that respect ere not
different from yours, as far as | can
see l have visited mines in Australia,
Bohemia, England and the United
States and making allowances for To-
cal conditions the mines i'm all these
countries are worked about in the
same way. 1 believe they work faster
in Butte. but all of the methods are
essentially the same.
Now, in Japan" continued the gen
tleman, who was getting interested in
his subject, I'VE drive a level every
fifty feet, and only work two SHIFTS;
we pay the top men from % to 80 cents
a day and the underground men 80
cents a day. That would MA work in
Butte very well. would it?"
It was suggested that the difference
in the purchasing power of money in
the two countries would even things
and the gentleman said that was very
true: that Japanese miner could sup
port his family and live well on %
cents a day. The veins, he said, as in
this district, run northeast and south
west. and in his mine the dip was 20
degrees from the perpendicular. The
lodges on both sides are porphyry and
the veins are true assures. No Amer
leans are employed, he said, the metal
iureists, assayers, electricians. engi-
neers. etc. all being natives who were
educated at the school of mines at
Toxic. The Ash:o mine is now pro
ducing annually about $500 tons of
black copper and the output IS yearly
increasing. The cost per ton for min
ing and smelling is about So The
emelters all use coke of native manu-
facture. and it was found to be as
good an article of fuel as the English
make.