Los Angeles herald., 1908-02-04
FOR THE WEST

" HE men who propose to erect
smelter near Reno, New, should
Il be encouraged, because they are
not working for themselves alone. The
west needs smelters, and for some rea-
which have been pleaded especially in
California, smelters are habitually
viewed with alarm by citizens who will
gladly contribute as much as a ten
dollar bill to Industrial expositions
consisting mainly of sailed peanuts in
assorted sizes. Unless we are to doubt
the statements of many men skilled in
metallurgy, the development of Cali
fornia and Nevada mineralogy is as yet
in its merest infancy, in its swaddling
clothes. and it's progress will never be
encouraged until fiower-loving COM
munities cease to sniff noses of scorn
at the bare mention of that odiously
practical word ''smelter." To transport
local ore to smelters at far distant
points is not feasible. In the first place
it is an awkward operation; in the Sec
ond, the expense initiates against it,
unless we expect our railroads to create
an especial charity tariff for minerals,
and when railroads go out of their way
to foster industries at their own loss
we may prepare to flee from the wrath
to come or to get ready for reward and
Notwithstanding as our case may
be, for such a sign of the times would
show that Gabriel is about to blow his
long expected horn.
Wedekind, who wished to build
smelter for Nevada and California ores
at tidewater, near Los Angeles, left
this city after making accusations that
have never been satisfactorily ex-
planned. They were to the effect that
he knew that he would be permitted to
erect a smelter, but that it would cost
too much.
The insinuation conveyed by his sub
tie language was as malororous as are
the most pungent smelter fumes. But,
having shot his bolt, he departed, and
there was no lexowing.
The Nevada smelter will relieve the
situation there, but those who are in
terested in this question in Los Angeles
are not looking for relief but for
chance of development. If it could be
proved that a smelter at tidewater,
miles away from Los Angeles, would
blast our parks and blacken our streets
and destroy our hotel business, we may
believe that for once mammon worked
for righteousness when Mr.. Wedekinds
alleged attitude toward an alleged
financial question made him shake the
dust of our city from his feet. But
Wedekind promised to build the smell
ter so far away from Los Angeles that
most of the citizens would never see it
unless they made special journey to
inspect it; nay more, being gentle
man of perfervid enthusiasm on his
favorite topic, he offered to allow an
enraged community tc smelt him If as
much as one fume was waited hither to
wilt one Los Angeles lily. Even this
projected self-sacrifce failed to move
the obstructionists. and wedekind went
his way. There are signs. however,
that the smelter question is not dead,
but sleeping. Perhaps a compromise
might be considered. Instead of the
immolation of Mr.. Wedekind, let us
suggest as an alternative that If a
smelter should become obnoxious even
at long distance the community viii
reserve the right to close it on twenty
four hours notice. How would that
suit Mr.. WedelSind and his enterprising
associated capitalists?