The weekly tribune. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1891-1894, 1893-09-29
A Brief Sketch of the Process OF
Mining and Manufacturing the
White Metal.
A Novel Scheme to Prevent England
From Controlling the American
Silver Output.
To THE:EDTTOR or THE TRIBUNE:

DuDtI dltEH " B'hCI Ill W 4
present herewith a few arguments in
favor Of the scheme to give our eastern
brothers and all working men mot al
ready cOnversant with the facts an idea
how silver is produced. Silver is a metal
that Is the product of toll and industry
as much as wheat or anything the
farmer produces, from the time the
float is discovered until the metal is
marketable it is all labor.
The p%rospector first traces the float
until the lead is discovered. Then ne
opens the latter by hand TO "A depth Of
100 feet or more. when he finds that to
continue development and get the lead
on a paying basis he must procure ex-
pensive machinery TO handle the water
and hoist the ore and waste. This ma
chinery, as well as everything connected
with the business, is also the product Of
someone's i~n"ention and toll. The ore
is then taken TO the concentrating mill,
where the ore is crushed and the waste
rock washed out. by this process three
or more tons are reduced to one. Tho
concentrates are then taken to the
smelter. whore they arc still further con-
centrated by the aid of lime, iron, and
other i~luxes, also produced by labor.
The product, base bullion. is her
shipped by freight to some refinery in
the east at quite an expense, where it is
again treated, the lead being separated.
The silver is now ready for market.
If, however, the milling process DO
used a mill must be built, chloridizing
furnaces erected and salt shipped in to
roast with the ore after which it is treat
ed with quicksilver and shipped as bull
ion by express to the market. Now, this
all requires a vast amount OF labor
manufacturing the salt, brick, mining
timbers, machinery producing the fuel
and so on. When we look over the
account we lind that we have paid out
from seventy-iive to ninety-fivG per cent
of the price received and often more.
Now, that is small profit for the amount
necessarily invested in the mine ami
plant.
All this time the highest prices have
been paid for labor-nO branch of bust
ness pays better wages and no class Of
people spend their money fretr than the
miners. As a rule when the mines shut
down they are broke and have to learn a
new trade. Now, this being the case,
every tradesman should be an advocate
of silver if for no other purpose than to
protect his own interests.
On the other hand tho enemies Of sill
YER tell Us to manufacture it cheaper by
paying smaller wages, and for what pur-
pose! To sell it to England for one-half
of its value. There it will be coined or
sent to India, China, or France to buy
| goods at the ratio Of IL to ] or a great
deal more than we are at present able to
got for it. That is what ! do not like
| about the present treatment accorded
| silver. 1t should be stopped. Give
US what the silver is worth and we
| will continue to pay the highest wages
then eastern friends, your wheels will
turn and spindles fly, for we are de-
pendent on you for almost everything we
use-we will have five millions more
population and you will have IA better
export markctthan since 1873. | venture
to predict that sevcnty-iivc per cent Of
money paid Out here crosses the Mississ-
ippi inside Of ninety days. Tho eastern
people will have the money in the chan
ncis OF trade, will not that beat checks
J and clearing house certificates which are
easily made! All the workingmen 10
tho United States are engaged in max
ing money, the same money we always
had and always will have. Why sell our
birth-right for a mess of potage!
The whole argument when stripped OF
verbiage is as plain as day. There Is no
such thing as a parity between money
made by the people and for tho people.
Silver is our mOrey metal and should be
kept in the country. When sold abroad
for half its value it is used to buy the
very products we have. Then we won
der why the London price Of silver is sc
low.
Since one ounce of silver will buy
three bushels of wheat IN India, why
should England give us more for OuI
silver: She wants to buy our silver
cheap as with it can get cotton, wheat
and almost everything produced in India
very cheap. Why can't we do the same:
Now this is the point, if the govern,
meLt will not give us free coinage, we
must do something for our interests
We must cast silver into medals and cir
culate them the same as silver dollars
circulate now. Put an ounce OF silver
into each medal and no sane man car
refuse to take one for a dollars worth Of
anything. They would not only circulate
in the mining states but eventually al
over the west. II every working mar
would buy five ounces Of silver a year il
would consume the American produc
ton. In that way we could keep it from
England and in course OF time when sht
had to have it she would be glad to pay
what it is worth to get some for her In
dian trade viz. sl29 an ounce. A gOot
profit would thus be realized by every
one having silver, a better profit thai
can be made in any line OF business ant
the whole country would be benefited
while England would have to pay thu
freight.
The American government has made
SGO,0O0,0OO on the silver bought OF thu
miners in the last few years, and nov
seems anxious TO turn the snap over t.
England, but it Ia in the hands OF thu
people to say whether the goods be dc