The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1907-03-18
INTEREST IN MINING
CONTINUES STEADILY
Splendid General Condition of
All Lines of Industry Is
Noticeable.

The mining boom continues unabated.
| This fact is evidenced first by the re-
! ports of unprecedented activity I'm all the
camps. and second by the thoroughly
| awakened interest OF the investing pub
! lie In mines. mining. and mining invest
mentS. Not only arc the preparations
/ being carried forward for more extensive
! operations and enlarged output with the
| coming of spring. hut the machinery
and supply companies are being delugcd
with orders Tor equipments for the
! mines. Meanwhile, the funds necessary
! for development work on properties OF
proven value are readily forthcoming;
and the absorption of new securities Ia or
magnitude that demonstrates the pop
ular faith In the safety. permancncy and
profit of the mining industry. says an
Eastern exchange
The question naturally arises. whether
mining has now actually entered upon a
new era of unprecedented greatness and
prosperity, or whether we are 10 witness
merely the bursting of another specula-
tive bubble after the period OF Imitation
has run its course. The answer TO this
question Is at least indicated In a study
Of existing conditions in the mining and
industrial world, The position Of gold
mining In the worlds commercial and In
dustrial llfc is unquostioned and unchal
leneed. and Is likely TO remain Sc. Over
production is a risk never incurred by
the gold miner. the supply has never
euualed the demand. and never Will; for
gold is the standard of value, and the
producer OF gold can never lack mar
ket. In fat times and lean. accordingly,
the gold mining industry Will be secure;
and no matter how many surface pockets
play out or prospect bubbles burst the
great producing gold mines. with the aid
of modern scientific methods. will con-
tinuc to add their quota 10 The world
wealth by hundreds OF millions yearly,
As TO the copper mining industry. il
stands today apparently on more solid
foundations than ever In its previous his
tory. In spite of the Increased prcduc-
tion, the supply of the red metal still lags
far behind the demand. with no present
prospect OF any change In the situation
The increasing and varied uses of copper
FOR electrical transportation. telographv.
telephoning and the commercial arts af-
fords the strongest possible assurances
that copper mining Is on a safe basis for
years and generations TO come, The dl-
Vldcd record OF the producing copper
mines OF the United States for 1905 en-
cecded that of the railroads OF the ma
ton, while the price of the metal Is now
higher than In thirty years.
The recent advance In the price Of sill
Yer is also noteworthy feature In the
present situation. The exploitation of
the Cobalt region is likely TO yield an
enormous production I'm the near future;
but IL will hardly be sufficient to demor-
alize the market or render silver mining
Improbable. For the present. at least,
this industry rests upon safe basis.
Turning 10 the lead and zinc camps, es-
peclally those OF the Southwest, we find
q condition of unparalleled prosperity.
The demand for both metals has In
creased with amazing rapidity, owing to
year by year in the commercial and me-
chancal arts. While prices nuctuate
they still maintain a steady upward ten
dency, and the present confidence Of the
producers In the future of the industry
would seem To be entirely warranted. OF
iron. tin and platinum, ii Is scarcely
necessary 10 speak Their position in our
system Is always secure. and
the producers OF these metals are not
likely to go begging fer market.
There can be no question TO the
present status OF the metal markets or
as TO their future as long as prevailing
Industrial conditions shall continue. No
indication OF any change is as yet visible
in the whole horizon. Activity is wide
spread; crops are uniformly good, har-
vests are abundant; labor troubles are
less frequently heard Of, the financial
standing of the National Government is
entirely sound. banking and rallroading
are upon a firm basis, and no great po-
litical upheavnl has even suggested Itself
These conditions do not constitute a
boom. but rather n period OF healthy
and expansion, In which the
mining industry is enjoying Its legitimate
share, The production OF the mines must
Increase year by year TO meet the actual
demands OF the times. the backing OF
capital Is absolutely essential for the de-
Velopment of new producing properties,
and In spite OF all warnings and preach
nents TO the contrary. the popularity of
mining Investments seems likely to in
crease rather than TO wane. The public |
as a whole Is generally on the right !
track In matters OF this kind,