Mohave County miner., 1902-08-16
Smelters Must Have Ore.

'S"S's "uSt nave ore.
Whenever two or more mining men
are gathered together'it is safe to gam.
BILE that the uppermost topic of con.
versation will be the smelter trust. It
furnishes much food for thought and
talk. One of the features of the situa.
tion that is frequently discussed is the
effect of the large combination on
prospecting and the search for new
mines. But the fact is patent that
under the smelter trust Leadville is
outputting more ore than ever in its
history, but on terms dictated by the
trust.
81 quite agree with those who argue
against trusts" said certain mining
man yesterday, "up to certain point,
but before we throw up our hands it is
just as well to look at all sides of the
matter. l grant that the trust has
complete control of the situation aud
can exact all that the traffic will stand,
but on the other hand, can they afford
to kill the goose that lays the golden
egg, or the silver egg, and the lead aud
copper egg for that matterY The fact
must be taken Into account that not
only in Leadville but all over the state
the tendency Is toward deterioration
of ores in their precious metal value
Gradually and by small degrees this
has come about and quite as gradually
have the smelters been forced by the
exigencies of the situation to decrease
their charges. saw contract recent.
ly drawn up in 1880, when the average
value of silver was dollar and over.
Figuring it out and comparing it with
contract now held by the same mine,
which produced oxidized iron, there is
really but slight difference in the
actual value of the ore to the miner.
1t is not difficult for the investor or
the prospector to reason that he will,
IL he gets mine. be under the fhumb
of the trust, and he will be to a certain
extent. Still, the incentive to spend
money and to dig ought not to be al
together paralyzed. Colorado has not
discovered all the Little Johnnys and
the Independence. There is as much
rich ore and medium ore underground
yet as has been taken out. What has
always been the policy Of the smelters
toward mines which can produce
large tonnage of desirable high grade
ore? Why, to put on the tariff. The
high grade ore must help smelt the
low grade ore but when the higher
grades do not come into the market the
low grade which was shipped must
stay in the mine, and the result is idle
furnaces. venture to say that il half
"A dozen or more big high grade mines
were to be found in the state, outside |
OF Leadville even, that every pound of
ore that this camp could produce
would be in demand. There would be |
no limiting of production then. The |
Smelter trust would put the treatment
charge on the high grade ore, and |
would so figure it that the low grade |
would be taken aud out of every ton it |
would make profit. 1t is demonstrat.
ed even now that the smelters never |
turn down an ore that will pay to ship. |
IL is not on treatment charges direct |
that mining men base their chief com
plants. 1t is with reference to other |
matters. But no matter how arbitrary |
the trust Is in its business methods it |
cannot afford to discourage mining in
vestments nor can investors and pros
pectors afford to allow themselves to
be discouraged The smelter trust, il
it has long hea fed directorate, aud
should suppose it had, wants to keep a
crowd Of spectators, investors, pro
moters, and that class buoyed up in |
every mining camp. The moment |
those people drop out Of sight what
becomes of district and what be-
comes of the smelter?"-Leadville
Herald Democrat.
The in Irr;o