Shoshone journal. [volume] (Shoshone, Idaho) 1884-1931, 1896-09-04

Denver, Colo, Aug, 5r.-That large
smelters operating near Leadville will
be forced to shut down very soon re-
! ccived authentic confirmation from sew
eral authoritative sources this morning.
Manager Eben Smith of the Moffatt
interests, comprising the Maid of Erin,
Penrose, Wolf Tone and Louisville
mines, on Carbonite hill, in an inter
view this morning gave statement ex
planaory of his action in ordering
the pumps closed down on the Penrose
and Bon Air.
"The reason why l stopped the
pumps" said Mr.. Smith, Z" was because
we have been doing the pumping for
our neighbors' ground as well as our
own. There was nothing to warrant us
in continuing to do so, as we haG
enough work in our own territory. The
added expense was not shared by them,
and after the case was laid before them
they still refused to come forward in
the proper spirit. Before any pumping
is resumed it will be necessary for them
to come up and contribute to the
amount expended in operating the
plant"
Mr.. Smith was asked regarding the
shutting down of the smell
tiers in the valley near Leadville.
1.-THE smelters are receiving practic-
ally no ore of consequence from Lead
ville," he replied, cor from the adjacent
-erritory, outside of the product of the
Weldon. The Bimetalic smelter will
nave to close down. In fact before
great while they all will be forced to
hut down. 1t will be case of have
o."
Manager Smith absolutely declines to
iscuss the strike situation. The food ;
ng of these mines Will throw I,coomen
nut of employment, and If the smelters {
re compelled to shut down another Z
900 will be added to the idle list, while
undreds of thousands of dollars worth t
( property will be ruined. t
The News has the following on the h
inject: "Whatever the motive that in /
uced the stoppage of the pumps in the f
eadville mines, it is not commenda- !
e one. Doubtless those in control h
on't care whether it is or not. The re- Il
lit will be to shut down for long time
Id to injure, perhaps beyond recovery,
arge number of mines, sufficient to
ford employment to 900 men, and to lie
eatly a2gravate the burden of hard X
mes in the Leadville camp. To shut II
csc pumps down without notice, to "a
hict this injury upon mine own Va
5 and business men, is an act of van W
lism which the strike will neither tn
'tify nor paliate pl
If the striking miners had burnt De
gle shafthouse the governor would at
ely have sent the militia to Leadville: or
wires would have been burned with by
of the act as the anarchy We
labor, clothed in fire and murder, and ia
state would have been aroused to lei
end the sacred right of property.
hSiS NOiiC nlCl WIFI wealth, their
lars are numbered by the millions,
ir mines are in many camps, their On
yer is all that unlimited wealth can hill
imand, and by an act which the law No,
not reach, but which was notIneces- Ia,
and infiicts actual loss upon those =
ering the deed, drown the hopes of fv.
o men for employment and inHict
age upon a score of neighbor A
mines that must be estimated in hos
dreds of thousands of dollars. This Wa.
he anarchy of wealth. 1t is the dice
al, destructive impulse of malevo. -
hate. 1t is true the pumps belonged ~
ose who stopped them. They are ~"
heir own property, the law cannot
sh them, but the deed is moral ''oi
e, for it was unnecessary and it in ~
serious wrong upon innocent : "e
lie numbered by the thousands" P90'
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