Custer weekly chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, S.D.) 1890-1931, 1910-09-17


tainments. In general culture he
had made himself familiar with the
thought of the leading writer's in the
English language, in fact had writ |
ten an epic poem, "The Quest OF
Saint Brendan," well spoken of by
critics of literature. And this was
in 1887, when he had still 23 years
ahead of him, which he did not al |
low to lie fallow. Truly a result
which can be attained only by man
of talent and with persistent effort.
All his acts showed him to be man
of kindness of heart, of loyalty to
friend and principle, generous to a
fault, punctilious when he had charge
of other mems affairs. easy-going
with his own. A striking character
istic was his devotion to wife and
family; he lived for his home, the
sons found in him their best friend.
He was a devout Episcopalian, hav-
ing become an active member of th'
church at the early age of 10; his
poetic nature made it natural for
him to favor the high church
branch of the denomination.
His ideas of right and wrong were
we'll brought in his management of
the Dakota School of Mines. 1t is an
accepted saying that Territorial or
State schools pass through a politi-
cal and a denominational stage be-
fore they reach the correct basis for
future growth. In the first stage,
the expenditure of moneys for build
ings and apparatus is likely to in
volve political patronage; and when
this period is over, and the polite
ians are no longer actively interest
ed. a denmonational stage is likely
to follow, in which good men" who
have not been successful are provid-
ed with berths as educators" AT
last the community gets tired of the
state of fairs; there is change OF
personnel; and the institution is set
upon the true road to usefulness and
success. In 1887 the Dakota School
of Mines was in the political stage
The Dean had to hold the fort
against all open assaults, as we'll as
cunning stratgems, of the politi'
clans. He kept flying high and un'
stained, the flag of principle and
!, never lowered it at any command oi
interest. What this means can be
fully understood, perhaps, by those
only who have gone through sim
liar experience.
, When | was called in 1889, to an
other educational institution, and my
| place was to be filled by the appoint
| ment of a successor whom the DeaI
? conscientiously disapproved. he re
signed his office without hesitation
, although he had at the time no Ger
} tain prospect of remunerative emplo!
} ment elsewhere.
= His genius soon found, however,
new path. He had tested by crucibl
> experiments in the laboratory, tn
| possibility of melting the siliceou
3 silver-gold ores of Ruby Basin, S. d
. and had found that this could b.
= done so as to obtain satisfactory r
S covery of the precious metals. Wha
e remained to be determined was tn
= kind of Stag that could be economi
cally produced by this process in
blast-furnace. This he undertook t
= determine at Deadwood in a smal
= blast-furnace ("baby smelters")
= and when this small operation ha
2 proved successful, he laid the founda
r tions in mining-property and plant
| for a smelling enterprise on com
mercial scale. In 1891, he erecte
Q the Deadwood and Delaware smelteI
J.. which by 1898, had grown to com
S prise five blast-fuurnaces. Durin
: this interval, he carried on many eS
e periments in semi-pyritic smelling
! and developed a new mode Of opera
= tions in this interesting branch @
e metallurgy. This smelter, destroye
= by fire in 1898, was rebuilt by Dl
1 Carpenter and managed by him unit
the property changed hands a yea
q or two later.
Domestic afflictions and the in
paired health of his wife led him t
f leave the Black Hills in 1900 and re
turn to Denver, which RENAME
thereafter his place of residence. Hi
first new work in Colorado was
o straighten out the difficulties of tn
Buena Vista plant; in the same yea
, he designed and built the works {
, the Rocky Mountain Smelling Co
at Florence, and in 1901, he did tn
O same kind of work for the Clea
4 Creek Mining & Reduction Co., 6
Golden, the plant of which he maj
aged until 1908. In 1904, he turr
2 ed his attention to the electrostati
concentration of the ores of the Non
such copper-mine at Lake Superio
in which he was successful. But b
!, maintained his general practice q
consulting mining engineer in Del
yer.
- His last important problem wa