The Wallace miner. [volume] (Wallace, Idaho) 1907-current, 1913-12-25
ROADS FORM BIG
PROBLEM FOR MINES
SMALL OPERATOR AND PROS
PEcToR PAYS HEAVY FOR
WAGON HAUL.

One OF the gravest problem of the
small mining district is the matter of
transportation Of its ore from the
shaft houses to the railway. In the
case Of the great mines the first thing
to be done preparatory to ore extrac-
tion Is to run a railway line If the
ore body be big enough the railway
line may attain extensive proportions
Thus, no great stir was made about
building a railway 1855 miles long to
serve the Nevada Consolidated Copper
company at Ely. New. The Octavi
Copper company built line of sew
eral hundred miles in Africa, and Rob.
ert Williams is still engaged on the
Benguela railway, transcontinental
line which is primarily intended to
bring out the Katanga copper, says
tho Engineering and Mining Journal
Heavy Cost Of Wagon HouI.
But what Of the mine or mining dis
trict that can not afford, or justify,
the capital outlay for railroad, broad
gauge or narrow gauge. or even Of
wire ropeway? Such mines and min
ing districts are In the main depend
ent upon the archaic ore wagon drawn
by team of two or four horses. This
is costly, not because the teamsters
are exorbitant, but simply because the
method is inefficient and wasteful
Consider the changes in our western
mining towns, that is, Goldfield, when
consultations have led to the extern
sion Of the railway spurs to the ore
houses and the elimination Of the
teams and teamsters. The camp never
afterward looks SO active and busting
to be sure, but the mines pay bigger
dividends.
From to 80 Cents Per Ton Per Mile.
In the Rocky Mountain mining re-
gions the transportation Of ore by
wagon seldom costs less than 1 cent
per ton per mile, and frequently costs
as much as 80 cents. The railway
takes 1t to the smelter for something
like cent per ton mile. Thus it IS
likely to cost as much to carry ton
Of ore 10 miles to the railway station
as 1t does to carry 1t thence $50 miles
to the smelter. The average charge OF
the smelter, including his smelling
cost, freight on the products to the
aestern refineries, refining cost and
profit, is probably about 50 and so
per ton. The transportation costs
from the mine to the smelter are like
ly to be IS for the distances mention
ed above These figures are not cited
but merely as an illustration of the
general lay of the land. 1t is by no
means an unusual condition that trans
portation from mine to railway ac-
counts for 20 per cent of the total cost
to which a ton of ore is subject from
the time it leaves the mine.
A Good Road Is Economical.
How to reduce this relatively enor-
mouse cost is a problem that has for
many years engaged serious attention
and Is we'll worth while even If no
really satisfactory solution has yet
been found. The simplest expedient is,
Of course, the improvement Of the
wagon roads, a subject that the Jour
nal used to emphasize rs years ago.
Undoubtedly most mining communities
have been derelict in that respect and
have wasted great sums Of money be-
cause Of their dereliction Whether a
road is to be a highway for the old
fashioned team or the modern motor
truck, a good road is economical.