The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1897-05-18
THE BIMETALLIC RESUMES.
One of the Largest Shelters in Colo
RADIO to Start Up.

RADIO to Start Up.
The Bi-Metallic smelter at Leadville
one of the largest and most perfect,
equipped plants in the state. is abou
to start. The announcement will b,
/ greeted with joy by mining and bust
ness men in Leadville district and is
an additional indication of prosperity
returning to the carbonate camp
! When the news became known in the
! hotel corridors last night there was a
season of general congratulat atoms and
1t was felt that the day of uncertainty
had passed and a new morn had
dawned upon the state If there was
any one thing necessary to strengthen
the feeling which was aroused by the
agreement Of the mine owners to I'M
water the Leadville mines, it was the
reopening of the great smelter whose
name is known throughout the west
The Bi-Metallic smelter is owned by
Messrs. D. H. Moffat and Eben Smith,
and has heretofore been managed by
Franklin Ballou, one of the most COM
petent metaliurgists of the entire coun-
try. The plant was closed down last
June soon after the Inauguration of
the Leadville strike, throwing 400 or
500 men out of employment, who were
connected directly or indirectly with
the smelter After lying idle for nearly a
year the furnaces will again be brought
into use and the hum of industry will
fill the air. When the plant closed last
summer it was handling 400 to 500 tons
of ore day. drawing part of its sup
plies from Cripple creek and Aspen.
The Bi-Metallic was probably the
first smelter in the west which success
fully handled pyritic ores and the sue
cess of the plant has been in a very
large degree due to the knowledge of
its builder, MIR. Ballou. The special
feature of the treatment is the reduc-
ton of sulphide ores of iron and copper
pyrites, together with dry ores in a
cupola furnace and recovering the
values in a copper matte instead of re-
covering the values as they are re-
covered in other smelters, in lead bull
lion.
The smelter occupies an eligible posi-
ton and is equipped with every device
for the quick and economic handling of
ores. Work has already been COM
menced in placing the plant in first
class condition, and within a few days
the furnaces will be in full blast
1t has often been claimed that Lead
vile is a natural smelling point. At
one time IA smelling plants were in
operation in the camp and six plants
y. ete In operation previous to the great
strike. The time is at hand when all
the plants will be reopened and with
improved methods of mining and ex-
tracing the values, the output of the
camp will soon equal, if not exceed, !
that of any corresponding period of the
past Long-headed men see that silver
will again be restored to it's true posi- I
ton as a. monetary metal and as the
clouds which have hung over the hori /
zon clear away, the peerless city whose !
name brought thousands of adventur |
ous spirits to the state, will again I
occupy a place at the head of the !
centers. There are 1
lew localities anywhere in the mining /
world that could stand the strain
through which Leadville has passed |
since the decline in silver. Now that
he camp has proven its ability to
Weather the storm, its value will be
more truly appreciated. After all,
1eadville is our Standby is a remark
,ften heard from the lips of practical
mining men of the state, ''other camps
ave their day, but Leadville goes on
orever.
The evidences of restored activity to
1eadville are received with special
icons of thanksgiving by railroad
managers. Again they look forward
o a renewal of the old time travel into
he mountains and the shipments of
machinery for new properties. The
tarting up of the mines and smelters
t Leadville is one of the most inn
ortant movements that could be wit
ual reha bilitation' of silver.