The Ketchum keystone. [volume] (Ketchum, Idaho) 1885-1899, 1888-02-25
HOME REDUCTION WORKS.

A new method has been suggested
whereby owners of lead and silver
mines can relieve themselves from
the excessive freight rates OF the
railroad companies and the high
charges of the smelling works for
treating their ores. 1t is simply to
bring into use at the mines the old
and we'll proven principles OF smelt-
ing cres by reverberatory furnaces.
This system is suited to the reduc-
ton of any lead ores, and as it will
treat galena without the use OF me-
tallic iron, it is even better adapted
to lead smelling than the blast furn-
ace, and it is cheaper. Its other ad-
vantages are the formation Of little
or no fue-dust; the production OF
Stag with the minimum of t1ux, or
with none ; the use Of wood as fuel;
the production of purer lead bull
ion and the power to treat all classes
of ores. The construction proposed
is modified reverberatory furnace
somewhat on the style OF the old
Welsh furnace long used in Eng
land, and still in use to some extent.
An American modification of it has
been extensively employed in the
western states in the smelling of
lead, and has proven economical
and easy of management. Such a
furnace is capable of treating twelve
tons of ore daily, where the COM
plete extraction of the lead is at
tanned, but where only partial le-
duction is desired, the quantity
treated would be very much more,
say twenty tons. The proposition
is % smelt the ores which other
wise would be shipped at sacri-
flee. The product will be bullion
of any desired grade, the quality
being under the control of the
smeIter. If railroad rates continue
high the smelter would naturally
leave much lead unreduced. The
effect being to enrich that portion
thrown down. AS the quality and
quantity of the bullion are at the
disposal of the smelter he might
easily, for time at least, success.
fully offset the cost of Transports
ton by making bullion rich
enough to stand almost any rate
, the quantity being proportionately
small. The cost of a we'll bull
; furnace of the capacity mentioned
l with chimney stacks, would b.
! about $500. No blower or steam
| engines are needed, but there woul(
, be an extra expense for tools
: moulds, etc. The total expens
!, of a plant sufficient for handling
l twenty tons daily need not be abov
< $4,000. There are many mines il
| the Wood River country where tn
e operation of reyerberatory furnace
: could be practically adopted, whic
e would be great saving to miners
a especially as there are no compel
r tive railroads nor reduction work:
= The practice now pursued is, whe
t a cargo of ore arrives at the smelte
v the charges are, first, $40 per to
n railroad freight; second, So &c
:. sampling; third, $14 for reduction
l. and with the discounts on silve
e and lead deducted from the ASA
It value of the ore, it leaves but littl
n for the mine-owners, unless it shout
v be very high-grade ore. If the r.
t. verberatory furnaces can be worke
r. successfully it would certainly d
g away at least with this twenty do
lars per ton on ores, which appear
so unreasonable and inconsisten
~ But until cheapermode of redu
= ing ores is inaugurated and lowe
&c freight rates established minir
g communities will be obliged to SUI
: nit to the oppression.