Willmar tribune. [volume] (Willmar, Minn.) 1895-1931, 1907-10-02
COL. SHELLEY SPEAKS ON
The COPPER SITUATION

Colonel Frank J. Sibley of Tue
son, Ari., president and genera:
manager Of the Copper Creek mines,
is in the city. Col. Sibley, in dis.
cussing the copper situation, said
'"The copper market, as far back
as records go, has shown occasional
fluctuations with short periods OF
quite low prices. Within 80 years
lower price periods have not aver.
aged six months out of each five
year period, and in most instances
the recovery after a short perioc
of cheaper selling has carried the
price beyond it's former selling rate
and has maintained it for a longer
period at the higher value.
1.-The present price gives a gooc
profit to the producer except in &
very few of the exceedingly low
grade propositions. Seventy-five
per cent Of the productive copper
mines of the United States car
make handsome profits at prices
somewhat below the present range
while some of the mines would bt
able to make large profits even a
prices 80 per cent lower than a
present.
LAS an example, our propertie!
are producing copper at total cos
for mining, smelling, refining ant
marketing Of not exceeding eigh'
cents per pound, while the silve7
and gold contents of the ore ar,
sufficient to more than pay the en-
tire cost, leaving the copper a ne
profit. This is true of severa
mines in Arizona as we'll as in Mon
tana. Of course, such propertie
as these can count on enormous pro
fits even if copper were sold at tel
cents per pound. >"
When asked what would be a fai
average price for copper, Col. Sib
ley said Is cents would give splen
did profits to all the better mine
and the normal conditions of tn
market should be at about tina
figure and never exceeding twent.
cents.
1.-THE fact is continued Mr.. Sib
Icy, 1.-THE copper market is just nov
being manipulated as it has bee1
several times before, but no set o
men has ever yet been able to fur
nish money enough to hold dow
the price below it's normal level an
in fact there could be no possibl
object in doing so, except as TEN
porary expedient and for it's effec
on the stock market. l am anon
the producers and l see not tn
slightest reason for reducing pre-
duction but shall on the contrar
steadily increase our output.
Asked about the prospective con
tinuance of the demand for copper
Mr.. Sibley said:
Horace J. Stevens Of Michigan
who is everywhere received as tn
best posted copper authority, re
Gently declared, it is difficult
say where the copper for the world
consumption for the next Is yeal
is to come from unless new area
of new copper territory are di:
covered. The continual increase {
: the demand for copper in the elet
trical developments of the waite
, powers would consume more cope
, when carried to it's fullest develop
ment than the world can produt
{ in the next century from its prese1
mines. In time not far distal
when most of the industrial plan
of the entire country will be oper;
ted by electrical current generate
J. from the now unused water power
some of the best hydraulic eng
e neers have estimated that the u
developed water powers of Il
= Rocky Mountain regions viii
/ could be easily made available f
use amounts to more than a billi
}, horse power. The rapid progre
'. made in this direction within
It last five years has proved it's PR
f ticability as we'll it's great econol