Gilpin observer., 1908-11-12


ITO The Public. .)-During the last sew
eral weeks of the present political
campaign the Denver Post has sought
in every way to prejudice the Ameri-
can Smelling and Refining Company
in the eyes of the Colorado scommu-
nifty.
This paper has sought to convey the
impression:
% That the American Smelling
and Refining Company is a great fac
tor in Colorado politics;
(2) That through extortionate, un-
Just and unfair business methods, it
is crushing the Colorado mining in
dustry out of existence.
1t Is not the purpose of the Ameri-
can Smelling and Refining Company
to discuss its business relations with
ore shippers in newspaper columns.
1t wishes, however, to register an en-
phatic denial of all the charges which
have been brought against it by the
said newspaper and to declare openly
and unreservedly that the company is
not and has not been engaged in po-
litical business of any kind, and that
its whole course has been and will con-
tinue to be one which will aid in the
development of the mineral resources
of this great state. If unfortunate con-
ditions in the metal markets have so
arisen as to make it Improbable for
mining operators in Colorado to pro-
duce the maximum tonnages which
would under more fortunate circum-
stances have been mined, the Ameri-
can Smelling and Refining Company
is in no wise to blame, but on the con-
trary it has suffered equally with min
ing operators in the curtailment of ore
production.
Treatment Given the Producers Of Ore
In State of Colorado.
Much has been said in papers of the
type of the Post as to the enormous
dividends paid by the American Smelt-
ing and Refining Company in the car
rying on of its business and the argu-
ment has been made that the paying
of such dividends carries with it the
Just conclusion that the mining oper
ators have not been fairly dealt with
by the company and that in order to
pay such dividends extortionate smelt-
ing charges have been and continue to
be levied. Leaving out of considera-
tion entirely the relationship of the
American Smelling and Refining Com
pany to ore producers in states other
than Colorado, the pertinent question
presents itself: how has this company
treated the Colorado ore producers
and to what extent is 1t entitled to
their respect and confidence?
In order to throw proper light on
the policy of the company as carried
on since its formation, n brief review
OF the ore conditions as they have de-
veloped in Colorado will be in order.
Primarily it may be stated that since
the discovery of Cripple Creek. pros
pecting in Colorado has practically
ceased, and the mining of ores in this
state has been confined to the camps
which were in existence when Cripple
Creek was discovered. The camps
which produce ore in this state may
be tabulated as follows:
The Leadville district.
The Aspen district.
The Cripple Creek district.
The Creede district
The Lake City district.
The Rico district.
The San Juan district.
The Park, Clear Creek, Gilpin and
Boulder county districts.
In point of tonnage of smelling ore
produced these districts would rank in
the following order: Leadville, SaI
Juan. Aspen, Cripple Creek. Creede.
the monthly tonnages from the other
districts having fallen to relatively
small quantities.
With the exception OF the Cripple
Creek mining district, the ores pro-
duced are mainly silver bearing. asso-
ciated with lead to some extent and
with copper to a much lesser one. 1t
will be recognized therefore, that with
afa oh In,
the price of silver. the value of the
argentiferous ores produced in Colo
RADIO has been most unfavorably af-
fected. So much so in fact that tre-
mendous curtailment in the tonnage
output necessarily resulted coinci-
dent with this heavy decline in the