The semi-weekly miner. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1882-1886, 1884-04-12
THE PARROT.
A New 5melter to be Erected by
the Parrot Company.

the Parrot Company.
Material Engaged and Work
Commenced.
The Second Greatest Copper Pro-
duoing Works In the Country.
Yesterday . MINER reporter was
picked up by Mr.. Alex. Tarbet, the
gentlemanly Superintendent of the
Summit Valley Railroad Company,
and in less than fifteen minutes was
whirled down to the fine smeiter of
the Parrot Company. Here he was
introduced to DR.. G. D. Peters, Gen.
eral Manager and Superintendent of
the works. Dr. Peters has been in
his present position but a short time,
but his many years. experience as
Superintendent of the Oxford Sui
phur and Copper Works. at New
B ,rgen, New Jersey. peculiarly ft
him for the responsible duties he has
assumed here. The reporter found
the Doctor an intelligent, highly
cultivated gentleman of pleasing ad-
dress and engaging manners,a and what
all reporters admire, displaying a dis
position to impart such information
as may be of interest to the general
public concerning the operations of
the company.
In answer to IN inquiry whether
the rumor was true that the company
proposed to build a new smelter the
Doctor said there was no mistake
about it; that he was now engaged in
drawing the plans; that considerable
material was already upon the
ground, and that the rest was en-
gagged. Timbers are being framed,
excavations are going on, and the
whole work will be completed by
fall. The new smelter will concen
trate $50 tons of ore per day and be
furnished with one blast furnace of
a capacity of rs tons to 80 tons every
twenty-four hours. Copper bullion,
instead of matte will be shipped from
the new works.
Before our reporter left the Doctor
very kindly. showed him over the
present works, taking in the roasting
furnaces, where great bodies of r
were burning, through the concern
trating department., the calcining
rooms, and among the furnaces. AT
the latter he saw huge bricks, each
weighing from 50 to 1Oo pounds,
moulded from 'slag" or melted rock;
skinned with long iron ladies from
the top of the liquid copper. These
bricks are being used by the COM
pany for building purposes, and fine
durable walls they make. They will
enter largely In the construction of
the new smelter. Frost, heat. fire.
and water have no effect upon them.
When once laid they will last as long
as the eternal mountains in sight.
The works are producing 10000
pounds of pure copper per month, or
%. 900 pounds a day. Reckoning
this copper at IA cents 3 pound, 1t
will be seen that the daily output of
this smelter alone amounts to $500,
or $105, 900 q month. DR.. Peters in
formed the reporter that there was
but one smelter in the United States,
the Calumet and Hecla of Lake
Superior, that surpasses the Parrot in
its output OF the metal. The works
about 100 tons of ore
daily and run 80 to IS tons into
matte.
When the new smelter is COM
the company will purchase
ores at reasonable rates. thus enabl-
ing owners of copper mines, now
idle, to realize upon their prop
The new works will be built
a few rods southwest of the present
ones. The narrow-gauge railroad
running from these works to the
will be completed within the
next ten days. The grading is all
done and truck laying is progressing |
satisfactorily. The road will be
to Walkerville. and when
finished will touch the city limits on
The north. 1t is now being rapidly
pushed under the efficient superin-
tendence of Mr. Tarbet. It takes in
It's course, the st. Lawrence, the
Anaconda, the Parrot and all the
principal mines in the district to the
west as far as the Gagnon, and to the
north as far as Walkerville. The
that will be effected by this
road in transportation of ores from
to smelters, and of fuel, mater
ETC., to the former, is almost
lncalculab]e. The ore from the
mine will be shipped to the