The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1899-08-01


ing esta blshment in Silver Bow county
than the smelter of the Colorado Smelt-
ing and Mining company. 1t is located
on Silver Bow creek southwest of Butte
and about a quarter of a mile to the
westward from what is known as the
Clark smelter
The very peculiar interest attaching
to the Colorado lies in the fact that it
was the pioneer smelter of the Butte
district, and from its erection in 1S79-SO
may be dated the extra ordinary devel-
opment of the district as a copper pro-
ducer-a development that has made 1t
famous the world over. Originally the
company had nothing to do with min
ing. 1t was organized solely for the
purpose of smelling the copper ore,
large deposits of which were being
brought to light in the vicinity. The
original incOrpOrators We're ex-senator
Hill of Colorado, H. r. Wolcott, w. A
Clark, Richard Pearce and Henry Will
Jams
AS at first built the plant was a small
unpretentiolls affair of probably not
more than one-fourth, certainly not eX-
ceeding one-third, of its present capa-
city. 1t was not then nor is it now in
tended to turn out metallic copper In
this portion of the country some IS or
20 years ago. the work of converting
and refining had not been undertaken.
The scope of the Colorados opera
tons was merely the reduction of the
ore to the condition of matte, consist
ing of about So per cent. copper, with
some silver and gold, the remainder
being sulphur, iron and various other
substances. 1t is engaged in the same
work still. For this purpose it is a most
admirable and complete plant. In a
general way it may be said to consist of
the concentration, the tailings mill, the
calciners and the matte furnaces. At
the concentration the ore is received and
crushed in the ore crushers, and then
passed through perforated cylinders
called trummels. These are merely
sizing machines or screens. They are
arranged in rows Of four each, one be-
low another, the coarsest being at the
top and the finest at the bottom of the
series.
After being thus screened it passes
over the jigs in the usual way. The
concentrator is equipped with Frue van
ners, over which the fine shines are
run for the purpose of saving the me-
tallic contents. The concentrates are
then sent to the calcining furnaces.
These are eight in number four very
large and four smaller ones. A new
large one, about Sc feet in diameter, is
now being built, which it is estimated
will add about As tons per day to the
roasting capacity of the plant After
calcining the material is sent to the
matte furnaces, where it is melted, the
Stag run off and the matte preserved.
This is then sold wherever it can be
disposed of to the best advantage. The
concentrator has a daily capacity of
about $50 tons of ore. In the process
of concentration this is reduced to per
haps 200 tons, which about represents
the present capacity of the calcining
and matte furnaces.
The tailings mill is a new and very
important addition to the plant. The
work of building it was begun about
a year ago, and it has been in opera
ton three months Its specific part in
the work is the regrinding of the jig
taiings and further concentration of
them for the calCining furnaces. For
this purpose the mill is supplied with
four pans, working much the same as
matchmaking pans in quartz mill,
save that there is no amalgamation, and
the pans are provided with screens
through which the tailings, when
ground fine enough, are washed by a
stream of water thrown into the pans.
Instead of Frue Vanners this mill has
q number of Wiley grooVed tables over
which the tailings are passed in a
stream of water, the tables meanwhile
shaking after the manner of the jiSs
in the concentration. The concentrates
from the mill are then roasted the same
as those direct from the concentration,
The bulk Of the ore is received from
belongs to the company. But ores are
also purchased from other mines and
worked. Some Of these purchased are
of such a character that they are sent
directly to the matte furnaces and re-
duced to matte without previous con-
centration.
There is considerable being done
in the way of improving the works
This is quite noticeable in connection
with the new mill. The regular work
ing force is 100, and this Is the number
now employed. For many years these
works have been under the genera
management of Henry Williams. Thai
gentleman, however, is now absent and
Assistant General Manager r. +,
Pearce is in charge.
One cannot visit the works without
being pleased with the general appear.
ance of things, and a little familiarity
with their origin makes a visit doubly
interesting. 1t carries the mind back
to the early days of Butte, and begets
the feeling that one is standing on his.
toric ground.