The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1900-02-15

The plan to build a new independent
custom smelling plant in Utah, an
nOunced exclusively in yesterdays Her
aid was commented upon freely yester-
day and the voice of approval came
from scores Of producers, who are any
thing but satisfied with the treatment
accorded them by the smelling trust,
which, since last summer, has con-
trolled all the custom shelters in the
state. There is no denying the fact that
since the smelter trust entered Utah
there has been a gradual advance in
treatment charges. Some of the larg-
est producing mines have been mater
tally effected by the advance. The COM
plant has come also from many of the
smaller producers that the smelter
rates have been raised out Of reason,
forcing some of them to close down
their properties and retire from the
field, while other charge that the trust
takes ali the profits.
One COmpany's Experience.
The manager Of a well known Bing-
ham mine stated yesterday that his
company had been forced to pay at
least $3.50 per ton more for treatment
than it did under the old contract 9th
the shelters which expired a short time
ago. Our ores he said, are practi-
cally self-huxing, and there is nothing
in Bingham that can be smelted as
cheaply Mr.. Jones has given US no
good reason for the rise, and the Enly
satisfaction we can get cut of him was
that II cost sfliTa more to snelt ores
Ilasg tf4an = 0id folmcrly We VIII tarp
every pound Of ore to the new smelter
if the gentlemen at the head of it give
US any kind of rate that is better
than the combine is giving US"
Uncle Jesse Knight is reported to be
Withholding some of his ores from the
market until some future time, when
competition is brought against the
smelter trust. A well known mining
man said yesterday that he supposed
that Uncle Jesse pays at least $1,000
per month to the smelters.
Mr.. Grants Statement.
Robert D. Grant, one of the promoters
Of the new smelter project. was seen
at the KnutsfOrd yesterday afternoon
He said that it was not the intention OF
himself and associates to come here and
wage war against the American Smelt-
ing q Refining company nor against
Mr.. Jones. It is a straightforward bus,
mess proposition with them. There ap-
peared to be good field for another
smelter here to do custom work
Mr.. Grant stated it is yet too early
TO say where the location of the new
plant will be; there are great many
little details to be gone over before that
point can be definitely settled and
things shaped in such a way that the
work of construction can be underta-
ken. MI. Grant said there are many
reasons why the plant might be put up
in the Tintic district, but. of course, it
may be deemed more advisabl to have
it located somewhere close to Salt Lake.
The project has been under considera-
ton for several months, in fact. since
Franklin Farrell visited Utah last year
Mr.. Farrell saw good opening here for
new plant, and so stated to his assO-
ciates, who were with him at the time
Perhaps one thing that will tend to
hurry the new smelter forward is the
fact that Mr.. Grant was unsuccessful
in getting a satisfactory rate from the
American Smelling & Refining. company
for the treatment Of Sioux-Utah ores.
He has instructed Superintendent Gil
lies to raise no more ore for shipment.
but to go right along with the develop
ment of the mine and block out the
ore bodies for extraction at a future
time.
The Grant Farrell syndicate is expert
enced in the smelling business. The
PARROT plant at Butte was under their
successful management for years. The
mine owners of the state will undOubt-
edly give them hearty support in their
new undertaking here.