East Oregonian : E.O. (Pendleton, OR) 1888-current, 1907-08-16

Per Cent.
The following comprises the more |
important features of the report |
made by Messrs Alexander and Carl |
son, one appointed by the Commercial |
club, the other by the city council of |
Boise, upon their return from an ex- |
tended trip through Wyoming and
Utah.
So far as the actual coal supply |
is concerned, such coal as we have
been burning from the Wyoming
mines, the same is inexhaustible; in
the bowels of the earth is stored, for
the use of the population of this in
termountain country, supply of
coal, that In our opinion and in the
opinion of competent judges whom
we have inquired of, enough to last
for hundreds of years and then the
supply would hardly be touched.
The supply of coal for 19O7-S that
is available from the mines tributary
to this locality, is about 20 per cent
less this year, and it is likely to be
that percentage less for the balance
of the season, than it was In 1867.
This shortage of 20 per cent in this
coal supply is occasioned first, by the
reduction of the working force in the
mines of about Is per cent over last
year; second, some of the mines have
been disabled on account of fire and
some by being flooded, and some lit
tie of it has been occasioned by
stoppage of work for about Is to IS
days in 1907.
Increased Demand.
The demand for coal in the last
two years has increased annually
from 20 to 20 per cent, occasioned by
the extraordinary growth of popula-
ton in southern Idaho, Utah and Ne
vada. The latter state has made in
the last two years, on account of the
gold excitement and the building of
new towns, a demand upon the coal
fields, partially of Utah and partially
of Wyoming, an emergency unac-
counted for and unprspared for.
With this increase of demand for
coal and the reduction of the output
ply is Snort, not alone in Boise and
its tributary country, but throughout
the entire intermountain states. There
is today coal mined to the capacity
of the mines in all of the mines that
we visited.
The Miners.
The Cumberland coal mines at
Cumberland, Wyo., are owned by the
| Union Pacific Coal company, and
that coal is used by the railroads, the
| Oregon Short Line and its tributary
lines. The same Union Pacific Coal
company are also the largest produc-
| ers of coal in Rock Springs, Wyo.,
! and their output, while decreased,
seems to be fair, but they do not do
| any commercial business and do not
sell any coal for commercial purpos-
es, and what commercial business
they have done, and are likely to do
this season, would not amount to 8
| per cent of their output, and will be
so small that 1t might be entirely
omitted from the coal production.
/ The Diamondville mines of Dia-
mondville, Wyo., are mines which are
owned by the people who own the
large smelters in Butte and Anaconda
and they consume almost the entire
output Of these mines at present.
| Their commercial business in the past
output, but in the future their COM
mercial business will be hardly per
cent and so small that 1t may not
figure any in the coal supply for this
season. These mines are worked, but
one of the mines has been flooded,
making 1t impossible to work the
same until new pumps are installed,
which will require from so to 100
days to accomplish under the most
favorable conditions.
The next mine is at Kemmerer, the
Frontier mine, owned by Mr.. Kem-
merer and Mr.. Qualey. This Frontier
mine, Nos. l, 2 and 8, has been in
the past and Is today a purely COM
mercial mine. its output is sold and
distributed for commercial purposes
all along the oregon Short Line, and
such other railroads as aretributary
thereto and Is a large factor in fur
nishjng the supply of coal for domes-
tbs purposes. This mine is also pro-
ducing 20 per cent less than last year
and is therefore unable to supply as
much coal to its dealers, and other
parties, as they did year ago.
The next mine is that Of the Gen.
trail Coke & Coal company, of Rock
Springs, Wyo., which is also purely
a commercial coal mine. Its output
is distributed like that of the Kem-
merer mine, for commercial purposes
to whomsoever wishes to buy 1t, pro-
vided they have the same to sell.
Another smaller mine, called the
Wyoming Coal & Coke company, ex-
lists about mile and a half from
Rock Springs and produces about 800
tons Of commercial coal, under ia
vorable conditions, but none of this
coal has ever come our way.
Dependent on Two Mines.
That leaves us, as consumers of
coal, In Boise, as well as all other
communities tributary to the Wye
ming coal fields, dependent upon two
mines for our coal supply, and that
is the Kemmerer and Qualey mines
in Kemmerer, Wyo., and the Central
Coal & Coke company of Rock
| Springs, Wyo, and the output of
these mines has been reduced 20 per
cent from last years output by condi-
| tions over which they have no con-