Rocky Ford enterprise., 1908-11-13

price Of silver, came very great one
in the price CT lead and copper, and
while the amounts of these metals as
sociated with the silver are not SO
very large, nevertheless the deprecia-
tion in the quotation of these metals
has brought a material addition to the
great burden tha ore producers were
already sustaining.
The American Smelling and Refin-
ing Company, large as 1t is, is and has
been utterly without influence on the
quotation applying to silver, copper
and zinc. 1t has, as the greatest pro-
ducer of lead in the United States,
lent it's sustaining influence to the
maintenance of lead prices and to the
extent which the company has been
able to aid in the creation of better
prices for lead, the lead producers of
the United States have shared the
benefit. The quotations which are
sent out as governing the price of lead
by the American Smelling and Refin-
ing Company are taken from the rec
ord of actual sales from week to week
as made by the company, and this rec
ord is open to the inspection of any
ore shipper having business with the
company.
The policy of the company with re-
spect to the mining operators In Colo
RADIO has been pne of consistent reduc.
tion in ore treatment charges as fast
as improvements were introduced
which in the lowering of operating
costs permitted such reductions to be
made. In the policy which has actu.
ated the company the salient principle
has always been borne in mind to lend
aid to such portion of the ore reduction
which absolutely demanded 1t and to
apply treatment charges on such other
portions of the ore production which
so for from hampering the output
would on the contrary stimulate 1t to
its utmost.
Smelling Of Ores a Business Different
from Any Other.
The smelling of ore is a peculiar
business and differs in its character
istics from any other industrial bust
ness In the country. The industry Is
one which calls continually for a chem
ical adjustment of the ore charge and
involves at the same time commercial
considerations of greatest moment In
nearly every other Industrial enter
prise the technical execution Of the
work is referred to the handling of n
single raw product or number oi
graded raw products very similar in
their specific character. In the smelt
ing OF precious metal ores. however
most complex problems continually
present themselves. For the success
full carrying out of the industry 1t is
of products and the necessity arises
of so regulating the business that the
mining output of many sections and
districts under extreme fluctuatinE
conditions can be currently taken care
of.
In the consideration OF the many In
tricate questions which are continually
confronting the custom smelter. that
Is, one which does not mine but pur
chases all OF Its ores from mines
owned by others. the company Is obli
gated to take notice Of individual ore
outputs which II Is necessary to Sc
cure for the perfection of the general
smelling mixture. II It SO happens that
such outputs cannot be produced un
der normal treatment charges which
might be generally applicable. 1t be-
comes necessary to give special In
ducements to bring out the product
and so It happens that It Is not pos
sible In the carrying on Of the smelt'
ing business to make smelling charges
which are regulated by hard and fast
rules. On the contrary, 1t has been
and always will be necessary to make
such charges as will permit the great
est production of ores from all dis
tricts in order that the mining bust.
ness may be stimulated to its highest
degree and the maximum output OBJ.
tanned.
With the curtailment or cessation
OF ore production which brings with 1t
concurrently an enforced reduction In
smelling operations, smelling eN-
penses quickly rise and the ability OF
the smelling company to make con
cessions to any Gre producer is quick
ly restricted.
In the carrying out OF this policy
uninterruntedlY the basis of calcula.