Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1906-10-27
COPPER S BRIGHT SIDE.
Why % Cent Metal Has Not Alarmed
Electrical Engineers.

Boston, Oct. 26.-The many holders OF
copper stock In this community where
almost countless fortunes have been
made by lucky investment In mines
yielding the much valued red metal, are
just now in state OF rejoicing over re-
cent reports from the fields OF produce
ton Even when the rest OF the stock
market is heavy "coppers' are buoy
ant So too are shareholders In hun
dreds of New England communities,
who long ago put faith and funds into
ventures which have since proved prof
table So too, arc the managers of
electrical properties who, during the
last year or two, had begun to fear
there might come time when the scar
city Of copper would seriously impede
the development OF street raiiroading
telephony and other industries.
Immense savings of New Englanders
have OF late years gone into enterprises
involving the use of electrical power,
and all these are dependent for their
very existence upon copper. Fortu-
nately at time when the world needs
copper as never before there is said by
the mining engineers to be a practical
certainey that the next few years will
witness a remarkable increase In pro-
duction. Late reports from the mining
region of northern Michigan emphasize
the continued productivity of the reg
Ion where copper mining has gone on
continuously since Boston capital was
first enlisted In the properties ABOUT
1870.
James J. HIS prediction of coun-
try whose supply Of the useful metals
has been exhausted may come to pass,
but the copper statistics up to this
time are all against him. Back in 1883
q yield OF 59702iOi pounds from the
Lake Superior peninsula was consid-
erel phenomenal BY 1898 the output
had grown to ll2,605,07S pounds. In
1885 the production OF refined copper
was l29,lss. AGO pounds avoirdupois In
1905 the output was 22s,270,035 pounds,
making gain for the decade of trine
more than a million pounds. or an In
crease OF IL per cent. Ten years ago
there were only seven mines in opera
tlon In the territory; there are now
nearly 20 producing mines and an equal
number OF properties in process OF de-
velopment from which copper may be
expected in the near future.
The present boom in Lake Superior
production Is very largely the out
growth of a financial boom back in 1898
and 1899. For Ii Is curious fact, and
one that Is not always understood, that
to create a yielding copper mine re-
qulres from FIVE TO seven years time
and the expenditure Of from one and
half millions to two million dollars.
The forecasters say that in 1911 TO 1913
the results of the number of other mines
which are now being opened up In re-
enonse 10 the current demand for tho
metal VIII become apparent 20 the mar
ket, just as those OF the earlier boom
are now being realized,
Such tIdings OF cheer are especially
Welcome to the managers and engineers
OF electrical enterprises The general
public, too, is directly affected, for all
sorts OF utilities which the average man
once regarded as Injuries but which
are now demanded as necessities are
dependent upon reasonably plentiful
supply OF the malleable ard ductle red
metal. The price OF telephone service,
for example, Is largely conditioned BY
the price of copper. and all the other
electrical conyeniences rely upon the
metal for lighting streets and buildings.
operating power plants and railroads
and doing the thousand and one other
things which electricity accompllshes
for modern civilization.
The Bell system. which now has in
operation nearly, II not quite, 100000
telephones, Is unquestionably the larg-
est single user Of copper In the world
Just as It's manufacturing auxiliary, the
Western Electric company, Is the big
gest single manufacturer OF electrical
apparatus. very great share OF the
billion pounds Of the metal which this
years activity will probably show az
the worlds output will be turned over
to the uses OF the local. long distance
and toll lines which have connected