Gilpin observer., 1901-08-08
New Golden smelter started.

New Golden Smelter Started.
The correspondent of the Denver
News at Golden, Colorado. under date
of July Both, gives the following ac-
count of the new smelter and the pro-
cess used:
The new pyritic smelter. which blew
in Saturday. is undoubtedly n complete
success. The molten mineral is flow
ing freely and the plant operating
smoothly in every department. At
present the furnace is handling about
$50 tons per day at one-third blast.
DR.. Carpenter, the builder and man
ager of the new plant, is well pleased
and says the smelter has been running
since Saturday morning and is doing
as nicely as their Deadwood, South
Dakota, plant, which has been in sue
cessful operation for eleven years.
There has been no sign of trouble of
any kind. and he believed all danger
of any sort was past, and that he had
just wired the owners that it was
complete and absolute success from ev-
cry point of view The plant as 1t
stands now is neat and compact in ev-
cry way. There is one blast furnace
in operation mt present and it is only
working at about one-third capacity
This Is gradually being increased and
y
capacity, which will handle about 300
tons of ore per day.
The foundations are in for two more
furnaces, which will be added as soon
as possible, thus making the capacity
of the plant just three times what it
is at presenter 800 tons per day
which may all be pay ore. On the
charge floor, which is usually the
worst place in n smelter, there are alb
solutely no fumes or smoke, even
when the furnace doors are open, and
the room is clean and the air fresh
and pure.
Dr. Carpenter states that the report
that was printed in several of the Den
YER papers that he has special rate
of 30 cents per ton on ore is not true.
He says the railroads have treated him
fairly, but have given him no special
concessions, and says further that he
does not ask, want or need them.
The plant Is now treating ore which
runs about 81 per ton, and this can
be treated with fair profit. About
100 men are employed now and when
the plant is completed. with the two
new furnaces and refinery, about $50
men will be given work. This, of
course, means n great deal for Golden.
Pyritic smelling is not, as n great
many think, n new process, but on the
other hand is one of the oldest. and
the doctor says the man who talks of
| having invented it talks foolishly un-
less he be in the neighborhoodd Of 700
years of age.
DIR. Carpenter introduced the process
into this country from Europe and
says that the only difference between
the process used here and that at
Argo Is that he uses n blast furnace
and coke while at Argo n reverbera-
tory furnace and coal are used.
Some people criticised DIR. Carpenter
for putting up such n large and COM
plete plant at Golden, saying that it
should be in Denver or some central
location. 1t is too big for Golden.
1t will be remembered that the ores
located here are what are called mill
dirt in Gilpin county. The advant-
ages of smelling this ore over any wet
process is the saving of gold. silver
and copper, The plant, however, treats
ores of all grades, and wishes especial
ly for the so-called "tailings" of Gil
pin, for which ii has made n special
rate of 81 n ton. In fact the plant
buys all sorts Of ores except bad ores,
and 1t does not object to these except
that 1t will not pay for lead. The plant
will be self-contained, doing its own
refining.
Its method of refining is also very
ancient, and your reporter was re-
ferred to Volume IN of the Mineral
Industry for details. 1t Is not re-
cent process, but like matte smelling
is very ancient.