The Mineral argus. [volume] (Maiden, Mont.) 1883-1886, 1885-11-05

The Helena Herald of last week devotes
over a column of space to A. NJ. Esler's
concentrating, amalgariating and samp-
ling works. which are now in perfect oper-
alton in that city. We copy below the
larger portion of the article. The Herald
says:
Perhaps no man in Montana more fully
unders' ands the mineral situation of the
Territory than MIR. A. NJ. Esler. whose con-
centrating. amalgamating and sampling
works were formally opened yesterday.
MIR. Esler has been resident Of Montana
since 1864, since which time he has been
constantly engaged IN mining not always
successful or to his financial advantage, il is
true, N,r what man engaged In mining but
has made errors p yet with always desire
to develop the mines of the Territory. and
to adopt the methods in the treat Iient OF
ores that he found, from his large expert
ence, 1t wa, necessary to adopt. That Mr..
a. Nj. E>ler Is a s'irewd and far-sighted
business man, so tar as mines are concerned,
is proven from the choice of his location,
Helena, becau e having his works located
here, he argued that he would be in the
natural mining centre Ot the country, and
thus dva..tageously situated for the plr-
chase OF ores. The railroad up the Ten
mile To Red Mountain will start from the
nrighborho"d of the Esier concentrator. as
will the iuiure branch To Marysvilie. When
the road is Duiit to the Sand Coulee coal
fields and Fort ben ON. which is an as
sured fact, within the next three years, the
road must join the Nogthern Pacific near
the Ester works. 81 that it will be readily
Sc, II that his choice of location for his
plant is IN every way an admirable one.
Ten men are engaged about the works at
i.ttt txx.. tt,r.
be employed as business increases. Louis
La Cousier, a veteran miner and assayer
torineriy mineral surv syor in the Black
Hills, Is MIR. E>iers foreman. u man thor
ousiy competent in every Respect. Mr. Z.
NJ. Bryant, formerly ot Colorado. is the
''a>sayer IN charge" Mr.. Bryant has had
CONSIDERABLE experience in sainpling works
~ the SILVER slate. and raIks at the head of
his Profession an assayer. rhe assay
room Is tilted up in the rear of the office. a
brick building separated from the works.
Here also Is located tile scales for weighing
ores, etc., all of which is AN outside pet
iornlsiice. 50 that the man who Is dispos-
Ing of his ore can see hoS much il weighs
Tue niacninery will be driven by thirty
I'VE horse power Curliss engine and forty
Nurse power boiler, aiid the fuel used viii
he Montana coal. Mr.. Esler la, added to
his establishment two Salmon gold puiver-
izers, with copper plates, ana is prelafei
to work golL rock at cost OF auuuL live
dollars per ton, either tor the man vino
owns the ore, or lie viii purchase outright.
or make any other arrangement satisaic-
tory Ia all concerned. fne gold pulvcri-
zers are AN a,tuition To the works as origi-
haiiy contemplated. ami were decled tu De
Introduced after Mr.. E,ier found that there
Was plenty OF gold ore to be bought il he
hai ID method ot treating it. All the tine
and Tree soid viii be saved by the pulver-
iZrrs, anu IN connection with the cuucen-
tator all other metals which the ore con
ta!ns II tine machinery Was erected ana
piaced under the direct SUPERVISION OF Mr.
fnos. W. Fisher, niiiiwrleht. who planned
the entire WORKS, IA gentleman we'll aud
.aIorabiy known in Heieiia and through
out Montana as "a thorough and coIsaiea-
tious workiIan.
Inc plant AS 1t stands to-day cost about
s2J,UvU but Mr.. Esier has paid out since
tue Isl OF June last, Tor iiiacuinery, buiii-
lhg>, ores, eic., over $4,000. lie Is re.,eiv-
iiI ores over the Northern Pacific railroad
constantly, ior which the Is paying Tor
ireiGnt aiona about $50 per day, "A matter
winch speaks VOLUMES in the matter oi the
c'nn'ie,ice existing between the miners and
Mr.. Esier, without which custom mil
Wound he short lived. There are at tn.
colccn,ratur about 5ahI tons of orr. await
.iis treatment, tor some Ol winch Mr. Ester
Ia, pa over SlUV per tu.. Ane "a .a,ily
oi the WORKS, nov about twenty live ,oiis
per day, will he Increased il occasion de-
hiiiid,, ai.d our reporter Was Informed that
TIE establishments starts out encountered
10y no deut oi any kind whatever.
Smelling works will no doubt be buiit IN
the near future, or tO use Sir. Esiers own
words, '.just soon AS there l. ore enough
in sight to warrant their erection"
The one crop Il all crops in Montana j.
the ore crop. Without a market tor ore, or
some means whereby il can be converted
into cash, the business not only Of Helena,
but ot the entire Territory bccomes stag
nanr. The enterprise just inaugurated by
Mr.. Esler creates u market for this product
Sd tnat the miner who has ore, but NJ
M, thOd of reducing il, can obtain the cash
as soon AS its value is determined. The
money So paid gu, by this institution go.,
directly into circulation in the further de-
vel pment of our mines and t. the general
imp O.ement of business. Tiiat a. NJ.
Is er worthy enterprise @iay be success
beyond even his iondest anticipation ought
10 De the PRAYER of every honest miner ia
Montana. lie has declared his ini.nripn
uf giving all square deai"-of paying
every cent TOR ore that he n,ss.bly can. IL
uoa rcinaiiis ior The miner. to do their part