The Idaho Springs siftings-news., 1909-05-22
Golden Sme|ter to Resume

The Golden smelter at Golden, Colo
RADIO, known as the Carpenter plant, is
to be blown-in again in the near future
and from all indications will prove an
important factor in the smelling indus
try of the west, but more particularly
of Clear Creek, Gilpin and Boulder
counties. Estimates made from the
list of mines that formerly shipped to
Athe Golden smelter when last in opera
Ntion, show that if worked to their full
capacity they would in the aggregate
produce about l 1000 tons of ore day.
Some of these mines are now idle but
will resume operations as soon as the
works are started up. Some are now
shipping to other concerns but the Col
den plant was especially built for the
lower grade ores which contained GER
tain per cent of copper, and it enabled
mine operators to ship ores direct to
this plant without milling, where the
values would show better than ten dol
lars per ton. The smelter has capac-
ity of 500 tons per day and is one of the
most modern in Colorado, and can
handle a much lower grade of ore than
almost any smelter in the west.
The company owns its own lime quar-
ries. located about two miles north east
of Golden, owns its own side-tracks,
railroad switches, ETC., and beng only
short distance from the coal supply,
and not to exceed from twenty to thirty
miles from the main producing proper
ties, places it in position to handle
custom ores to advantage.
The smelter is being purchased, how
ever, purposely to smelt the ores that
come from the companies own proper
ties. In connection with the smelter,
the North American smelter and mines
company, the name of the new corpora
ton, is being organized under Colorado
laws, with capital of $4,000, ,OO0 A
4O0-acre group of producing mines in
Clear Creek county will be merged with
the smelter, and will also include com
Ute sampler at Idaho Springs. The
new corporation will become factor
in mining and smelling throughout the
west. H. A. Riedel, president OF the
H. A. Riedel Investment company OF
Denver, is general manager and vice
president of the new organization.
The company is being financed by an
English syndicate, supplemented by
capital from the east and south. Ample
capital has been arranged for to COM
plete the financing of the company,
and in the neighborhood of quarter of
million dollars will be expended in de-
velopment of the companies properties
and general improvements
The mines in Clear Creek county TAX
en- over by the company will furnish
practically all the ore necessary to keep
the smelter at Golden running to its
full capacity. However, the company
will also be in the market for certain
custom ores. The mines that are in
cIuded in this big consolidation are the
famous Donaldson mine. one of the first
big producers in Clear Creek county,
which has a record of production of
something in excess of million dollars;
the Centurion mining company, the In
ternational mining company, the Cham
pion-C -Comstock mining company and the
Banner Consolidated mines company.
The total past production of these
mipes will aggregate about 300, 600.
/, IhVhe past three years 500, 600 has
begA Aexpended in improvements and
opening these different mines at depth
through the Rockford tunnel, which is
now in 2, 900 feet, and from which some
1000 feet of drifts have been run to de-
termine the permanency of these ore
bodies with depth. The depth in the
case of the Donaldson is 900 feet be-
low the surface. All of the work from
now on in the mines will be in the way
of drifting on the ore bodies, upraises
and running the levels in order to put
the mines in shape for permanent
production. The Rockford tunnel por-
/ tai is located on the main line Of the
| Colorado & Southern railway in Clear
creek canon, about two miles above
Idaho Springs.
The Golden smelter is a copper
matte smelter and was built and
equipped for the purpose of handling
Clear Creek and Gilpin county ores,
and is especially adapted for the smelt-
ing of the particular grade of ores that
are being produced from the Donaldson,
Champion Comstock and other mines
included in the consolidation. The
Golden smelter property is in good
condition and can be started up at
short notice. The new company is
well fortified as regards competition,
and as it produces its own ore supply
Hoes not have to depend upon custom