The Seattle star. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 1899-1947, 1899-09-12
THE DEMAND FOR COPPER

the metal continues 20 grow Just .
little faster than production. and the
practically HumbcfleHs avenues BY
VII = o. goes 10 consumption result
So market fhut enables the proIu-
Gers 10 sell for future delivery metal
which suii sleeps IN its rockb9und
bed whore nature placed II countless
BFes ago
according 20 the best Information
obtainable. Il appears that IN ths
Gaze u copper = universally accepted
natural law mas failed to operate 40
cofiinK 70 the economic rule. II
taught that the law Of substitution
o. t0mm0ditiss ALWAYS brings FOR.
ward second commodity % tats
the place Of the first. "a case there ~
sufficient scarcity 81 the nrHt g
result in a considerable advance ia
It's market value.
VIII the increase In IT, price ssv-
eral comparatively new uses for cop
per have apparently sprung into 81
tsteBce. Railroad cars. which were
formerly rooted with wood. pa per
tin. etc. are now being covered with
copper lHdeei the experiment has
been tried OF entirely covering pass
enEer cars with a sheathing Of cop
per. and II Is said that the success
attending the experiment will oven
tually result ia IT. universal adop-
ton.
II will Undoubtedly be found
that copper IL the cheapest car COW
ering thai can be uaed--cheapest be-
cause beet Railroad companies pay
from 5000 20 $4,000 oach for their
passenger cars. One Of TIE very I'M
pOrtant items Of expense In THEN
construction il 70 hnish the outer
surface. fll and paint IL and cover ~
with a YarHish that VIII stand heat
and cold sun. wind and rain. whan
this IL accomplished Il lasts only a
year or two. ana then must be Pc
newed.
A copper sheathing shuts out per-
ssciiy all o. the elements II IL praa-
tiohlly weatherproof. Exposed. IL
takes on that rich and beautiful ma
tallic color which has won &. he
name OF the red metal. All OF the
woodwork OF the car 10 secured frofn
moisture inside snun . rheathinx.
and the outside viii need neither
paint. varnish or polish: st will last
until the car goes out Of style. C3u-
siderfng the present expense the
roads are willing 20 20 10 in order 20
get tse best. the added cos, Of a COP
per covering would not be relatively
important
Modern buildings. with their COP
psr-covercd fronts. cutters. etc, In
addibiy declare that the architects
have i-arned and agreed that csp-
per IL the best metal TO withstand
The increasing attacks Of tbs wealth
er.
In the great. though comparatively
new field Of electrical equipment.
copper has its stronghold. Twenty
years ago telegraph and teiepndr.
wires were almost universally OF iron
and steel. At present copper wirfs
are the rule. ard iron and stse. .As
exceptions. In some districts the ola
iron wires stiii remain. but they are
rapidly giving way to wires Of that
metal which lasts many times longer
and has vastly greater electrical con.
ductivity
In the street railroad weird siSe-
tricity. It is universally conceded. 10
by all ODDS the best motive po~er.
This power has. indeed, made the
street railway popular. Since tie
adoption these roads have spread
like a prairie hre. and now reach out
from the metropolis TO the suburb.
and on tsrsugh the country districts,
And stiil they grow and reach farth.
ct away.
Europe 10 beginning to equip her
tram~sys Nth electricity. ane in do
ing so she unconsciously arransss TO
Keep the price Of copper up 10 a high
figure for several years TO eo.as
With electrical squipment must come
longer trolley routes on the eontin-
eni, there tho same as here
The twentieth century will aos long
tolerate the SnortinE pufnf loco
motive. with It's noise. smoke and
dust The ownership Of suffeisns
pressnt-dsy rolling stock 10 40 busl.
ness with is strong argument
against change TO the average
trunk line management. The fact,
however, that an express train
weighs fifty time as much a. tho pks-
ssnEers Il Is capable OF carrying. ana
the manifest waste OF such a system.
is already presenting a problem TO
intelligent capitalists for solution.
Already branches Of several large
railroad systems have been equipped
with electricity: ana bat a fs~ years.
operation VIII be required TO prove
the great economy Of the change.
Lighter rolling stock that can travel
short distances quickly and make
stops at slight expense Is In the lire
OF progress.
All this means electricity and copI
per. How much copper Il will require
20 equip the trunk lines - this ooun-
try with electricity s. incaIeulable.
The mines now In existence certain
~ could not supply the demand for
copper which would grow out of such
change I'm motive power, II would
have an effec, on the price OF copper
similar to that which the general
adoption 81 the lnoandescent electric
lamp had upon the price of piati-
mum, Before this sudden demand for
platinum arose the market for this
metal was dull and quiet at between
81 and SIS per ounce. when Il came
the price promptly advanced 10
above $50 per ounce aud hardened
steel, etc, We're used, but unsuccess-
fully, as substitutes. After year
porarlN below $40, and then rose to
IL u nd aIa n.h.r.n II has r,,l.A e.