, 1889-12-05
MINERS SHOULD CONVENE.

HAAtN'hNS SAAo ~ ~ WV aS1NfS'
1t Is generally conceded by experts
who understand the requirements
for successful smelling that Spokane
Falls is most favorably located for
the erection of large smelling
plant. The proposition heretofore
entertained by many owners of
mines that smelters should be To-
Gated in the vicinity of large mining
interests for the purpose of develop
ing properties has been demon
strated to be a failure. Individual
smelters are improbable, for the
reason that the necessary classes of
ores can not be obtained to make
fluNible charge. Other ores must be
secured, often at a great cost, consid.
ering expense of transportation, in
addition to intrinsic mineral value.
lfa smclter can he located where
all clas.es of ore can be obtained for
smelling purposes, the expense,
comparatively speaking, is reduced
to II minimum. Each mineral,
when reduced, forms part of the
profit to the owners of the plant and
the owner of the metal. Spokane
Falls Is located at n point where
diverging lines of railroads lead to
different ore supplies, which, when
proportionately mixed, will be flux-
ible. This is an advantage small
plants can not obtain. In fact, but
few cities, like Denver and Omaha,
have this advantage, and they have
to bear the expense of long haul
in many instances In order to OBJ
tain metals to make the required
mixture for successful reduction.
1t must be admitted by practical
mining men that there is nothing
that gives Il mining camp the ap-
pearance of failure more than an
abandoned smelter. Capitalists who
do not understand the secrets of
profitable smelling works naturally
think that the mineral in the vicin-
ity of an abandoned mill il not
rich enough to pay for smelling.
Oftentlmes such men will not con-
slider proposition to purchase some
of the best paying mines on account
of such monuments If failure.
If the owners of mines will con-
slider their best interests, they will
combine and do all they can to en-
courage the construction of reduc-
ton works at the nearest point
where all the ores necessary for sue
cessful and profitable smelling can
be obtained. In this connection
the price of labor and the cost of
fuel and competing rates of railroads
should be taken into considerations
Low grades of ore, which are often
found in paying quantities worth
millions Of dollars will not pay to
ship a long distance or stand the
expense of construction and opera
ton of II smelter.
Ifa smclter should he established
at this city, such mines would be-
come valuable and produce many
millions of dollars. At present
those engaged in shipping ores sort
out the highest grades to he foundin
their mines which will pay to trans
port n long distance and leave a
margin over and above the cost of
smelling. The lower grades are left
on the dump as worthless. If these
owners would combine their capital
and erect II smelter, they could mass
the various kinds of ore and make
all the mineral they find valuable.
This would he Il great saving not
only in money paid for transporta-
ton but in valuable mineral which
is thrown away.
The owners of mines in the Okan-
ogan, Colville, Kootenai, Chloride
and C@ur d'Alene districts should
hold n miners convention to con-
slider the proposition of the imme-
diate construction Of II smelter with
a view of reducing the various
classes of ores at the least expense.
such plan would result in doub-
ling the value of the mines thus far
found and induce prospectors to dis.
cover other lodges. 1t is the general
opinion that much of the mineral
country surrounding this city has
not been thoroughly prospected.
With systematic and united work
OH the part of the miners all the
ores thus far discovered can he prof
itably reduced and the mining area
extended so that the mineral indus
try In this vicinity will be the most
! important known in the world.