Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1906-07-10
HAS SOME DISADVANTAGES.
But Min j. an Economically Conducted
Plant--Capaclty soon 10 be
Increased.


Nj Walker IS editor of the Boston
Commercial and In commenting on the
cactus ht says. among other things:
1t Is big low grade milling PROPOSE
ton, 80 low grade that its success Is
dependent upon the most economical
arrangement and adoption OF every new
device and. system that make for lower
operating costs, President Samuel New
house. who Is understood 10 De he
largest individual owner Of the COM
pJuy's securities. has made an en-
rlable reputation as mine operator,
and II he succeeds IN making the Gao
tus large producer and dividend Jay
En- he Wilt be entitled 10 the laugels
The magnitude OF this undertaking
impresses one more when he learns that
the Zig ore body OF the Cactus mine
contains an average OF only lss per
cent, or 81 pounds OF copper 20 the
ton. OF this, about so per cent, or 30
pounds 10 She ton OF orc. Is recovered.
The Cactus is. therefore, the lowest
grade COPPER ore mine In the Untea
States Wh ch is being operated on d
large gcale. q distinguish, OF course.
between ore and the low grade native
copper rock mined IN the Lake Superb
or district) It's ores contain slightly
less copper and lower precious metal
values than the Utah Copper and Bos-
ton Consolidated porphyry ore which
Is soon 10 be mined on a tremendous
scale On the Bingham camp.
Compared with the mines operating
on the Bingham porphyry. the Cactus
is az the disadvantage OF having an
"a II. let
while the porphyry concentrates 20 to %
into /. Consequently the Cactus sends
more than twice as much material 10
the smelter to get a given amount or
copper On the other hand, Cactus coh-
centrate carries from 10 per cent to
Is Ter cent excess OF iron, for which
the company receives a premium Of 10
cents per unit. or 81 10 $3.50 per ton.
while concentrate from the porphyry
carries approximately 20 per cent ex-
cess OF silica and Is penalized corre-
spundhngly. According 20 the best In
formation | have been able TO obtain,
there will be a smelling charge eQuiya-
lent 10 about ! cent per pound on Cac-
tus copper and l.35 cents on the Utah
| Copper and Boston Consolidated pOr-
ply ~ product. AT times the excess Of
| iron Is said 70 have been so great
that the actual smelling charge on Cac-
| tus concentrates was less than 81 per
| ton. equivalent TO only 10 or Il cents
cost on each ton OF ore.
The Cactus ore Is a chalc0pyrite dis
| semInated ln ordinary granite M a
| deposit or vein known to be at least soc
or 200 feet long and 100 to 1865 feet vide
II is cut 10y the company's transporta-
ton tunnel al a depth OF 600 feet. Min
| ing operations at the start were by the
/ square sc, system. and the cost was
about $3.50 per ton. This system IS
being rapidly displaced by the millholt
or gloryhole system. which Is expected
90 reduce the cost OF INnlng 10 between
80 and 80 cents per ton.
"The company has a big steam shove
az work stripping the soil and waste
rock from the top Of its ore body. Thii
shovel IS handling $4,000 10 10000 tom
| OF material per month. When A larg'
area Of ore has been uncovered a chut'
or shaft Is cut up through from IN
| tunnel level 20 the surface ana III
roth is blasted around the mouth o
this shaft and allowed 20 fall dow
through into great bins. from which IN
ore cars are loaded by gravity. TIL
/ procedure soon forms a gigantic hole
shaped Ike the inside Of the Tin funns
I commonly used In every kitchen 10
nung bottles, and the interior present
A wide sloping surface from Nhicl
| ore can be broken down at cost OF
few cents per ton.
"ln It's early operations Il cost
cents per ton 70 mill Cactus ore. III
has been gradually reduced to about
cents. and the Improvements now M
derway and the coming big increas
ln tonnage are expected 10 cut n
milling cost down To- IS cents per tol
The ore Is a splendid concentratin
| proyosition. Il Is crushed with roll
/ ana there is no regrinding. More TIA
/ 50 pcf cent Of the values are recoyere
"The ability Of the management TO
economical work Is proved by the IA
uat 500 20 900 tons OF ore has bee
mined daily recently with a total for
Of only go miners. and the entire for
employed az the mill, on the thr'
shifts. is % men. This includes repa
. mpa and foreman. The Newhouse VI
4 Doe most economically operated MIL
. visited while on my recent trip.
40 seems wholly probable that q
NcwIous Mines 4 Smelters corporate
viii eventually bc able 10 get its gro
h ogeAtiug costs down 10 an average
$3.50 OF 1915 per ton, or around
b. cents per pound Of copper produce
10 add IL Is easily within the range
I. possibilities that IL viii reduce Ia COS
n 10 $40 per ton OF ore or cents ?
Il pound OF copper By undertaking
D. Oh this. the Cactus becomes a mo
a interesting enterprise 90 all students
-- mining economy.
c "T,i 20 date the company has N
eituri Hnytniue for is s,ockhoide
h bat o. operations ar said 20 have be
A I showing net profit Tor some ia
"a / past. enabling the cnmpany 90 pay
vs. . many things with earnings that cou
II. properly have been charged % capt.
To- acrount 10 ls planned 20 Increase {
b. L capacity ~ the mill 90 100 OF 200 to
,a tlhy within fcn months aud 90 D
r. giI work on l.0Un-ton addition at
be- On year The company should produ
ntsr 5000 90 pounds ~ copper u
s- year and after the completion Of {
.e min Cu'argemtnts mentioned. its a
80 rull output viii exceed .oooQ.
20. pounds
li "A vcry rich strike has been ma
'd recently IN a prospecting crosscut frl
90 tlt fourth level. az q point Tar beyo
What was supposed q be- the limits
the naturalization 4 considerable q
\ mage 20 ore running from Der cent
n l. pet cent COPPER has been extract
!. alttaGy from the newly located deno,
-. ms Is the most encouraging md n