The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1895-05-23
THE PRICE TOO Low
Silver Selling at a Figure That Doesn't
Warrant Extensive Operations.
HANDICAPPED BY THE N. P.
Besides the Railroad There Are
Other Obstacles in the Way
Closing of This Smelter Does
Not Effect Business.

Great Falls, May 22.-The recent
closing down of the silver Smelter at
this place has caused some outsiders
TO doubt the superior advantages pos
sessed by Great Falls for smelling
ores. The primary reason why the
silver smelter has closed is the low
price of silver. which has rendered the
working of low-grade mines unproht-
able, and which has closed down all
the silver-lead mines of the Belt noun,
tains. with one exception. The second
reason is that the Great Falls silver
smelter. under the manipulation OF the
United Smelling company, whicn con-
trolls it, is only a makeshift or second
airy concern. Under the ARRANGEMENT
by which the Helena and Great Falls
silver smelters were consolidated, the
plan was to operate the Helena plant
to its utmost capacity, while the Great
Falls smelter should barely be kept
alive.
The Northern Pacific. the enemy of
Great Falls and the Great Northern
system. and a strong ally of Helena,
will not furnish a pound of ore for
Great Falls when it is possible to avoid
il, and as a result the Great Northern
Railway company does not apparently
care to endorse the policy of the
United Smelling company and barely
keep alive the Great Falls works. This
smelter. therefore, which has FALLEN
under the control of men hostile 10
Great Falls. will continue to be fail
ure, until il passes into the hands of
men who desire to operate it. In
the meantime another silver-lead
smelter will be established here
with sufficient capital behind 1t to han
die the business on an extensive and
economical scale. No place in Mon,
tana or all the Northwest can equal
Great Falls in the economical smelling
. of ores. Unlimited water power, to-
gether with coal, coke, limestone and
iron ore form a combination that does
not exist in any other place in the
West. With these advantages the Bos
ton & Montana Copper company Is
able to defy competition from any 9th
er source, and to make large yearly
earnings. Hitherto this company has
used coke from the Eastern states, bu
it will soon draw this supply from Bel
or Sand Coulee, only short distance
from Great Falls. 1t is needless tC
state that this will greatly reduce th'
cost of producing copper here. Moth
ing need be said of the tremendous ad
vantages this town will have ovel
other competing towns. That this viii
soon be accomplished no observing
man will deny.
Already iron ores are being success
fully sheltered by electricity, and sool
the new process will be applicable Z
the smelling of all ores. When thi
is accomplished the water power o
the Missouri falls will smelt the bull
of the ores of Montana. The obstacle
that have hitherto retarded the silve
smelling business at Great Falls vii
rapidly disappear. Industries of grea
magnitude are soon to be added Z
those now established here. and thes
will make this town one of the promi
nent railway centers of the West, an
will place IL in direct connection wit
all the mining camps of the North
west Even the Northern Pacific com
pany, now hostile to Northern Mon
tana interests, will in due time extern
a line to Great Falls and become &C
worker with other railway companie
in building a great city at the falls c
the Missouri.
The closing of the silver smelter dee
not affect Great Falls. For the past
months only a dozen men have bee
employed, and they were always urge
to send to Helena for what they d.
sired TO buy.
The Boston & Montana copper smell
ers are doing an increased bushes
The rise in copper, the great deman
and limited supply, have forced thei
to start new converters, and man
more men have been employed in Il
past week. The pay roll for April wa
one of the largest in the history of Il
smelter, and will be larger still for II
present month.