Eureka daily sentinel. [volume] (Eureka, Nev.) 1871-1887, 1885-05-24
EUREKA'R FIRST SUCCESSFUL
FURNACE.

bert Mosinellt a. Co.'S "Eureka and
Its Resources."
The following quotation from an article
in the SENTINEL of May "a. 1885, does, in
advertently / have no doubt, an injustice
TO q lead man and one to whom the town
Of Eureka Is indebted for its existence and
prosperity: 1.-THE first smelter estab-
lished in Eureka that proved a success was
constructed in 1859 by Mr.. G. Collier
Robbins" The injustice being to a dead
man. l deem it my duty. for the sake Of
the truth of history, to make the follow
ing quotations from q carefully prepared
volume on the early history Of Eureka
Lambert Molinelli 4 Co.'s Eureka and Its
Resources:"
1.-THE first attempt at smelling this class
OF ore was made ct Oreana, in Humboldt
county. and was unsuccessful. In 1866.
Moses Wilson built o furnace in Eureka on
the site now occupied by the Roslin fur.
mace, and an attempt at smelling was
made. This resulted in total failure. In
1858 Morris, Monroe Il Co., having &C.
CURED q large mining property in the dis
trict, employed Mr.. Stetefeldt, of Austin,
to erect and construct q furnace. Mr..
Stetefeldt having built the furnace com
menced reduction in 1869. Three at.
tempts were made by him. each resulting
in failure. In the meanwhile Major w.
| W. Mccoy had acquired the Morris, Mon
roe d Co. property. Major Mccoy attrib-
uted Stetefeldt's want OF success to an in
suficiency Of blast, the poor quality of
material for lining. and the Incompetence
OF his subordinstes. The last difficulty he
overcanie by securing the services Of r. P.
Jones and John Williams, who had con
siderable experience in Wales. In coming
to Eureka from White Pine Jones and
Williams discovered. ON Pancake Mount
| ain, an excellent quality of fire-rock.
Major Mccoy then had inserted in the old
Stetefeldt furnace two side tuyers ut hav-
ing previously had but one, and that in
| the rear and the Pancake lining having
been procured, Jones and Williams, in July,
1868, commenced their first run on ore
from the Champion, Buckeye, Grant and
Eureka mines. A deserved success at
tended their efforts, the practicability OF
cheaply treating these ores, heretofore re-
| garded as so stubborn, was demonstrated,
and the future prosperity OF Eureka was
assured. Major Mccoy continued smelt-
| ing until November, 1869, when he leased
| the furnace to d. E. Buel and /. @. Bate
man, who, about this time, bonded the
Champion and Buckeye series of mines and
| purchased the Monroe own survey. These
| gentlemen smelted successfully until the
termination Of their lease in May, 1870.
In December. 1869, G.. C. Robbins com
menced the erection of q draft furnace.
This, before the Spring Of 1870, he con-
serted into q blast furnace, and, by the
Summer OF that year, was engaged In
smelling with good results the ores OF the
Kentuck and Mountain Boy mines. Col
onel Robbins soon after added another
furnace to his reduction works. These
furnaces we're purchased since by q Chicago
company, which is now pursuing opera
| tons in Eureka"
The facts mentioned in the quotation /,
Of my own knowledge, know to be true,
and they clearly establish the following
facts.
First-Five unsuccessful attempts were
| made to smelt this class OF ores-the fret
in Oreana, Humboldt county; the second
by Moses Wilson at the site OF the old
| Roslin furnace, south OF the town OF Eu
reka. in 1866, and the third, fourth and
| fifth by Mr.. Stetefeldt In what Is now the
site of Eureka, in the year 1869. All five
attempts were unsuccessful
Second To Major W. W. Mccoy 10 due
the credit OF the first successful smelling
in Eureka OF this class of ores. Major
Mccoy saw three causes for Mr.. Stetefeldts
three failures. First. "insuficiency Of
BLAST" second, "poor quality OF mate
rial for lining" and third, "incom-
~petence Of his subordinstes." The
Major overcame the last difficulty by
procuring the service OF R. P. Jone and
John Williams, as / know that he went to
White Pine and got the two men. The
second difficulty Jones and Williams over
came by discovering in coming to Eureka
an excellent quality Of fre-rock. Doubt
less the Major had told Jones and Williams
the difficulty in lining material when he
employed men, and thus caused them to
make the discovery as they came along.
The first difficulty, "insuficiency OF
blast" Major Mccoy remeded himself by
that olesr-headed, practical judgment and
common sense for which he was noted.
Major Mccoy then had inserted in the old
Stetefeldt furnace two side tuyers, 1t hav-
ing previously had but one, and that in the
rear.
The record continues thus: "Msjor
Mccoy continued smelling until Novemb Der
1862" Again the record says: "ln De-
cember, 1869. G. @. Robbins commenced the
erection Of q draft furnace" etc. AS the
record shows that Major Mccoy had before
November. 1869, and before Col. Robbins
commenced his draft furnace, afterwards
converted into a blast furnace, demon
strated a successful method of smelling
these ores and then turned over the plant
and process to Messrs. Buel and Bateman.
thus making il possible for others to make
the large sums Of money taken by them
from the mines OF Eureka District.
/ write and hope you will publish the
foregoing hat he may have the credit OF it
and TO preserve the truth of history.
JOHN s. CAPRoN.