The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1900-02-01

The necessity for and value OF another
smelter on Puget sound are gone INTO III
detail in the special report OF the Cham-
Der OF Commerce committee on mines ana
mining, which was presented at the meet
ing yesterday afternoon. The investga-
tfon was caused by the statement Of the
projectors OF the new smelter at kirkland
that the smelter trust was injuring them
by circulating reports that there was not
enough ore tributary to this point to make
the enterprise paying one. Inc com
mittee was given the work week ago
and has come in with the appended report
The committee Is composed OF Charles =.
Crane. James G.. Givens. Andrew Knox.
r. Sartori. r. w Barto. Josiah Collins
and ]. p. c. lockwood. The report was as
follows:
The first smelter in Washington was
erected at Tacoma about twelve years ago
by Mr. Ryan, OF ST. Paul. and capitalists
associated with him. II was small con,
Germ. and a business venture tnat seemed
doubtful, II not dangerous. There were
then no mines In the state that had use
for q smelter. and all ores brought 10 "
In the beginning were necessarily hrougnt
rom ,ow 0ns ena esfefuy The smeter
was In the hands OF good business men'
and was placed before mine owners else
where In an attractive manner.
ut did its work at reasonable prices, ana
all connected with 1t was satisfactory. III
wasn't long before It had all it could 90.
and soon enlargement was necessary. ms
enlargement has occurred several times,
until the originally insignificant plant has
grown to one of 300 tons daily capacity.
X has run almost INCREASINGLY from the
beginning, stopping only for repairs. re-
newals and extensions Regularly its re-
port IL published, indicating BUSINESS or
about 81. 400 a month.
Moved by the example and thrift OF
this venture. another smelter was estab-
lished at Everett six years ago. This also
has apparently prospered IL keeps at
work ali the time, has been doubled In ca
pacity. and generally does more each year
than In any year preceding
Plenty of Ore.
"The matter OF ores Ia no longer ques-
ton OF doubt or difficulty. There are
mines In this state that are producing,
and their number is constantly increasing.
1t has been officially reported that within
$50 miles OF Seattle twenty companies will
be turning out largely within twelve
months. That number will be increased
later. The first mine In this county to
ship ore to the smelter began doing so this
month.
that the Cascade mountains are rich in
gold. lead and copper. They are being In
diligently and actively explored Develop
ment work has gone far In some cases The
assays are extremely favorable. The ore
there II in quantity as well as In quality.
The gold and silver yield OF the state is
Increasing. as shown by the reports of tho
director of the mint, from year TO year.
'Of copper too much cannot be said.
Within 1873 vast deal has been done In
the Index mining district nifty miles from
Seattle. Where year ago there was prac-
tically nothing there is now a mining
community OF 90 men. with many fine
properties, railroad, tramways, aerial lines.
and one OF tho best mining towns In the
Union. The ores there assay variously.
there being some fabulous showlngs. but
the average OF all Will easily range from
to 10 per cent Of copper. There viii be
more from this one district ere long than
any smclter can take care OF. even when
relieved by the cconcentrators and mating
furnaces that win be found there.
Near the Index are other mining prop
critics that are only waiting roads and OPP
portunities Tor profitable development. A
crs,o' sIiSerton Mount D' Baker ' and other
districts. all on the western side of the
mountains, East OF the Cascades are
mines IN all stages some far progressed
and OF the best OF promise.
A prominent mining man who has spent
80, ooo In the state, and who knows what
he Is talking about says there win be need
here for dozen shelters Another equally
prominent miner who has done as mueh
as the other says tho mining interest OF
Washington will before many years sur
pass the timber industry. The extent of
this prediction wiA he understood when II
Is stated that the timber trade OF 1879 In
cludcd 100000 600 feet Of honrds. loco oo0.-
coo shingles and $4,000 900.
Draw. From Elsewhere.
THE Puget sound SmeliAr does not
however. depend alone upon tho mines OF
the state II draws It's ore supplies from
places hundreds OF miles inland and thou
sands OF miles seward. The bulk Of The
material upon which the Tacoma smolter
las worked from the beglnRtng has cosae
from the Bunker fIhi aud other mines Of
Northern idaho. The noXt greatest source
az supply has been from the Douglas
island mines % Alaska other ores have
come from South America. The Everett
snelter has received ore from South
Africa, brought at $3.50 toa as ballast
By ships coming here for lumber. From
Asia aud Polynesia supplies have been
drawn. A Mexican minlng company Is.
now arrsnging 10 run a ship regularly To
Seattle. bringing its ORES here Tor sme,t-
ing and taking back lumher, coal and other
local products As ihg vessel viii have
pensa VIII he small
The neighbcrlnE province ~ Br'tlsA
Columbia Is exceedingly rich In mluerais
The minister 81 mines reports ihe Yield
AZ sss 49, Sis or sola from lode mines. ths
product Increased from s22 go IN lisa IN
81 Ahl eli In isss of silver from 81 Gll la
1881 to G.NthNi in tN&s % copper from
s. sis in iSSg to n0;i u N iNss and 81 lcal
from si1sN4 ta 1884 20 N5Assl In 1854 In
1891 the entire production % lode nincs ln
tho province MAS down 90 SLaa1. in lssS up
TO 81 So. iea Very Nttlo smelling "a done
tn the province the chief resort being the
shelters south of the International bound
AIRY line New mines are being opened
continually and there VII be more work
for Smciters on the coast "a do
Alaska Is another promising Held I'd ls
net all placer gold there Quartz ia found
to the Treadweil mines. as iacy are among
tho largest and hes. known IN tNs word
AZ Unga. N the Alegtian group, ts a ane