The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1908-12-27
UTAH CONSOLIDATED

1t is almost an axiom in the sphere
of the mining industry that the deeper
the workings in the mine go the great
er the cost of production of the ore in
the lower levels becomes. That is with
everything else being equal and the
average grade of ore being encoun-
tered as the shafts are sunk to greater
depths.
This condition is one which the we'll
Informed mining men not only encoun-
ter as matter OF course, but II is ali
event which is taken into considera ton
in the figuring of the cost of producing
the wealth that lies hidden in the
bowels of the earth. The further down
the mine goes the larger the figures on
the operating expense account becomes.
1t is always with the expectation or
the actual knowledge that the uncov-
cred sections of the mine contain ore
Of a higher grade that the work is pur-
sued deeper and deeper towards the
more valuable are bodies.
Hence any reversal in this system
which might be termed the logic of ore
production is not only unique state
of affairs. bordering on the marvellous,
but it is an illuminating condition
which aptly illustrates the truth of the
adage that the exception proves the
rule.
And such is the unique position of
the Utah Consolidated Mining cOmpa-
ny, which operates the great Highland
Boy mine at Bingham. It is not only
the pioneer mining company in that
wonderful camp, which holds the rec
ord for the low cost of producing the
ore but it stands on a pinnacle as the
lone possessor of this rare and exceed
ingly advantageous financial position
in no Inn of mining n ono of the
biggest camps of the west.
Utah Consolidated was the first great
mining company TO attract attention
to Bingham as a low cost copper pro-
ducing camp, and with each remove il
is still in the van holding the record
for the cheap production of copper.
This condition, from all indications. is
to be held by the company for some
time to come. The prevailing contents OF
the ore of the Highland Boy is copper
but there is found quantities of gold
and silver in il also.
In many instances this precious
metal pays for the entire cost of the
production of the ore. leaving the cop
per a pure profit to the company. The
average cost of the production of the
red metal in the mine, after the value
of the other metals is taken out has
been from 315 to cents d pound. This
cost is less than one-half of the aver
age cost of producing copper in any
part of the country
Although the company has begun its
exploration of the lower levels of the
great mine. the cost of producing the
ore has decreased from $3.50 a ton to
81 This is the lowest figure which
the company has reached in the pro-
duction of its ore in its history. AND
what is still more exceptional in this
regard this cost of production includes
the charges of taxes, insurance and
other incidentals-
All of these conditions which are SO
advantageous to the Utah Consolidated
company have not come, however. be-
cause the management Of this great
company has sat supinely by and al
lowed the work to drift along, as
might be thought from the unique po-
sition held by the company Indeed,
the credit for this lower cost of pro-