The Idaho Springs siftings-news., 1906-11-03
and I1is Neiloet.
cd Issue.

Hon. y. J. O'Connell, Who a. a mem
Der during several sessions of the state
legislature, failed to accomplish any
thing worthy of note, but who de.
sires to be returned for just one more
term. spoke at the opera house in this
city uesday evening 1t was fully ex.t
pected that many of the burning issues
Of the campaign would be scorched, and
his followers really expected to hear
complete expose OF the methods of the
~ ranicsl smelier trust Instead of hand
ing the horrible octopus series of
upper cuts and terrific body blows, the
gentleman handled the terrible trus,
much as he would a six-year-old infant
To the credit Of Ar. O'Connell be it
said that he practically admitted that he
knew very little about the workings of
that institute Mr.. O'Conpell failed to
state that his numerous communications
to the press. which contained every
charge on the calendar of commercial
crime, had been written for effect, and
10 be used as political capital or as cam
paign thunder to return him to the lower
house as this ,ouuty's representative.
Mr. O'Counell, after thrashiug around
with few spread eagle stunts, came to
the smelter question. He read a para
graph from the address made by
Franklin Guitermau, general mana
Refining company, before the American
Mining Congress, in which reference
was made to decrease made in smeit-
ing charges. After stating that the con
gress was composed of some of the
brig htest business men in the country,
Mr.. O'Counell said that its members had
been ''rszzle dazzled" 4" The speaker de-
clared that he had never said that the
treatment CHI harges were unfair or uu-
just. He said that it could not be de-
termined until state commissi was
secure d, to ascertain how mucn money
was invested in the smelters, after
which the com mission could determine
what the treatment charges should be
to return fair rate OF interest on the
investment. Mr. O'connell entirely
overlooked the cost of operation.
"Why don't they pay for all the met al
in our ores. then deduct fair treatment
CT ara.," said Mr.. o'Connell, with a
wing aipping gesture. Mr.. O. onnell
never mentioned the loss in handling
and smelling ores. nor did he enumera,e
what particular metals he had reference
to- For instance, on ore carving so
per cent. lead, there is no smelling charge
at all as such. In one ton of 50 per cent
lead ore there is also $50 pounds Of sui
phur associated with the lead sulphide,
and there is a varying quantity Of iron
and zinc and perhaps some copper and
may be some mica. Lead in New York
City is quoted f5.75 a hundred pounds
in lead pigs. Sulphur is worth $40 per
ton; rails are quoted at from Sz9 to A2
per ton; and mica is worth in the eastern
market from $o7 to SIS per ton. The
smelters pay for the gold. silver, lead and
copper but under the schedule of work
ing charges. make 10 charge tor snel,-
ing-but treat the ore free. The ore
buyers pay for the contents of the ore in
it's crude state. and what it is worth to
them. They may or may not be able to
utilize the sulphur fumes, the iron. the
silica, zinc, copper, antimony, arsenic
or bismuth that may be present and as
sociated with the precious metals. The
stock yards in Chicago, pay for cattle,
hogs and sheep. at the market rate per
100 pounds, The slaughtering firms
now utilize every ounce of the animals
IN the manufacture of by-products. in
cluding the hoofs and horns, but you
never hear of the stockraiser demanding
pay for the hoois and horns associated
with the animals in the crude state.
Mr.. O'Connell then M sde few state
ey the miner has been deprived of by
setting forth that the copper output of
Clear Greek county during the year 1oos
was 66 600 pounds, ard that the miners
we're robbed of about SI37. 900. As a
matter of fact this county produced
during the year 1905, 1873 tons OF copper,
worth $3II per ton, or . total value Of
f55,Aso. He stated that the miners had
sustained 4 loss of approximately S734-
COO on their zinc product during the
same period, while authentic records
show that this county produced in 1905.
s51 tons of zinc worth $iI8 per ton. or
a total Of $o4,S15. The speaker said
that the miners of this county has been
robbed of S7eo, 900 on their lead out
put last year, and the records show this