The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1908-11-26
Gives Opinion Regarding the
Boston Con. Mine and
Milling Plant.
BELIEVES COMPANY
WILL MAKE GOOD
Abandonment of Mining by
Steam Shovel Called Very
Wise Decision.

Col. II, y w all nus Con'ElDulCu dA
interesting letter to the Boston News
Bureau relative TO the Boston Consoli.
dated company. This letter is as fol
lows:
Il have prepared tho following with
the thought that you will regard its
publication as Of public interest as well
as an act of justice to the stock"
holders Of the Boston Consolidated COM
pany, aud not inconsistent with fair
treatment of their immediate neighbor,
tho Utah Copper company.
sin 4 recent interview published In
the Boston News Bureau, Mr.. Gates, the
manager of the Boston Consolidated
mines, speaking Of the abandonment OF
steam shove! mining, and the resort to
underground mining instead, stated In
substance that they had previously re
moved with steam shovels 100000
tons OF Gaping at cost OF lS cents
per ton. but that all ore was now being
mined through tunnels underground at
q total cost of 90 cents per ton, aud
that he was convinced that time would
vludlcate has Judgment In dScontlnmpg
the use of the steam shovel and return
ing TO underground methods, thus clear
lY indicating that the abandonment OF
the steam shovel was final.
'lt is understood that Mr.. Gates ey-
poets, when his ground is properly
opened, 10 reduce the cost of mining to
40 cents per ton, or less, and it is not
believed that any sum approximating
this cost can ever be reached either by
Boston or Utah Copper by means of the
steam shovel, If the cost of the shovel
ing, plant, tracks, switches annd lines
Of road required exclusively for re-
moval of waste be charged TO mining
cost and not TO general construction
account.
According to Mr. Gates, 100000
cost of $40 900; there was probably in
vested il steam shovels, locomotives,
cars and tracks $500,O00 moro, and it
would probably require the expenditure
OF an additional million dollars TO Sc
cure the removal of sufficient of the
remaining waste, or Gaping, to make
available for mining by steam shovel
any of the vast ore bodies which lie
beneath, and then its extraction would
be burdened with q further cost Of IS
cents per ton. In other words, stock
holders must be burdened with the ex-
pendlture of q sum equal 10 10 cents
per ton on 100000 tons of ore and
tho amount charged to construction be-
fore actual mining begins, then, OF
course. cheap mining can be done until
the stripped segment is exhausted, when
another bond issue may have to be re-
sorted to to provide funds to pay for
shovellnG of more Gaping.
When one thinks seriously of tho
matter he will be strongly inclined 10
agree with Mr.. Gates, that the rocky
cliffs of Bingham are not adapted TO
profitable removal by steam shovel In
view, of the foregoing it is quite
IL 4
cents per ton for mining is much lower
than the actual cost of mining Utah
Copper ore by means of the steam
shovel. and that abandonment Of that
method Is but a question Of time.
'FOn the other hand it is conceded
that recoveries by the Boston mill ex-
ceed that of Utah Copper per cent.
Now, assuming Utah ores TO contain
ouly 10 per cent copper, or SO pounds
pounds, which, at 1872 cents per pound
gives II cents per ton as the gain on
each ton of ore treated by the Boston
mill. This applied TO the Utah mill
shows a loss of $4,000 per month, or
Sl,032,200 per annum on 1000 tons of
orc treated per day.
''There Is also another important ad.
vantage In operating costs IN favor of
the Boston mill One item alone, and
that by no means the largest, may be
mentioned. The Utah mill is operated
by electricity generated by its own
steam plant at q cost, as nearly as can
be asceTtained. Of S12 per electrical
horse power per annum. The Boston
company purchases electrical power at
$50 per horse power per annum, but
actual rating of power consumed, ow-
ing TO peak loads, and occasional
sudden shocks, brings the cost up to
$40 per horse power per nnmm. The
difference is $32 per horse power, which.
on 1000 horse power consumed by the
Utah, equals $500 per aunum. and
upon two items mentioned S1,064 200
per annum in favor of the Boston
method, and yet the Utah Copper earn.
irGs arc very great even under the
present depressed price of the metals,
while its area of workable ores is prac-
tically inexhaustible. Why, then, NAV
not the Boston, with ore bodies Of !
equal magnitude, aud in addition |
sulphide' mine Of generous proper. |
tious. Notwithstanding its costly expert. |
ment with the steam shovel. soon take |
It's place among the great profit pro- !
duccrs!'