OCR Text |
Show Its, mmW I MINES HieHLY ACTIVE J 1918 Production of at Least 1,500,000 Tons Is Expected. Just at the time when the whole country coun-try is shouting for coal. United States Smclting-'s coal mines, so many years In developing1, have come to life with a vengeance. ven-geance. At the rate they are now producing and shipping and with the new facilities which direct operation by the smelting company of its Utah railroad, has afforded, afford-ed, a 1918 production of at least 1,500,-000 1,500,-000 tons, possibly 2,000,000 tons, may be expected. It was last year that saw for the first time concrete demonstration of what was possible in the Utah coal fields. In the face of serious freight shortage and dif-ficiUt dif-ficiUt operating conditions, output was pushed up to 908,000 tons, as compared with 706,000 tons In 1916 and 707,000 tons the year previous. Had the United States Smelting been able to operate its railroad for the full twelve months as it was in December, it would probably have been able to produce at least 1,200.000 tons of coal. It was only on November 30 it resumed from Denver & Rio Grande the operation of the Utah railway, but with the batch of new equipment and direct control it has been able in the past sixty days to rush coal wholesale to Provo, where it connects with the Denver &. Rio Grande and the San Pedro, Los Angeles & Salt Lake, through which it reaches its Pacific Pa-cific coast trade. The coal end of United States Smelting for the first time last year showed a healthy return upon the investment. This year the chances are that it will more than carry itself. Considering the worldwide world-wide demand for coal and the stabilized stabil-ized conditions now fairly assured through the trade commission and close federal control the Utah equity of from 125,000,000 to 135,000,000 tons of coal may yet yield the hoped-for reward for the time and money which have been expended ex-pended upon it. Boston News Bureau. |