Iron County record. [volume] (Cedar City, Utah) 1893-1982, 1916-09-29
OPPORTUNITY AGAIN KNOCKS.

4 NOE more we wish to call the at
tention of the philosophical, far
seeing men of Cedar City and Iron
county to the fact that an important
opportunity is knocking at our door;
an opportunity that we can i'll afford
to turn away empty.
1t is too often the case that the OPP
portunites that are lying in our own
dooryard are lost sight Of, while we
strain our vision to encompass some
imaginary advantage, whose chief en-
chantment is distance.
We refer specifically to the DR..
Green coal interests and project for
the installation Of an aerial tram by
which to transport the coal from the
face of the mountain to the valley
below. This is proposition easily
within our reach, and which will mean
more to this part of the state than
anything that could be undertaken on
a corresponding capital.
In the first place, there is excellent
assurance that the erection of this
tram will bring a branch of the Salt
Lake Route. At a number of times
in the past, the people of this section
have offered libaral bonuses to secure
a railroad for this section. They have
offered right Of way and terminal
site and cash; they have offered to
furnish the ties, or to grade the road
bed, but as yet nothing of tangible
character has resulted. Yet here is
an opportunity, as far as can be as
certained, to secure the building Of
the road simply by the investment Of
a small amount of money, about $780,
600, in an enterprise which in itself
promises large returns on the money
spent.
Here are a few of the pertinent
facts that have been collected by DR..
Green and others since this project has
been under consideration:
An aerial tram capable of handling
one thousand tons of coal per day,
will cost from $4,000 to $4,000, de-
pending upon the type Of equipment
1t Is estimated that another $25, 200
will be required for freight, installa-
ton, improvement of the mine, bins
office accommodations, etc. So that
about $4,000 added to the value of
the mine and terminal property in
the valley below, would place the pro-
ject on a working basis.
The cost of mining coal in Emery
and Carbon counties, according to in
formation obtained, is Csc to 75c. PEI
ton. The cost Of tramming, accord.
ing to the estimate of the American
Steel and Wire company, for this kline
of plant, would be 10c. per ton. AL.
lowing $1,00 per ton for mining, 25c
per ton for tramming, and 25c. pei
ton for incidentals, Office expense, etc,
the net cost would be $3.50 per tor
in the company's bins in the valley
within the corporate limits of Cedar
City. The present price of coal here
delivered, is $3.50 per ton, and if thi:
price were reduced $l.00, or to $3.50
per ton, the company would be assured
Of net profit of from $3.50 to 500
per ton on coal used for local con
sumption, and possibly just as much
on coal for transport trade after the
railroad was extended to the tram.
The local market for coal is rapidly
extending, and under the present
primative methods of mining anC
handling it is frequently the case tina
the supply is far behind the demand
With an abundance of coal in thu
bins at all time, ready to be auto
matically loaded into the wagons o.
persons sending for it from surround
ing towns, this market would be great
ly stimulated, and it is estimated tha
in all probability 10000 tons could bt
sold annually, regardless of whethel
the railroad builded or not. Thi
would be sufficient to insure a gooC
dividend on the money invested, ant
would at the same time give the peopl,
their coal for price substantial,
less than they are paying at present
Engineers and investors on the out
side look with favor on the project
Two or three times it has been con
fidently thought that the proposition
had been financed by outside capital
but unfortunate circumstances have
each time interviewed At the presen
time the property is under mortgage
for fraction of its value to Calfor
MIA parties, who will acquire title il
the mortgage is not paid. In this
event the tram will be built, we are
assured by these parties, who have
unbounded faith in the project, bu
in this event the earnings will 90 e
outside investors, and there is alwayi
the possibility that the resources ma!
lie idle as our iron deposits are doinl
for an indefinite time.
These parties have assured the
writer that If DR.. Green will get hi