The Goldfield news. [volume] (Goldfield, Nev.) 1904-1911, 1905-11-10
NEVADA ORE swAMps SHELTERS
Will Make Shipments to Alaska to Re-
lieve Congestion
(Reno Gazette.)

For the first time in many years the
shelters of the country are swamped
with ore. There have been times in
the last few years when they were tenn
porarily flooded and it became neces-
sary to limit shipments, but v be-
fore have they been facing so serious
a problem as they are now called upon
to solve. Nevada-the wonder of the
mining world-hss again opened the
flood gates of her treasure vault and
every smelter in the country, from Den
yer west has thousands of dollars
worth of high grade Nevada ore piled
in its yards and store houses which 1t
cannot reduce for lack of base ore with
which to fiux il. Denver, Salt Lake,
Selby 5 at San Francisco, Everett,
Washington; Keswick, California, AMI
the various other smelling points are
overloaded with ore. All have place |
n 'embargo upon N~evada's product un-
til relief is found and in the meantime
the mining men of this state are irving
to find an outlet.
Years ago. when the smelling indus
try was in its infancy Nevada shipped
thousands of tons across the water to
Swansea, Wales, for reduction. Today
the shippers are trying to make ar
raugements with the transportation
companies and the smelters 10 send
their product to Alaska in order to ex-
tract the values.
"Two years ago. remarked a prom
inent mining man this morning, 81
had a conversation with one of the men
of the American Smelling and Refining
company, who was making light Of
Tonopah. ] told him then that the
time was coming when the plants I
the Guggenheims would be overtaxed
with Nevada ores. He scoffed at the
idea and had a big laugh at my ex-
pense. as he thought. To his mind II
was impossible that Tonopah would
ever be the tremendous producer that
it is today and Goldfeld, of course,
never entered in his calculations. By
this time. / guess, he has changed his
opinion !.
Owing to the fact that practically all
of the ores shipped from Nevada are
silicious the smelters must reduce them
with fiuxing ores containing certain
amounts of lead, copper and iron. So
great have been the shipments from
Nevada that enough base ore carrying
these fuxing ingredients cannot be OBJ
tanned and the result is that millions
of dollars worth of Tonepah and Gold
field ores is pilling on the hands of the
shelters. One plant alone in Utah has
over So, 0 900 worth of Tonopah orc
on hand and to save itself il has been
compelled to join with the others in
placing an embargo upon shipments.
The first signals of the distress sur
rounding the smelters came several
days ago when the Reno agents of the
American Smelling and Refining com
pany received word that they would
be allowed to purchase and ship to the
shelters but $50 tons a day. This was
apportioned to the various big ship
ping mines at Goldfeld and Tonopah,
several Of which would be able to send
almost the full allowance made to the
two camps. The result is that ship
ments have been heavily curtailed and
there is talk of installing several large
mills and reduction plants to relieve
the situation.
taken up the matter and it is probable
that a 50-stamp mill, built in units
that the capacity may be increased
readily, will be installed.
Several days ago the matter of ship
ping the Nevada ores to Alaska was
taken up with the transportation com
panies.
Favorable terms were offered, as the
rate from San Francisco to the Alaskan
smelters is low. the steamship com
panies being willing to transport then
as ballast at an exceedingly low rate
The chances are, therefore, that some
relief will be obtained in that direction
To a%ggravate matters the immense
coke plant of the Goulds at Sunnyside
Utah, burned a few days ago. shutting
several of the large Utah smelteri
from their supply of coke and limiting
their capacity for the time being.
cit seems to me that there is an ex
cellent chance for the successful opera
tion of a large smelter in Reno salf
a prominent railroad man this morning
"The time is coming, and it is not fal
distant, when Nevada will ship severa
times more ore than she is at present
Sin anticipation of this the smelling
companies in Utah and California are
increasing their capacity but even ther
they will not be able to take care o.
the output. Good fluxing ores are t.
be found zeal Winnemucca and Elk
and copper in abundance can be secure
in the eastern part of the state. Will
such a short haul on these ores "a Rem
smelte- should be able to dominate thu
situation and secure all the business i
could possibly handle. And it woul
not surprise me if this was not taker
up before long