The Philipsburg mail. [volume] (Philipsburg, Mont.) 1887-current, 1897-04-30
AMONG YHE MINIS
The Lead Ore Schedule Agitating the
People.
DO WE WANT FREE LEAD ORES
The @ lestion AS Considered From the
Wow of Those Dependent Upon the
Mining Industry.
% WE WANT FREE LEAD ORES

Tie Black Hills Daily Times con.
tains the following article relative to
the free admission OF lead ores. 1t
bears the stamp of go1uiueuess aud
plainly portrays the condition of the
mining districts of ;he west with rela-
tion to procuring lead ores to be used
in smelling tie large amounts Of rebel
lious ores to be found in all parts OF
the country. The obtaining of proper
tluxes for smelling is the one important
point to be considered when the con-
struction of a smelter is contemplated.
Philipsburg is like many other COM
munities in this respect-the ores are
here, but the question is often asked,
Have we the f1uxes? 1t would seem to
be to the interest Of ali the mining
states to encourage by every means the
free entry of lead ores and by this
means encourage the building of smell
ters at home instead of in Mexico or
British Columbia. The Times says:
Infinitely the most important meas
ure before the American congress to
the common welfare of the Black Hills
mining district is the duty on lead and
lead ores. The Times has had much to
say on this subject of late, and it oc
ours to us that every resident should
exert himself in the movement to Sc
cure a duty of 2 cents on pig lead and
putting lead ore on the free list. Gould
this be brought about it's effect would
quickly be felt in the Black Hills by a
rod IF OH for ci Ii n
eous ores and affording a ready market
for all of this class Of ores produced in
this district.
M. H. Lyon interested himself in the
matter several weeks ago and has vigor-
ously and earnestly advocated the
adoption Of such schedule as is above
; set forth. He has enlisted the CO.
operation Of Senators Kyle and Petit
grew and Congressman Knowles and
Kelley, of South Dakota, and also rep
resentatives from other states. The
advantages to be had by this country
through such schedule can be readily
seen. At present the miners OF
siliceous ores are severely handicapped
J and there is nothing to encourage the
, development of ore bodies in the var
ious new districts, for the reason tina
q market cannot be had for the pro
duct.
We're it possible for the Omaha, Kan
,, sas City, Denver. Aurora and Othe
/ smelters to procure lead ores, those
plants would operate at their fulles
capacity and the increased output O
ores would soon influence enlarging th'
facilities, thus enabling them to trea
a greater quantity of ore at reduced
} charges. There are mountains O
siliceous ores in this district that viii
carry from SIS to $40 in gold which
may be treated at cost not exceedin.
$11, including transportation. and leav
the producer fair profit But there i
no greater obstacle to the development
of onr mines than the lack of facilitie
} for treating the ores The smelter
} consume or can accept for treatmen
; only small percentage of siliceou
ores in comparison to the volume O
material used, and it is not an uncom
mon occurrence to have the eastern
: smelters notify their local agents t.
cease further shipments until furthe
orders for the reason that they wer
, glutted with siliceous ores. The
= many of the mines were forced to shu
: down for time. Colorado is situate
in similar way, and it's representa-
tives in congress are urging the admis
sion of lead ores free of duty. The ]ov
price of silver the past four years ha
been the direct cause of closing dow
great many of her rich producing
mines in silver and as the producing
camps of the present are Of the clas
called "dry' or 'rebellious" ore dis
tricts, the smelling plants have had t.
look elsewhere for their supplies o
lad tho
ing the same difficulties that the Blacl
Hills miners are.
1t is but natural that our proposition
has met with opposition from the lea
mining camps of Idaho and Montana
The miners of these districts conten'
that with a tariff on lead ores they vii
receive a higher price for their ores
We are inclined to differ with them
and believe. while no doubt they ar
conscientiously advocating what the
deem to be to the best interests of thei
country. they are really not advancing
their own interests but retard the de
velopment of other sections The dut
on lead ores is upon the lead containe
in the ore, not upon the ore, and tn
market price Of lead is manipulated b.
the lead trust, which has cords of pi
lead in bonded warehouses in NeN
York, a greater portion of which
shipped direct to the metropolis fror
the smelters of British Columbia an
Mexico.
A tariff on lead ores is certainly hav
ing the effect of building up immens
smelling industries in British Colun
bia and Mexico and keeping their ore
at home. 1t is not pig lead but lea
ore that certain mining districts of tn
United States need. We're it possibl
for our smelters to obtain the ores.
large percentage of the product woul
remain in the west, available by tn
smaller white lead works, shot factorit
and such industries that consume tn
metal. and under existing circun
stances, are at the mercy of the lea
trust. But under circumstances NAL
ing it advantageous to the lead OF
m norc of tho outside cOuntrjaS tn haX