The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1909-06-07
COBALT CAMP HAS
BROKEN RECORDS
What First Was Supposed to
Be Freak Camp Has Come
to Stay.
GREAT WEALTH KNOWN
NOW TO BE CERTAIN
Everything Points to 1t Being
Banner Silver Camp of
Continent.

IL is. an interesting Law ''''' - "
the railway construction III the western
states. the miles of tunnelling and hun
dreds of miles of rock cuttings, not a
single mineral discovery OF any conse-
ouence was made as direct result OF
RAILWAY construction. OF course, the
odvont of The railway made the min
eral regions accessible. The railroad
blazed the trail, but so far as | know
the railway builders failed utterly to
strike pay dirt.
Quite the reverse of this is true OF
Canadian railway construction. Inc
choppers on the Canadian Pacific dis
covered the famous nickel mines at
Sudbury, probably the greatest IN the
world. The builders of the Temiskam-
ing G. Northern Ontario uncovered Co.
bnlt To be sure. their discovery was
not the first find. but il was the DIS,
covery which made Cobalt famous, ana
The property which the railway CON
structors opened remains one of the
most valuable in this really remark
able region. To go n step further, 10
has lust been announced that the con-
tractors on the Transcontinental rail-
way, still north of Cobalt, have cut
copper vein of great value. what
these builders may find before they
reach the prairie provinces and what
They may discover IN the last thousand
miles of Wilderness. Edmonton 10 Prince
Rupert. remains TO be seen. But to re-
turn 10 Cobalt.
Half dozen of the early discoveries
of Cobalt gave such promise that almost
before the world became aware of the
existence of new mining region the
country was capitalized at hundreds OF
millions Naturally many of these COM
panes failed TO realize, and much of
the stock was worthless but as develop
meDt work went on so many new and
rich properties were opened that. not
withstanding the extensive stalking and
vast issue of capital stock, faith IN
Cobalt grew stronger az the years went
by.
Mining experts were slow TO believe
the story of Cobalt Men who had
mined around the world declared the
first few finds merely freaks. Valuable
ore was not to be found in this or in
that formation. because 1T did not soc
cur in this formation. Because IL had
not occurred In any other camp In SIM
liar rock the scientists reckoned that
il could not occur here, but they have
been obliged TO revise their first esti-
mate. Pay rock has occurred at Co.
bait, and il keeps on occurring, where,
TO be The plain unscicntfic prospector
did not question why. When he found
the pay streak he quarried it. and made
the rough surface cuts pay FOR sinking
and when he could afford it he en-
ployed a mining engineer and began TO
mine, At the age of SIX years Cobalt
eemmands attention in the mining
world. Mining men and engineers from
every country are to be met at Cobalt,
and almost without exception, while sd
mitting the fact that Cobalt camp is
unique, they agree that IL is one Of
the notable silver mining regions. The
simple story Of the discovery, the legal
battles and the final triumph OF the poor
prospcctors whose names are connected
with some of the mines of this north
crn Wilderness would read like ro-
nance The peDniless prospector of
yesterday is living at the King Ed.
ward, Toronto, today, and tomorrow he
will sit in his expensive office, sur
rounded by company reminding one
Of a group of stars In a beauty show
To its various members he dictates let
ters which sound strangely to his own
ears, and signs checks in unexpected fig
urcs. All this and more is possible ia
him by reason of his good fortune in
the fastness of New Ontario.
The average cost OF producing r dol
lar from the Cobalt mines is 15 cents
Here in MANY of the working mines
one can see the pay streak stripped
bare for hundreds of feet, with almost
millions Of dollars worth Of ore IL
sight Although Z Hudson s Bay posi-
stood near Cobalt for half n century
or more. and the hunters, tFappers anC
courcurs du bois tramped over these
open veins actually exposed TO the sun
snow and rain. they are today finding
new rich mines all about. When tn,
train stops nj Cobalt you have TO stel
carefully 10 avoid stenpinG on some one
for the platform is literally hidden b,
men, with only here and there n woman
The hotels and lobbies are cauall,
crowded, but in spite OF this collection
of men from the four winds Cobalt i
quiet and orderly camp. Not one o
The hotels is allowed TO sell liquor. an,
there is 40 gambling in the open True
yon will bump against drunken MAJ
occasionally. because mining and re-
liquor seem always TO go hand in hand
properties. Some day it viii ali b
Followed ont and guests in the hotel
need not be surprised 10 have thei
dishes rafting around when the blast
go of below.
In fact, this is almost true Of cond
tions there today. The figures made b
the government tell the story of tn
wears better than it can be told in an
other way, The first shipment Of or
went ont in 1904, when 15S tons wer
shipped. In 1905 the total tonnage wa
2l44 tons. a year later it. had grow
TO 5129 tons. In 1907, when every bod
needed money. Cobalt produced A fra,
ton less than $6,000,000. In 1908. whe
the price of everything had gone dow
save the neeessaries az life. Cobalt cam
10 the rescue with 1885 tons, wort
a9,25 900 Those who are pessimisi
depore the fact that Cobalt is capita
lied today at something over S20000l
600. The optimist points out that eve
upon this colossal capitalization Coba
has paid per cent. Into almost ever
mining camp ON this continent dc
lar has gone in for every dollar viii,
has come out. We hear only Of the ma
who strikes pay dirt. ''Thc man wi
broke the bank at Monte Carlo w
sung around the world but the hundre
Of thousands whom the bank broke a
not mentioned, unless they happen
find their way TO the morgue; but