The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1908-11-26
BOSTON CON. IS
GIVEN A BOOST
Colonel Wall Discusses Its
Methods in Comparison
With Utah Copper'S.

Colonel z. A. Wall of Salt Lake City,
who was prominently identified with the
Utah Copper company until last spring,
when he sold his stock, amounting to
about 5000 shares, is now espousing the
Boston Consolidated company, in which
he is a large stockholder,, says the Bos-
ton News Bureau, which quotes him as
follows
Il have prepared the following with the
thought that you will regard its puoi-
cation as of public interest as well as an
act of justice TO the stockholders of the
Boston Consolidated company, and not
inconsistent with fair treatment of their
immediate neighbor, the Utah Copper
company
In a recent interview published in the
Boston News Bureau, Mr.. Gates. the man
ager of the Boston Consolidated mines.
speaking of the abandonment of steam
shovel mining, and the resort TO under
ground mining instead, stated in sub
stance that they had previously removed
with steam shovels 100000 tons of cap
ping at a cost of IS cents per ton. but that
all the ore was now being mined through
tunnels underground at a total cost OF 90
cents per ton. and that he was convinced
that time would vindicate his Judgment in
disseminating the use of the steam shovel
and returning 10 underground methods,
thus clearly indicating that the abandon
ment of the steam shovel was final.
1T is understood that Mr.. Gates ex-
poets, when his ground is properly opened.
TO reduce the cost of mining to 40 cents
per ton, or less. and il is not believed that
any sum approxirnating this cost can ever
be reached either by Boston or Utah Cop
per by means Of the steam shovel, IL the
cost of the shOveling, plant, tracks,
switches and lines of road required ex-
clusiv ely for removal of waste be charged
to mining cost and not to general con-
Struction account.
According to Mr. Gates. 100000 tons
of Gaping was removed at a total cost
steam shovels. locomotives, cars and
tracks $4,000 more. and it would probably
require the expenditure of an additional
million dollars TO secure the removal OF
sufficient of the remaining waste. or cap
ping. 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 further cost OF
IS cents per ton.
In other words, stockholders must be
burdened with the expenditure of a sum
equal to 40 cents per ton on 100000 tons
of ore and the amount charged to con-
structiOn before 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
resOrted TO. to provide funds to pay for
shOYeling off more Gaping.
when one thinks seriously of the mat
ter, he will be strongly inclined to agree
with Mr.. Gates, that the rocky cliffs of
Bingham are not adapted to profitable re-
moval by steam shovel.
I'm view of the foregoing, ii is quite
possible that the Boston cost of 80 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
question of time
''On the other hand, it is conceded that
recOVeries by the Boston mill exceed that
of Utah Copper by per cent. Now, as
Stunning Utah ores TO contain only L9 per
cent copper, IS pounds per ton, we find
that per cent of IS pounds is 3.04 pounds.
which, at 1872 cents per pound. gives Al
cents per ton as the gain on each ton of
ore treated by the Boston mill. This ap-
$4,000 per month, or l,032. 200 per annum
on 1000 tons of ore treated per day.
There are also other important ad-
vantages in operating costs in favor OF
the Boston mill. One item alone, and that
by no means the largest, may be men
toned. The Utah mill is operated by cleo
tricity generated by its own steam plant,
at cost. as nearly as can be ascertained
Of s12 per electrical horse power per an
mum. The Boston company purchases
electrical power at $50 per horsepower per
annum, but actual rating of power con-
sumed, owing TO peak loads, and occa-
sional sudden shocks, brings the cost up
10 $40 per horsepower per annun3- The
difference is $50 per horsepower which.
on LOCO horsepower consumed by Utah
equals $500 per annum, and upon two
items mentioned 81 1884, 200 per annum in
favor of the Boston method, and vet the
Utah Copper earnings are very great even
under the present depressed price of the
metals, whilst its area of workable ores is
practically inexhaustible. Why then
may not Boston, with ore bodies of equal
magnitude and in addition to a 'sulphIde'
mine of generous proportions, notwith-
standing its costly experiment with the
steam shovel, soon take its place among
the great profit producers?"