Durango semi-weekly herald., 1901-05-09
WHY NOT TIE rauTha


yer that has not been known 10 repre-
sent honest methods or speak favor
able word for any proposition unlcas
paid for doing 90. The sheets In
question daily dy the assertion that
the smelter trust is robbiDg the min
ers who will soon be starved out OF
existence. We doubt II the wrltcr
OF these statements has ever mad
word from a mining man to the effect
that he is not being paid na much for
his ores as prior to the trust. to say
nothing OF reductions that have ena.
bled low grade mines TO be worked to
profit Tho following from the Den
yer Post under date of April 30 gives
the lie direct to those making these
daily assertions. a wilfully dispos
ed writer can do more to keep people
in n disturbed frame of mind than any
other agency. Though he may be
despised. there are those who are al
ways anxious for trouble. The Post
cannot be accused Of fayoring the
trust as against the miners, and here
is what ii says:
w Hff " ~ ~ w tAANh Aitf AhihNN - Hh
Smelling and Refining company con
trolls The leading smelling Industry OF
the United States and Mexico and Is
therefore n gigantic monopoly. n Is
equally true that the charges recent
y published TO the effect that It's ratcs
had been raised and that II designed TO
crush out the miners. are grotesqucly
absurd on their face and are not w0r
thy OF serious consideration, II is
| only fair to assume from tho express
soBs already given by some Of our
prominent mining men. that this is
the universal opinion Of tho men who
are producing the wealth OF the coun-
try. because they have made no ont
cry nor have they taken any measures
to protect Themselves against the nj
legged aggression. The form of con
tract published In Sunday morning
paper was not issued by the trust and
even If II had originated there. It's on
ly application would be 10 the lead
miners of he Wood river country.
without the slightest bearing upon the
lend producers OF Colorado or the
Occur d'Alehos,
The managers clearly understnnd
that any material reduction In the
price Of lead would close the mines
For years past the CDour d'Alenes
have been the chief base of supply
of such ores for the entire western
country. All remember what ain
Guilty our smelterg here experienced
when the strike In that section closed
production, In securing lead enough
10 keep their works running and how
-cjoiccd they were when the difficulty
was settled and the mines resumed.
II Is n we'll known fact that Colora-
10 does not produce sufficient silver,
iead ores to supply the smcltora OF
this state and that tho deficiency IN
made good by iInportations from Ida
no. The smeltcr men tell me. and Il
" unducBtionably true. that for year
or more they have bcen carrying bar
lead a, loss IN order TO maintain the
price at 81 per hundred pounds and
hereby keep the mines Of thnt char.
aotcr In steady operation; and fur.
her, that there can be no reduction
Turing 1901 even II they desired u.
'or all contracts have been signed ON
that bnAis
No change whatever has been
made in the rate schedules for mis-.
| ccllaneous ores, II In to the inter.
est OF the trust company to do every
Thing In Its power to increase the out
put of ore This Ia sclfeyident prop.
osition The miners are gotting bet
ter prices today than ever before. even
prior TO the formation OF the trust
While there Is no competition except
by the mills and the Rocky Mountain
,melter at Florence. there is steady
demand for every ton of mineral our
mines can produce. Any material fall.
Ing on or production wonld compel
the trust to shut down some of It's fur.
nnces. As gentleman engaged in
the business said to me yesterday. IL
| is absolutely essential to the life of the
smeltors to get all the ores they can
and to pay the highest prices for them.
for In all the west there liz no surplus
Reduction keeps fully abreast Of pro.
iuction year by year II there shoula
happen to be AN excess In one clasa
of mineral there's sure to be lack
In other combinations. but the cqullih
rum is maintained by the system or
handling the different classes. Said
one of our largest ore buyers, opor.
atng In Gilpin, Clear Creek and Boul,
der countless
There may be surplus of sillc.
ious ores in one direction and short
age OF lead and iron IN another but
when all are brought together In the
yeards of the smolter the combiua.
uon Is adjusted each to lis respective
needs. look for n rcdoulon in
treatment charges rather than nm in.
crease. There has been no increase
SO far, and the tendency Is 10 multiply
the tonnage by advancing the rate on
certain grades OF low grade material
and decreasing the smelling charges. 3"
| Continuing the discussion, our In
formant who has spent tho better par,
OF his life In the business. stated as \
| iact that more lead ore Is coming
| out of the west NJ ,hfg ,I,,a ,b.