The record-union., 1897-07-30
4 C0MPL LAINT FROM SHASTA.
ALLEGED INJURY BY THE
SMELTER AT KESWICK.
The Fumes Said to be Damaging tt
Vegetation and River Water
Polluted.

Eds. Record Union: A subject OF
anxious interest to many residents of
Shasta County, and one that is consplc-
uously avoided by the local press, as
we'll as by the officials Of the local gov
ernment, is one of the phases Of the
extensive operations of the Mountain
Copper Company CLimited) an Eng
1ish corporation.
The corporation is the purchaser and
present owner of the extensive diScoV-
cries formerly known as the Iron Noun
tain mines and other properties Of the
locality.
About two years ago this English
company commenced the development
of It's mines, and has expended a vast
amount of money in the enterprise.
Everything in connection with its oper-
ationS has been done upon large
scale, and with a view to such perma-
nence and scope as to indicate that the
company feels secure in its investment
and confident of rich results. It's works
are enlarged from time to time as its
developments progress
The Iron Mountain mines have for
years been known to be of great rich
ness in copper, silver and gold, and they
have been pronounced by experts to
comprise perhaps the most extensive
deposits of the kind in existence. The
site OF the original discoveries, Iron
Mountain, appears to be an immense
mountain of ore, in which iron predomi-
mates. but in which the precious metals
also. obtain in rich and seemingly un-
limited quantity.
vx-eara ,7ooda in for
rner years to operate these mines, and
some hundreds OF thousands of dollars
We're expended in machinery, which
proved inadequate, although the rich
ness and extent of the ore deposits be-
came more and more evident and as
suring It was found that owing to the
existence of so many different minerals
- in the vast conglOmeration the ore
would have to be put through the eX-
pensive and complicated processes OF
roasting smelling and refining, and the
character of the ore and its location
would necessitate a preliminary outlay
of a vast amount of money. It remained
for the English company named to un-
dertake and put in operation what Is
probably at present the most extensive
and promising mining enterprise in the
State
This company selected sites for its
smelters and roasters at a point on the
Sacramento River six miles northwest
of the town of Redding, and three
miles northeast of the town of Shasta.
A short spur or siding connects the
main works with the California and
Oregon branch of the Southern Pacific
Railroad. The smelters and roasters
are situated few hundred yards from
the railroad and the river, at the con-
fuence of Spring Greek.
Here the company erected great fur
races. kilns or roasters, storehouses,
Offices. boarding houses and dwellings
for its employs. Here it conveyed
and stored thousands of tons of coke
and coal. and contracted for thousands
of cords of wood. It constructed It's
own railway for about fourteen miles
through the mountains to the mines,
which meantime it was rapidly deVel-
oping. In all it employed from two to
three thousand men for some months.
The name, Keswick, was given to the
works, which, in themselves with the
dwellings of employees surrounding
them, soon formed a town. An addi-
ton of Keswick, calling itself South
Park, next sprung into existence, con-
sisting of saloons, stores, restaurants, a
bakery. etc. its latest addition being
a newspaper, the Mountain Miner.
while the advent of a second publica-
ton is arranged for.
Already the town ranks second in
population in Shasta County, and first,
perhaps. in (at least temporary bust
ness activity and Importance, but the
nucleus of 1t all is, of course, in the
corporate ownership and close monop-
oily controlling the mines. The popula-
ton is mainly composed of the male
employees at the works, and a few fani-
lies, all Immediately dependent upon
them. The apparent evidences all tend
to show a concentration Of the exclu-
sive interests of the corporation, as
must naturally result under such con
Clitions. English impetus, English cap
itaI. and. for the main part, English
operatives and labor, will be employed,
and the proceeds naturally go to the
stockholders of that aggressive and sa-
gacious little island, which appeals alike
TO our respect and-to our eternal Wig
ilance.
Thus. while all is apparently pro-
EreSSiNe and pro- TOuS 10 an obScudeu
view of Keswick, 10 obtain compre-
hensive and intelligent understanding
of our subject, we shall have to remove
ourselves from the immediate vicinity
of the works. We shall have to do this
to get out of the choking smoke and
nauseating fumes Of the kilns and
smelters. If the wind is unfavorable,
or if there is no wind, we shall have to
withdraw several miles at the least.
To those not conversant with smelters
I shall only describe them as great fur
naces where thousands of tons of min
erals are dumped and melted. and where
molten masses of metals and chemic-
ais boil and bubble, and hiss and seethe
and smoke by day and night, every day
and night of the year and the years Sur
rounding these are the open air roasters
hundreds of them-located along the
railway on the hillsideS. In them the
ore is simply roasted by the train load
as it comes from the mines and before ii
goes into the furnaces. From these
great clouds of smoke rise, laden with
all sorts of fumes, gases and noxious
vapors to disseminate in the air and be
conveyed hither and thither until they
condense and disappear.
II