The Butte inter mountain. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1901-1912, 1901-10-19
A ZINC SHELTER.

It is reported to be the intention of
the American Smelling and Refining
company to build in the near future a
reduction and separating plant for the
treatment of zinc ores, or ores contain
tng a high percentage of that metal, and
which are not profitable under present
conditions. Zinc is now worth in the
market about as much as lead, and If
certain abundant ores now valuable only
for their silver and lead, can be made to
yield a product as marketable as the
lead itself, the beneficial results through
out the mining states will become at
once apparent. In the Butte district
there are millions of tons of silver ores
carrying zinc, the Alice alone having in
ats upper workings million tons of such
quartz. Yet, except on an experimental
scale, the zinc values have never been
saved. Should it be possible to smelt
such ores or their concentrates and
separate their constituents, millions of
dollars would be saved to Butte alone,
and hundreds of millions to the west.
1t is a great pity that the people Of
Smelling and Refining company: Come
to the Treasure state with your capital;
build your zinc plant under the protec-
ton of our state government; accept our
assurance of just treatment by the law
makers and by the courts. We shall all
welcome and encourage your new enter
prise so long as you enable US to open
1o1
wages and create a better market for
the products of our farmers. Trust or no
trust, if you contemplate no harm, but
only desire an opportunity to do bust
ness and earn fair profit in the work
Of building up new industry you will
be accorded every just right so long as
sou recognize the rights of Others" It is
q great pity, the Inter Mountain re-
peats, that the people of Montana can
not thus invite the Lead trust to build its
plant in Montana to work our low grade
zinc and other rebellious ores and dis
tribute its millions among the wage
earners of the state. Perhaps it is not
yet too late, perhaps the threats against
capital which were made in the madness
OF the last campaign by the fusion con-
ventions were made only for effect upon
weak minds, and We're never intended to
be carried out. Perhaps the fusion lead
ers meant nothing when in their plat
forms they denounced consolidated CAP
atal and trusts of all kinds as enemies
of the state and promised to expel them
from its limits Perhaps they did not
mean to justify the suppression and
spoiation of every big corporation of
this state, or advocate that it be de-
prived of every legal and moral right
under the law. Yet that was their lam
euage, and the Guggenheims might
quote it to any committee that should be
cent to invite them to invest their money
lana instead of elsewhere. 1t might be
well, therefore, for the fusion party
leaders and their organs now that the
election is over, to make open confes.
sion of instincerity in the adoption Of
their last campaign war cry of Down
with capital" for that is only anothe,
way of saying Down with labor" thei,
interests being identical. Certainly the
sooner the fusion platform of 1900 is re.
puGiated, or passed off as a horrible
every man. woman and child in Mon.
4ana. the better for labor and capital
the better for the states reputation. II
Is better To have a zinc smelter owned