Truth. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1901-1908, 1905-02-04
UNITED STATES MINING.
The Situation at the SmeIter and
Understanding Possibilities.

the smelling operations of the United
States Mining company in Utah have
been disappointment, not only to
the stockholders, but to the manage
ment and the largest stockholders by
far are in the management-stock
control of the company resting in the
board of directors.
1t has been no secret, however. that
the United States companys smelter
has not been operating satisfactorily.
This fact has been pointed out by the
Boston News Bureau ever since the
smelter was started about twenty
months ago. Shelter experts from
all over the country have been wres-
Ting with the problem of smelling
the United States company's ores. I'M
provements have been instituted, and
the smelter is now working bet
ter than at any previous time, but it
Is still unable to treat the tonnage
which was expected of it, Perhaps
Metallurgist Bellinger, the Heinze ex-
pert, who is now engaged upon the
problem, will be able to overcome
the difficulties. He believes he can.
Smelter difficulties, however, are of
a mechanical nature. They do not
change the value of the properties.
The smelter Is now treating daily
between $50 and 900 tons of ore 1t
should treat 200 tons per furnace and
there are six furnaces. 1t is planned,
however, always to keep one furnace
in reserve.
Mr.. Walter Fitch, the new general
manager, has a thorough grasp of the
situation.
Mr.. Fitch Is already planning to in
crease the output by changes in smell
ter construction. Changes have been
planned in the horizontal flue boxes
of the furnaces and actual work of
construction, commencing with the
concreate foundations, has been start
ed Plans have been perfected and
bids have already been received for
the steel work and contracts will be
Immediately let. This work will be
completed by April and General Man
ager Fitch reports that with the COM
pletion of this work large part Of
the trouble will be overcome.
Plans have also been completed for
the erection of reverberatory fur
mace, and work will be started at once
upon this addition.
Mr.. Fitch says of the United States
Mining proposition: 81 only consent
ed to take the management of the
company's Utah properties after first
satisfying myself that they contained
the merit claimed for them. The
smelter is one of the best and most
perfectly arranged plants of its kind
in the world. 1t Is doing better work
all the time and is gradually making
an improving record. The mines of
the company l know have the merit
to justify all that has been claimed
for them, and whatever may be the
effect of the recent attack on the COM
pany and its officials it cannot posi-
bly, result in robbing the mines of
their ore or the values contained in
them; neither can it damage the work
of the smelter or affect future opera
TONS"
Criticism of the United States Min
ing situation is that the Centennial
Eureka ore is furnishing all the earn
ings and that the Bingham ores re-
turn no net profits. This is largely
true and always has been so. The
Bingham mines have large tonnage
of ore running about SIS per ton,
which returns no profit, but these
Bingham ores are too valuable as
s.-Iv INHN