The Pioche record. [volume] (Pioche, Nev.) 1908-1925, 1909-08-07
COPPER FUMES NOW
UNDER CONTROL
Especial Correspondence.)

SALT LAKE CITY, Aug. 3.-The
United States Smelling company,
through an order handed down by
Judge John A. Marshall in the Fed
eral court last Monday, is permitted
to resume the treatment of cop
per ores at its plant at Midvale in
the southern part of Salt Lake coun-
ty.
Several years ago, Joseph Godfrey,
and large number of farmers of the
Salt Lake valley instituted proceed
ings against all the smelling COM
panies operating in the valley, which
resulted In decree in closing all
the copper plants. The lead smelt-
er of the American Smelling & Re-
filming company was only permitted
to operate under certain restrictions.
after having entered into an agree
ment to compensate the farmers for
alleged damage to their farms and
crops, said to have been caused by
fumes from the furnaces. The Uni
ted States company endeavOred to
bring about truce with the farmers,
notwithstanding that It's metallurgists
were busy with experiments with the
hope Of devising some means of neu.
tralizing the fumes to the extent that
they would do no damage whatever.
The farmers named figure which
the smelter management deemed toe
excessive and when the day set for
the Injunction denying continuance
OF smelling under the methods which
had been in vogue, the fires were
drawn, the furnaces cooled and sew.
eral thousand men dismissed from en-
ployment. Last October, after as
surfing the court that the construction
Of bag house had been erected
at cost OF more than $3.50, 900, the
management of the smelling company
went into court with such showing
that the later was permitted to fire
up its lead furnaces again. In the
meantime, experiments with cop
per ores was continued and now the
court has been satisfied that no dam.
age Is possible TO growing crops, or tc
live stock, under the operation of the
bag house in connection with the Sc.
cret process discovered for the elm.
ination of the poisonous elements con
tanned In the fumes.
VICTORY FOR BOTH.
The late decision by Judge Marsha
is termed a victory by both the smell.
ter people and by the farmers II
assures smelter companies that they
will hereafter be able to continue
that great industry without fear OF
constant litigation.
It Is a victory to the farmers, who
sought protection for their,scrops--
protection from the poisonous and
vegetation killing fumes that had
injured them in former yearsIt also
means big things for the entire com
munity and the adjacent mining dis
tricts.
The decree will mean the reopen
Ing of the smelters at once for the
treatment of copper ores The Uni
ted States Smelling company is al
this time employing 600 men in its
lead refining plant. 1t will increase
Its force at once to 1900 men, that
the copper ores of this state and Ne
vada may again be handled on q
custom basis.
The increase in payrolls in this
smelter alone will aggregate more
than 100000 a year. The averag,
pay for the extra 600 men to be EN-
ployed In the smelter is $3.50 day
$45, 200 a month, or $40, 900 a year
WHERE THE FARMERS GAIN.
The farmers will gain the most di
rect benefit from this, as they sci
their products largely to the house
supplying the smelter men and thei
families, living in the immediate "
cinity of the smelter.
The decision of the court is NO
for temporary purpose only. 1t
permanent in it's character, and tn
company may have no need to fea
other costly litigation in the future
SO long as the playhouse method 6
treatment continues to be success.
full.
The Utah Consolidated and Bins
ham Consolidated smelters, both ere
ed for the treatment Of copper ore'
are still idle and it Is unlikely tina
they will ever be started again fo
both were about ready for the scra
heap when the court ordered thel
closed. They have been more tina
replaced, however, by the buildin
of the 100000 copper smelter q
Garfield by the Garfield Smelling co
pany, an auxiliary of the America
Smelling & Refining company. |
addition, the International Smell
ing company has under constructio
near Tooele, plant that will handl
Just as much ore as the one at Gal
field does.