The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1906-12-30
Coal Output In Year 1906
Worth Nearly 100000

A militant. 10-cent weekly published
an the east said in a recent issue that
the people Of Utah, Nevada, Idaho and
wyoming were shivering with cold, eat
ing raw food and dying of pneumonia
and la grippe as the result of an awful
coal famine, which in its turn was the
result of the Vaccinations of Hartman
and Gould Being an eastern puhlica-
ton, that paper ought to know. At the
same time while Utah people eat some
raw food, and while some of them do
die of the diseases mentioned, the state
was not aware of its hapless plight IN
til told by the paper mentioned. In
fact, in the last year Utah earth yielded
1.S39,219 short tons Of coal to the miners
pick. and il is cOnservatiVely stated
there is enough left to last another sea-
son or So While in Idaho they may be
burning their houses for fuel, as is i'm
piled. Utah has not yet, and will not,
feel any pinch of famine in coal. There
are now ten big coal companies doing
business in the state, while altogether
there are over 40 mines working which
supply the parts of the state adjacent
to them with coal, and which have
enough material in sight TO ship to
other parts of the state if the need ever
became acute. When, therefore, the
fact that a coal famine has existed
here in the past year is mentioned, the
phrase is meant to be taken In a rela-
tive sense only, and not as implying
any actual suffering in the state. Such
q famine has existed It was caused by
an unusual scarcity OF labor, by the
demands of the new Garfield smelter
constructors for coke, a factor which
Increased the demand for coke 100 per
cent, and the further demand. aggre-
eating 400 per cent, for Utah coke Gre
iAted by the DEVELOPMENT Of metal min
T. A. IA
this the car shortage which affected all
the west and the scarcity in Utah fuel
Is explained AS for the evidence given
on the question before the interstate
commerce investigators here recently,
the government has taken the interests
OF the state in hand and will presum-
ably look after them.
Increased Production In 1905.
In spite of all this, however, the out
out OF coal In the state in 1903 given
above was between 80 and 35 per cent
greater than that Of the previous year,
which aggregated 1.602,52S short tons,
while for every year for hye years back
the increase had been approximately
$50. 900 tons, with the exception Of 1904,
whose output was slightly less than
that CT 1908. At the present time the
mines Of the state are producing 200
cars e day.
OF the coal produced during the year,
R64. $50 tons were sold right in Salt Lake
City, while IN 1905 IA, S95 had been sold
here, and little less than that the year
before. Taking the whole consumption
of the state, however, of the 1888, PIG
tons produced, together with 1925 i'm
ported, there were ZOOS, 14S tons con-
sumed b the state and 67,S1S tons ex-
ported. At the same time Utah pro-
duced 2s.1E5 tons Of coke, Of which she
consumed 16s, 496 tons end exported u.s.
6e9 tons This production was an in
crease Of 6S,4S2 tons over the last year.
The coke industry is thus seen to be
quite important. It is used for smelt-
ing purposes, and as IL has less ash or
sulphur than has any other coke yet
cbtainable in the United States, II fol-
lows that with the completion OF the
Garfield and other smelters IN and
about the state, Utah's production of
near future The demand now justifies
its manufacture for the sake of the
coke alone, and the products Of distil-
iation are allowed to escape.
The cost Of coal production IN the
state IS now at or about S1.1S ton,
which includes the cost of approximate
~ one six-hundred-thous of a hu-
man life for every ton mined, which,
more definitely stated, means that for
every 6l3073 tons mined a life is lost.
Compared 10 mining casualties in other
states, this is a splendid showing for
any sort of mining. The mining last
year was done by 1895 men working 296
days, each man producing 1.107 short
tons in the year.
Up to the present time the coal indus
try of the state has been largely in the
hands of agents controlled by the Rio
Grande and Union Pacific railroads.
independent Mines.
At all times all over the state there
have been scattered Independent mines
OF fair size. and Of email mines employ