Bisbee daily review., 1910-05-15
ORE
GREAT. FACTOR
IN LATE YEARS
Low Grade Mines Have Be-
come Bic Producers and
Their Cost Figures Are
Justified by Mining Experts,

justified by Mining Experts.
! BOSTON-The entrance of the
low grade poFphyTy mines into tie
copper producing field is by all odds
the most important development in
the industry in recent years.
The recovery OF copper in CONNER
cial quantities from these low grade.
disseminated" deposits is no long
or an experiment as the Nevada Con
solidated and Utah Copper. the first
I porphyries to enter the ranks OF the
I producers. are already showing a
/ combined output at the rate of 165.
100000 pounds per annum, and their
shares have a combined selling val
ne of 800 000. 900 even at the compar-
4 atively low level at which copper
! shares are now quoted. As against
( a current selling price Of SAP. Utah
I Copper has sold as high as S66. and
/ Nevada Consolidated. now quoted at
i SIS. has sold for S30
Notwithstanding the prediction OF
Z many OF the old school miners thar
I these two properties could never
make good their extraordinary claims
( as to mining costs. the fact remains
! that Utah Copper AID Nevada Con
4 solidated are together paying divi-
dends OF se.000.OOO per annum while
some Of the vein mines are hanging
out distress signals.
Some Of the old school miners
above referred 10 are attempting 10
throw suspicion on the integrity OF
the operating costs claimed by the
porphyry Interests, and in proof OF
their contention they generally point
10 the fact that The Utah Copper Co.
does not treat as an operating charge
, the entire expense already incurred
ia the removal OF the Gaping which
overiies the copper deposit
The Utah people seem NOS in the
least disturbed By these criticisms.
and justify their costs with the very
plausible argument that current OPP
erations should not be called upon TO
bear the entire burden OF making
available millions Of tons of ore for
future extraction. but that these costs
should be gradually absorbed into
current operating account. upOl a
fair and equitable basis. TO this end
. cents per ton OF ore mined p APP
Piled TO the retirement OF the pre-
paid expense ore account" which
amounted on December 81 last TO 81
, 5l3.94G. The total area over which
stripping operations have been con
( Quoted is 81 acres. uncovering 28,O00.
. 600 tons Of ore. Only about one-sev-
{ enth OF his ore however. has been
removed from the area in question.
II is very probably true that the
millions Of pounds Of copper now be-
ing produced by the Utah Copper and
T Nevada Consolidated compauies-the
present rate being 100000 pounds
per month-are responsible 10 q great
or or less degree for the world s
growing surplus OF copper. They are
not responsible. however. for the
declining copper values in some Of
the vein mines whose officials have
very recently informed stockholders
Of Disappointing ore conditions and
b D " Hb1t SAdita HIt ia rtF1l a. AD9tasia
ees selling for but bne-quarter OF
their highest recorded figure. All Of
the responsibility for the disasters
which have recently overtakea the
the copper shares cannot be laid al
The doors Of the pOrphyry producers
The men who are actively engaged
Ia the development Of the porphyrl
mines are By no means amateurs TIT
I fewisOhns. the Guggenheims and tn
! JackIing- McNeiii-Haden interests d,
not propose 10 fool themselves II
:, the matter OF costs. Today these PEG
PIE have given the fullest publicit.
TO their development and operating
details and invite the closest scrui
4 iny OF their operations
The estimates OF ore tonnage hay
= been checked AID recbecked BY IN
: best mining engineers in the world
the depth OF the copper deposit, ger
i, orally a blanket formation, has bee
demonstrated by countless drill hole:
. and the copper contents proved b
= thousands OF assays In this manne
j The ore ec9osit has been proved a
: perfectly as human skill can prov
: it.