Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1909-06-18
Who has conducted important
investigation for the government,

A signal honor has been paid the south
and Atlanta by the national administra-
ton, through the selection, which mas
lust come to light of Nathaniel p. Pratt,
head of the N P. Pratt laboratories In
Atlanta, as expert investigator In one OF
the biggest questions that the federal gov-
eminent has concerned itself about In q
great many years.
Mr. Pratt himself has recently returned
from the execution of his commission. He
was seen in Atlanta Monday afternoon.
bur further than to confirm the bare fact
that the government had designated him
to make the investigation, that he had
his report ready, and that he would leave
Atlanta for Washington Tuesday at noon
to carry 1t to the department of justice.
he would make no statement. He declin'
ed to indicate the conclusions that ne
forms in his report. saying that 1t must
be given out by Washington alone.
Whether or not the sllphuric fumes OF
the Washoe smelter. at Anaconda, Mon
tana, owned by the Amaigamated Copper
company of Butte, can be commercially
utilized was the question which Mr..
Pratt was designated 10 investigate and
report upon. Mr. Pratt left Atlanta some
weeks ago on this mission, but at that
time its purport was a state secret and no
one outside of those Immediately con-
cerned knew what 1t was.
$1O,O00.OO0 INVESTED.
Ten million dollars are invested in the
Washoe smelter. The Amalgamated Cop
per company, which feeds the big smelter
from it's mines at Butte. represents an in
vestment of 140, 0O0,C00j 1t was this prop
erty which the government, more than
a year ago, found itself scratching it's
head over when the report came in that
the fumes from the smelter were working
great damage on the surrounding for.
ests Anaconda, where the smelter Is
located, and suite, are both surrounded
by two of the forest reserves of 49,
OQl 900 acres west of the Mississippi The
escaping gases, therefore have been kill
ing government forests. 1t was to miti-
gate this evil, without damage, If pos
sible to the big properties of the COM
many, that the attorney generals Office
designated Mr.. Pratt; and the Atlanta
expert conducted the investigation with
the full cooperation of the company it.
self Consequently, Mr.. Pratt was called
upon to use a double vision in his in
vestigation-one eye for the government.
which is interested in the preservation OF
the forests; and the other eye for the
copper company, which is interested in the
commercial utilization of those same
wasted gases that have been killing the
forests.
Under the supreme courts decision in
the Ducktown case, familiar to Georgians,
the government might have summarily
ordered the smelter closed down. But the
more conservative course was the only
one considered, and it's results may be
far-reaching.
PHOSPHATE DEPOSITS DISCOV-
Erred.
It is known, for instance, that recently
there has been discovered on the public
81 wit
miles of the Washoe smelter, and in the
states of Montana. Idaho and Wyoming,
the largest phosphate rock deposits
known in the world, exceeding the total
combined deposits of Florida, Tennessee
and South Carolina. Preliminary reports
have already been made on the discov-
cry, by the United States geological sur
vey, and II is said that an expedition has
just been QUILTED by the government at
Montpelier, Wyoming, which will definite
ly locate the extent of the fields. The
lands involved have been withdrawn by
the government from entry or sale, pend
ing the report of this expedition. The
rock is said TO be strictly high grade,
average 20 per cent bone phosphate.
Consequently it is among the big posi-
bilities that the development of a great
industry in the west may result from the
conversion of the waste gases of the great
western smelters into the manufacture Of
fertilizer. What the industry would mean
to the agriculture Of the country calls for
surmise on enormous scale. The great
grain regions of the west have materially
decreased in their yields per acre during
recent years, and artificial fertilizer
grows yearly more needed. There in It's
own territory the industry would find a
clamorous market. 1t is improbable that
any of the product would ever be allow
ed to reach as far as the south.
:, On these big possibilities II is known
| that the report of Mr.. Pratt must neces-
sarily have direct bearing. That is why it
is so worthy of note that a southern man
was selected to investigate and determine
a great technical question OF such import