New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1879-07-02
COLORADO'S NEW WEALTH.
VIII.
THE SMELLING WORKS OF LEADVILLE.

IFRoM A STAFF CORRESPONDENT OF THE rRGBUNEI
LFADvILIE Col. June S.-Next in Importance TO
the mining operations, and essential TO their sue
cess are the smelling works of Leadville. Without
them there would now be no market for any but
of the highest grades, and the development OF
nearly all tho valuable mines of this camD would
have to await the completion of q railroad to this
point. The smelling works. with one or two excep-
tions. are owned and managed independently of the
mines. The ores taken from different veins, or from
different parts of the vein, contain lead iron,
silica manganese etc, in different proportions.
Some lacking in those elements that are neces-
sary for fux" while others contain them in excess.
Ii tho former were reduced by themselves, foreign
materials would have to be introduced, and con-
siderable quantity OF rock containing no silver
would have to be melted with the ore in order to
make the separation complete. By mixing different
classes of ore together this waste is avoided, and
the metal is obtained much more rapidly If
mining company smets its own ores it Is generally
ged to purchase others of different class from
other mines. in order that the process of reduction
may be made an economical one.
The method of smelling the ores produced in this
camp is a very simple one. There are two sampling
establishments here, to one or tho other Of which
all the sold in LeadvIlle are first sent. In
these each lot OF is pulverized and thoroughly
which Is assayed by representative of the mine,
one by representative of the proposed purchaser,
and the third by disnterested person. The aver
age of these three assays is taken the basis for
ascertaning the value of tine ore, which is lmme-
diatey paid for in cash. The largest purchasers of
ore are the owners of smelling works, although
some is bought at the samoling establishments.
The furnaces in which the ores are reduced are
similar in construction to the cupolas in which pig
iron is melted tor the purpose of making castings.
The ore and fuel (charcOa and c0kel are put in IN
alternate layers, the furnace being constantly kept
full to the top A strong blast of air introduced
near the hearth causes sufficient heat to produce
fusion. About a foot above the hearth a spout is
inserted in the side of the furnace, through which
the melted ux. consisting of iron. Silica lime, ETC.,
runs out and is caught large iron receptacles.
Lower down in the side of the furnace, on a level
with the hearth are a number of small holes through
which the lead containing the silver, which has
sunk below the lux or Stag, escapes into kind of
box from which 1t is dipped with ladies and poured
into the moulds IN which the pigs are formed The
base bullion, containing from one to five and rarely
moro than ten per cent of silver. is sold by the
smeters and shipped East in this form, the silver
being separated from the lead in Denver, Omaha,
St. LOUIS Chicago and at several other points. The
value of the base bullion is asccrtaned by cutting
piece about the size OF penny from each end of
every pig in consignment These samples are
melted together into a small bar and the proportion
oi silver which that contains is taken as the average
OF the whole lot. The market value of the lead
added 70 the value of the silver which il contains
gives the value of the base bullion. There are now
seven smelling establishments in Leadyillo, capable
of reducing 400 tons of ore Il day. On the first OF
next month the number and capacity of these works
will be doubled.
The charges for smelling have been very high
here during the past Winter and Spring The de-
yclnpIneut of the mines outstripDed the establish
ment of reduction works. SO that the orc was taken
out more rapidly than it could be smelted. The cost
of coke and charcoal was discovery great the freight
on the former from the end of the railroad beng
from cent to l l2 cents pound. and the price OF
the latter cents bushel. The charges for smet-
ing have therefore been as high from 500 to 80
a ton. At these rates none but high grade ores
chose assayiug 50 of silver 10 ton and up
ward could be sold mt profit. Much OF the low
grade ores taken out during the Winter and Sprlng
has, therefore, been left on the mine dumps, ana
nov, that the cost of smelling has been reduced to
from $40 to S12 ton, it will be sold and smelted'
The owners of one or two of the smelling establish
meuts purchased large quantity of ore during the
Spring when the price was low, or. what amounted
70 the same thing when they deducted from the
price they paid high charges for smelling, aud have
Tins secured an extra profit of $40 or $12 ton.
The reduction of this surplus and of that which
fine mining companies have remaining upon their
dumps will increase the apparent production OF the
camp for several months to come.
The charcoal used in smelling is now ali manu-
featured in this neighborhOod. The mountains OF
the Mosouito Range were covered with heavy
growth of pine timber before silver was discovered
oxcant where il had been destroyed by forest fires
This timber. in the vicinity of Leadyile, is fast
Disappearing, much of it having been used in the
mines and for building purposes. A few miles out
of town up the g1hes the trees are asyet almost I'M
touched. but the charcOal-burnors are making rapid
nroads upon them even where they are not cut Tor
lumber. have visited one OF the largest charcoal
camps up Iowa Gulch and found 1t business OF no
small mapnitude. Several improved ovens for
making charcoal have been erected, ana, besides,
large quantities of wood are BENG burned III the
old-fashIOned way. Y,u.
native lumber costing at the mills from 500 to 900
per 900 feet, has been used, though ior me WORK
or inside finish, lumber IRON the states costing lU
S11O to $3.50 per 1000, has Deen imported Inc
native lnmbei Is rather cOarse-gralned, ana not
having had time 10 season, cracks ana curIs' wien
put into buildings, IN most pfoVoknE way, lm1lo
and the demand for the lumber they produce mas
until now been fully equal to the supply lHeIe -
4 mr. "A lIIll III the DulluIuB bdttJ -
nrdhabIv only temporary, but which VIII un-
don tedy cause some decline in the price OF InmIer
80 ,,on ,ncndinp wood-choppeTs aud Transfers.
EyoTy mining town has ITS period of real estate
SPECULATION, during which large fortunes are made
IIHy a lucky few. and Lcadvle was no exception.
,aar 400 fine excitement about real estate mad not
bemn. and the best building lots IN the town could
have been bought for 5000 or $500. M4en the
crowds of people began 10 come III last FEBRUARY,
overv one who desired 90 20 into business was
onxous 10 ablish himself on Chestnut-st or iiar
Ti,0n-ayc aud the competition Tor iots on tnoso
t,yn thorouphfares became very sharp. Inc aver
a~e nrice OF lots advanced to p 600 or $4,000 each,