Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1895-10-24
Snow and the Zinc Companies.

our worthy mayor, y. II. snow, and
The Mineral Point Zinc company.
The article is timely, to meet q
/ general and we'll defined belief
among miners that this company ar
bitrarily, and with wanton indiffer-
ence as to who may suffer, fix the
prices for ''drybone" at rates that will
insure them enormous profits in the
manufacture Of oxide. AT the pres
ent time this belief is very preya-
lent and deep-seated among miners
and il finding expression through
the press Of the zinc district as never
before. The unusually low prices
offered for drybone by the Mineral
Point company during the past two
years, concurrent with the purchase
by said company and shutting down
Of the Lanyon furnaces at Wauke-
gan, ILL.,, are hypothesis upon which
the belief Is based. Miners remem-
Der that on the starting Of the Ian
yon furnaces, and for some time af-
ter, prices for drybone ruled high,
and conclude that competition was
the only factor in the case. They
overlook the fact that oxide manu-
facturers were then realizing about
one-third better prices for their prod
uct than now, and do not calculate
that there was probably heavy loss
on the high priced ores then bought,
through the great fall in the value OF
oxides upon the advent Of business
depression following democratic sue
cess at the election in 1892.
The Mineral Point Zinc company
is not an eleemosynary institution,
nor was the Lanyon furnace estab-
lished for the special purpose of Sc
curing good prices to drybone min
ers. They were founded as business
enterprises, designed to put money
into the purses of the proprietors.
While competitors, meeting the hard
times of 1893 and subsequent, they
presumably both sustained losses. 70
provide against further deficits, and
to recover what had been lost, was
their natural business course. TO
put oxide upon the market ut greatly
reduced prices, the expense Of its pro-
duetion must be correspondingly
lessened, therefore, first, the ore must
be bought at lower prices.
Experience, that dear teacher, had
demonstrated that the consumption
Of zinc oxide would not justify the
operation Of two such plants as those
at Mineral Point and Waukegan.
To close either OF them meant prac-
tically the loss to somebody of the
thousands of dollars expended in its
construction. 10 avoid this loss SO
far as possible, some mutual arrange
Inent was necessary, and the pur-
chase of the smaller Waukegan
plant by the propretors Of the greater
at Mineral Point, fortunately re-
suited. We say Fortunately, because
by that arrangement the works here
continue operative. If, as some as
sumo, the Mineral Point company is
now regulating the price Of drybone
50 rs to meet the expense Of buying
the Waukegan plant, which is dead
property, is it not doing just what
any Of us would do? We hope and
believe that with returning prosper
ity in the country the losses will
soon be recovered and dfybOne min
crs Will again realize, through the
Mineral Point Zine company, gener-
Gus prices for their ores.
"As SO Mr. snow our popular and
efficient mayor, there is common
error prevalent, which his enthusi-
astic Linden friend seems not to
have discovered, to Wit: that all his
operations iii ores are for the Min
eral Point Zinc company Mr.. snow
jack for another aud only drybone
for the Mineral Point company. His
dealings for each Of these are dis
tinct and independent of the others.
Vet il seems from the comments of
the press, that all the criticisms ard
antagonismso Of Mr.. SNOW are should
cree upon the local company. As
explained III the TRIBUNE last week,
the Mineral Point company IS inter-
csted only in one variety of ore, and
it is unjust to hold this company re-
spousible for dealings iii other ores
I by Mr. SNOW or any other agent.
The fact that Mr.. snow Is mtrusted
by these different companies With 81
important duties II evidence of Ills
superior efficiency ana reliability.
As ali honest faithful serNitor be
should. he docs, aim 70 buy only
II 1tlCb t,r#S1 gfp6 bpX only snab ,,,ti...,