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Show I;; GREAT INTEREST NEW COIL FIELD pi Fred W. Webb, president and gen-' gen-' l' eral manager of the Iron County Coal company, returned yesterday from the properties oC the company near Cedar City, Utah, where he went to com-, com-, i menco work on the aerial tram from i 1 the properties to the terminal located almost at the main street of Cedar City. The Cedar City Chamber of i! Commerce mot last Monday night and resolutions wore passed indorsing the I efforts Mr. Webb Is making, looking P to the great development of this coun-i coun-i 1 try. The enthusiasm displayed at the 1 meeting was marked. The develop-' develop-' , ment of these fields is of epoch malc- , ing impprtance, not only to Cedar City, I but to tho surrounding country, and ' the fact that a railroad will shortly bo built in order to take care of the transportation of coal will open up a large mining and farming territory tli at will mean millions of dollars to i j the local people. I , j The deposits on the" Coloh plateau ' have been estimated by geologists in i i the employ of the United States geological geo-logical survey, and have since been confirmed by eminent mining engineers, engi-neers, to contain above 2,500,000,000 tons of coal. The coal is an excellent coking coal and representatives of smelting interests are now in tho field making examinations of tho deposits looking to the erection of a smelter at the mountain of iron that is located within ten miles of tho property of the Iron County Coal company. Inat a smelter will follow the development of these coal deposits would seem to be assured. Upon his return, Mr. Webb said: "I have been engaged in many large propositions throughout the country, but the undertaking of developing these Colob plateau coal deposits is of the greatest magnitudo of any development develop-ment proposition that I have either handled myself or been interested in. The needs of coal along the Salt Lake railroad are enormous, and as everyone every-one knows, tho shortage is marked. We have entered into tentativo contracts con-tracts with various steamship and other companies at tidewater In order to provide a market for our coal, and a railroad will be run thirty miles west of Cedar City. The lino has been surveyed and the cost per mile will be extremely low, owing to the topography topogra-phy of tho country, there being very little grade and the railroad people, who havo become interested since the Iron County Coal company has taken up the development of these properties, proper-ties, is of such strength tlmt I am convinced con-vinced of the construction of the road in the near future, if the Salt Lake Route docs not sop fit to run a spur from Lund themselves. The importance impor-tance of the development of these coal fields to tho state of Utah, and pur-tlcularly pur-tlcularly to Salt Lake City, canuoi be underestimated. The crying needs of Salt Lake for coal are heart, wherever I go, and I believe this winter will be the last in the history of the state when coal will not be plentiful for the needs of every home, industry and manufacturer, not only throughout tho state, but along tho lino of the Salt Lake Los Angeles railroad. "The interest In the development of these fields by the Iron. County Coal company Is very keen. I am receiving inquiries from nearly every city anu towns along the line of the railroad from Salt Lako to Los Angeles regarding regard-ing our plans for the development of these coal deposits in order to relieve the shortage of coal that exists." |