Gilpin observer., 1904-11-17
Working Old Dumps.

AS result of the blowing in OF the
Independent smelter at Golden and a
consequent cut of fifty per cent in the
ore treatment schedule at Argo and at
the smelters Of the American Smelling
and Refining Company. the old dumps
OF Boulder Gilpin and Clear Creek
counties. made in the days OF low saw
ing at the mills-forty to sixty per cent.
of the gold-and high charges at the
smelters-all the traffic would bear
are beginning to change location, and
the metallic contents thereof will add
to the precious metal output for 1904.
Behind the dumps comes the exploita-
ton of low-grade ore bodies. "a to $40
per ton, heretofore unavailable, waiting
for the magic touch Of commercial COM
petition and metallurgical improve
ment. Each of these is a factor in the
present gain, and the one will remain
If the other is forced to surrender.
Colorado is not alone in this mining
movement. At Tonopah. the new gold
camp in Nevada, attention Is now d.
rected to the handling Of the medium
grade and lOw-grade ores. In the days
OF high transportation and costly liv-
ing this supply. which is generally
nine-tenths of the total. was necessar-
lily relegated to the rear. It was the
high-grade ores in sack shipments or
nothing. with more money paid out for
the beer shipped in than the smelters
paid for the ores that went out. The
Office of the high-grade product was to
advertise the camp.
In Montana the Amalgamated COM
pany, with a recent increase of $50. .000,-
900 in the selling price of It's shares, is
not above digging up the ground in the
vicinity of the smeiter works at Ana
conda. The old plant has been removed
which for nearly twenty years was in
active operation. With the great clouds
Of smoke that came from the smoke
stack there were carried many thou
sands of tons of metallic particles OF
copper and silver. 1t has been discov-
cred that the surface OF the ground for
miles within the vicinity of the old
smelter Is rich in these metals In fact,
an average sample assay Of the surface
shows that it contains more copper to
the ton than the ore now being shipped
from the mines in Butte. Four and one
half per cent. copper Is found in this
ground. beside considerable silver.
There are millions of tons of Stag on
the ground, and this, too. is being as
sorted and sent to the new smelter for
reduction. Under the old methods .
large percentage of the copper was
lost. and all of this matter will be re-
worked.
At present all OF the blister copper
turned out at the Washoe smelter Is
shipped to Baltimore for refining. The
contract with the Baltimore company
has almost expired, and when II does
the Washoe company will refine its own
product at its refinery. At the new
works the slums from the cOncen-
traitor are being saved for the purpose
OF being reworked. Steam shovels run
ming on cables pick up the slums and
store them in acre tracts. Here they
are leached out and. by means of q
cable tramway. are shot back into the
furnace, where all the remaining min
eral Is melted out. Some mammoth
reverberatory furnaces are being built
at the smelter. At the old works the
largest reverberatorles were forty feet
long. The new furnaces are 112 feet
long and turn out $50 tons Of copper a
day. The expense in fuel is little
greater than in the old furnaces.
Here in Denver the officials of tho
American Smelling and Refining Com
pany have plans under wny for re-
opening the Grant-Omaha smeltcr, with
new capacity OF $50 to 1000 tons per
day. The cost OF modernizing this
plant will not exceed $4,000. The cur
rent estimate of $500.000 Is entirely err
roneous. because the power plant-one
Of the best in the state-is fully up to
requirements. while the iron and steel
In the old furnaces can be used in the
new construction. This Is precisely
x.,t. H.. =
1902. the capacity of the Arkansas
Valley plant was raised from 600 to l.
300 tons per day. at q cost Of less than
100000. thus enabling one plant to
perform the work that was heretofore
assigned to three. The doubling of ca
pacity at the zinc smelter in Pueblo
and the resumption Of operation at the
Philadelphia plant in that city-the old
Guggenheim smelter-are additional in
dications Of increased value in the out
put OF tho mines.-Denver News.