, 1890-09-18

Within short time three large
smelters will be in operation In Ore
gon and Washlngton-one at Spo-
kane Falls, with capital stock of
$1,000, 900, another ut Portland, and
u third at Tacoma. the last named
starting UP this week. Besides this
IA smaller smelter is operating at Col
willie, north of this city. Portland
tried the experiment u few years
ago, with a small reduction works,
but 1t failed, probably because of
the limited nature of the enterprise,
and of the further fact that not only
the ores, but also the fuel and the
fiuxes were brought from a distance.
the limestone being carried from
Southern Oregon by rail.
In these three smelters large
amount of capital has been in
vested, and the outcome Of the
daring experiment will be awaited
with considerable interest. Appar-
emily one, II not all these smelters,
should succeed. The Pacific North
west unquestionably has the ores,
and the production Is certain to in
crease from year to year. 1t also
has fuel and huxes In abundance.
1t follows with all these advan-
tages, with branch lines of railroad
piercing the mining districts and
centering at the points where the
smelters are being built, an end
should be had of the past policy of
shipping our rich ores thousands of
miles to the East, thereby scatter
ing the wealth that rightfully be-
longs at home.
The railroad situation Is bound to
exert a controlling influence upon
the proposition. Admitting that
Spokane will fail to develop fuel and
fluxes, which will be far from the
actual situation, she yet has plain
advantages over Tacoma and Port
land. She Is near the mines. They
can tap no districts that are not more
easily tapped by this city, and
Spokane has the further advantage of
reaching certain rich districts with
branch lines radiating from this
city. These camps can be reached
by the seaboard cities only by the
combination of two Independent
lines of railroad.
Spokane's position Is further
strengthened by the interests of the
Northern and Union Pacific. Hith-
erto 1t has been the policy of those
companies to carry the ores to their
Eastern terminals and connections,
for the reason that their east-bound
cars would otherwise be empty. But
conditions are changing. Month by
month the railroads are finding
other products for the eastward
haul, and since the drift is neces-
sarily toward the smelling of the
ores at home, they will naturally
favor the point that is nearest the
ore supply and at the same time
giving them 500-mile haul on fuel
and fiuxes and u tai
haul on bullion.
Their cars on the haul to Ia.
coma and Portland are loaded
either with Eastern merchandise or
with wheat, flour and other prod
ucts from Eastern Washington and
Idaho. In order to haul our ores To
the seaboard they would be required
to add more rolling stock, develop
more power, and return an addi
tional number of empty cars to this
section and also to the East, whereas
by bringing toSpokane the fuel and
the fiuxes to be found at the sea,
board, and particularly upon Puget
sound, no additional rolling stock
or power would be required, for the
reason that the returning cars, now
empty, would be filed with fuel and
fiuxes to smelt the ores of Washing.
ton and Idaho.
An expression from a railroad
man would be of interest in this
connection.