Show FIGURES we had a visitor a short time ago not that visitors are infrequent but this one was of a different kind he did not intend to visit us all lie he wanted was a view ot of the salt lake valley and a chance to expound the wonders of the small town which sent him forth and as our office door was open he entered after he had commented upon everything within sight from the top floor of the highest building between chicago and the pacific coast and had told at the top of his voice that nothing pleased him he suddenly asked what industry keeps this part of the world moving WP we informed ormed nf him with absolute truth that mining is that industry do you mean to tell me he shouted that mining pays that there are people at this late day who can make a living at mining here was a rare bird indeed it is whispered that many people in the small towns of the east and south know nothing of what is going on outside of their own tiny circle but this was tile the worst of tile species who have crossed our path so we proceeded to tell him that the united states state government has gathered statistics showing that the combined dividends paid by the copper companies alone of this country are greater than those paid by all the railroads not lot to mention the millions supplied by the precious metal and lead and zinc camps we asked him if he had never heard that 52 per cent of the freight hauled by the railroads is either ore or some product or commodity connected with the mining or milling of ore further had no one ever troubled to inform him that bradstreets Bradstreet ps commercial agency states that only 36 per cent nt of all legitimate mining investments fall fail as compared with 54 per cent of in vestments st ments in general commercial lines warming to the subject we stated that allore re money has been lost through banks in the abe last five years than has been lost in ding in three times that period that was lost in gilt edged secures aties in 1907 and that the last two calendar years ars have about equaled that figure more oney ey than has been lost altogether in the history tory of mining ahe government we told him has also supplied the following figures the returns on oil capital invested in railroads is 3 per cent in national banks G per cent in insurance su rance 11 per cent in lumbering 14 per cent in manufacturing 20 per cent and in mining per cent not including in the last item the receipts of those fortunate holders of prospect shares which later develop into dividend payers we were just reaching for our utah dividend table to show him the record of a single state when he shouted the picture he referred to a beautiful panoramic photo several feet long of the workings of the utah copper company at bingham showing the different levels like giant steps leading to the top of the great mountain which is being removed and shipped at the rate of tons a day we gave him the desired information so a mine is it he demanded do you own that mine but that was too much for us we gently steered him into our neighbors office across the hall and then locked our own door we are still sadly wondering whether there is much of a crop like him in his home town |