, 1888-12-20

running over four months, and nOtwith-
standing their strenuous efforts were un-
able to obtain more than 1850. This will
create long quiet spell in copper. An
English journal, Money, has tabulated tho
Obligation of the syndicate, and it GER
tainly shows that they have serious
responsibility on their shoulders The
weak spot iu their position is the fact that
they no not control any of the Chill prod
duct and also that they are not in a
position to command any cortailment in
production. Ii is said that the Calumet
and Hecla can draw from the Hecla shaft
enough ore TO fill their contract easily.
The Rio Tinto Co. has closed twelve
years contract with the syndicate who are
to act, however, only Us commission mer-
chants. The shares of the new Paris.
London copper bank are to be offered for
sale in few weeks.
During the same period, according to
this circular, lead has been very quiet at
did not exceed 1900 tons or about half the
current output and consumption, for nor
maliy the country makes nearly Ia. 900
tons per month, and uses it all up. but
during the last half of November, futures
sales were enormous and the present lull is
both legitimate and healthy. Pfices ran
up to $50 at New York, and 3 60 at Chi
cago, and 3.56 at st. Louis, but at the
close weaker tendency was developed
and prices fell off s. per ton all the way
around, and the general opinion is that
lower figures will rule during the next
four weeks. The 10000 tons surplus which
the giant corner accumulated remains in
tact and unless miners see the wisdom Of
checking production materially, this sur
plus will hang like II dead weight on the
market for many months to come. The
indications are very strong that producers
will take this action. London has settled
gradually until the price for soft Spanish
touched El2 I'D Gs. and the outlook for
any improvement at that point is very
poor.
AS to- silver, the circular says that it fell
of sharply aud closed with weak ten.
deDcy at 92l. cents. or close to the lowest
limit that it ever touched. There seems
to be no reason for any immediate i'm
provement. Prices have ruled in New
cember Z, 923a; December 3, 81 ZIG; De-
cember 10, 9219; December IL, ~ 9.l6;
December II, 92 ll-l6.
Three miners namely, John Bonander,
Tom ULtwell and Frank Sumner, had been
employed TO do assessment work on the
Golden King Company's group of mines
by II. w. Day, experimenting the proper
ties. After completing their work there
was no money to pay them off. la
this dilemma they requested Mr.. Day to
give them the privilege OF winning their
wages from ore they might take out and
by running the mill. After some deliber-
alton the plucky miners were granted
their request, and they went to work in
what is known as the DeLong location,
which has IA small vein from foot to
eighteen inches in width. The men were
told by Mr. Day that the quartz from this
little vein would run about 81 per ton.
However, they had the courage to test it,
the miners believing from appearances
that it would yield more. They worked four
days in the mine and took out fourteen tons,
which they hauled to the mill. They
then started the mill themselves and oper.
ated it,, and in less than twenty-four
hours they cleaned up aualgam that real
lied little over eighteen ounces of gold,
the amalgam being taken to II. G.. Lou
gees assay Office, where it was run into
bar. From beginning TO end the men
handled everything themselves, and in
five days paid off their bills against the
company to to the extent of 5000, or at the
rate of 800 Il day each. Mr.. Ottwell was
the only member who knew anything
about the mill or amaloamation
We get these particulars from one of
the miners, who states that, although
they were willing to continue to work to
get the balance still due them from the
company, Mr.. Day declined to permit
them to do so. We are informed suit
will be brought to recover the remainder.
We scarcely know how to treat this
matter to do justice to the miners, the
public the company and the management
of the property. That these miners
cleaned up what they say they did we ere
convinced. Yet if these apparently green
men in mill can make an eNtraordi-
narily successful run, how is it that
expert millmen, with the title of
professors, fail? We cannot under
stand 1t. 1t is complete
mystery. For three years we have been
hanging on the hope of professors. They
have had unlimited sway, but what has
been the resultp And why were these
miners not allowed to continue at work
until they had paid themselves by their
else on Gods footstool have miners and
laborers been so badly treated as right
here on Prichard creek for the past four
years. They have borne their ill.treat-
ment with wonderful patience and resig-
nation, and it seems most singular that
the privilege Of wrestling what was owing
to them out of the ground should be de-
MED them. We trust there has been some
misunderstanding and that Mr.. Day has
not placed himself in such an unenviable
attitude before the community. We trust
he will come forward and explain the mat
ter if not in the Sun, in some other paper.
We desire to do him no injustice. but If
there are two sides we shall always take
the side of the employe who has not been
paid his wages. And il it would not be
asking too much. we would alao ike TO
know, as matter of public interest, why
these three miners, who make no preten-
sloDs to milling, make success of Golden
King ore and men who have devoted years
to milling fail occur d'Alene Sun.