The Dillon tribune., 1885-08-08
A SHELTER FOR DILLON.


The location Of Dillon as a site for the
erection Of s,nelter is so admirable that it
has frequently attracted the attention Of
mining men Of experience in the operating
OF smelling or reduction works. While
the matter Of erecting smelter here has
not heretofore received the attention 1t de.
serves, all the mining men who have ex.
ainined the layout and taken into careful
consideration the mineral surroundings
have pronounced Dillon the best location
for putting in smelling works to be me
with In the Northern mountains. The
reasons for this unanimous expression oil
opinion among mining men are apparent.
Dillon Is situated in the center Of a mineral
circle-surrounded, in fact, BY mining
camps and districts on all sides. The
number Of developed and undeveloped
mines in these districts that would afford
constant ore.supply for s,nelter fully
justifies the assumption that reduction
works would prove paying investment.
There Is no question but that plenty Of ore
can be readily obtained from these dis
tricts within easy hauling distance among
which might be mentioned Bannack, Bald
Mountain, Blue Wing, Argenta, Birch
Creek, Mccarthy Mountain, Rochester,
Tidal Wave, Mill Creek, Treasure Hill,
Sheridan, and the districts of the Ruby
range Of mountains. A number Of the
miners in these districts would take stock
in company to erect smelter here in
Dillon, for they would save 5000 to 5000
per car load Of ore in the matter Of freight.
If their ores were reduced here the saving
In railway freight alone would, in two
years time, furnish enough money to con.
stitute the capital stock of good sized
smelling company. On two hundred car
loads OF ore shipped from Dillon to East.
ern reduction works over $4,000 is spent
in railway freight. This sum would put in
smelter plant. A much smaller sum
would put the machinery in position and
start the works in successful operation, at:
ter which smelter would not only be
self.sustaining but it would prove divi.
dend paying investment The cost Of put.
ting in plant is not near so much at pres.
ent as it was few years ago. We will
give the figures on make of s,nelters.
Charles l.. Hartsfeld, Of Newport, KY,
gives prices for smelling furnaces, with all
the necessary machinery complete, for a
ten.ton to fifty-ton smelter, at prices va
rying from $2,25o to $4,000. These fur.
naces are claimed to be something entirely
new in the reduction of ores. Their sim
plicity, durability, small cost Of construc.
ton and cheap transportation, commend
them. These plants are regular water.
jacket blast furnaces, we'll calculated in
all respects for the reduction Of ores in
their crude state, or, il refractory, after
roasting. 1t will thus be seen that the
enormous expense Of the old.fashioned
furnace can in great measure be over.
come by the substitution of one Of the
Hartsfeld steel water jacket blast furnaces.
We present these facts and figures merely
to show that fifty-ton smelter can be put
in for ST. 5000 to $4,000. More than tina,
amount Of money is expended yearly in
paying freight on ores shipped from Dill.
lon. Why, then, is there not sufficient en-
terprise in Dillon to build smelters Put
the enterprise in motion once, under prop.
err auspices, and the required amount OF
capital could readily be raised.