The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1911-02-21
EFFECT Of LEAD
COMBINE ABROAD
Will Likely Prevent knowledge
of Actual Stocks, as Case
at Home.
FEW HANDS WILL
CONTROL SITUATION
George w. Ritter Gives Idea Of
Troubles That Beset the
Producer.

The formation OF the European lead
combination will tend to bring the foreign
disposal OF the heavy metal into very
few hands, and II is we'll known in what
few hands the domestic lead situation
now rests. The producer. therefore, sees
little hope for securing more enliGhten-
Ing lead statistics, less hope for the fu-
turo than realization in the past.
Unfortunately. tho producer OF lead has
nothing more tangible than the weekly
quotations to indicate to him the condl-
ton of tho lead market, whether there
Is much or little Of the metal on hand.
and while the price fluctuations arc pretty
good indications. they are not all that
could be desired There is lacking In the
lead industry, in other words, the pub
such n feature OF the copper industry.
On the other hand. there Us not very
thorough understanding as TO the diff
cutlcs which besct the lead producer In
getting his metal Into the market, The
difficulties OF the domestic producer have
been explicitly set forth Ivy George w,
Ritter OF Salt Lake in a portion of the
Information which Utah lead interests
submitted TO congress some time ago TO
keep the tariff on the metal intact, IT
is likely that the lead miners of the state
will be forced 10 take this matter up again
in view OF the tariff revision talk, and
the following by Mr.. Ritter will prove
timely and interesting.
Many Complex Steps.
Between the discovery OF deposits of
lead ores and the marketing or the re-
fined metal a long series OF complex
operations intervene, many of which may
properly be classed as manufacturing
processes. The more important OF these
operations are:
|. Prospecting: The search in new To-
caites for orc deposits or for signs OF
ore.
.. Developing: The installation OF hoist
ing machinery air compressors. com ,
pressed air drills, haulagc cars, pumps and
other machinery, and the making OF tun-
nels shafts. drafts. crosscutS and other
openings in the earth which may serve
in the end as avenues for bringing ore
to the surface. for drainage and for ven
tilation, but which are made primarily
In searching for suspected ore bodies and
In ascertaining their extent and value.
3 Mining. The breaking OF the ore
down, getting il to the surface and tim
bering the excavation TO keep the ground
from cavine in.
4. Tramming: Conveying the orc over
rails or by aerial tramway from the mine
to concentrating mill located near an
available water supply
). Concentrating: Breaking. crushing
and grinding the ore into the particles by
means OF proper machinery; passing the
fine particles over 1igs tables or other
approved devices. so that with the aid
OF water and by the process of gravity
the heavy particles containing the Yalu-
able mineral are collected. the bulk OF the
worthless rock and dirt being washed
away.
Advantage of Mexico.
When the ore as mined has high lead
content. as happens in some districts. and
where the gangue is not too refractory
for economical smelling, the concentrating
operation is omitted. Many of the mines
OF Mexico are notable in this respect.
g. Transportation OF the concentrated
ore. by railroad, from the concentrating
mill TO a samping works.
Z. Sampling: The obtaining OF a very
small quantity OF ore that shall represent
the average lot of many tons, so that by
means OF an assay on the sample the
value of the entire lot may be ar
rived at.
s. Transportation Of the concentrated
ore. by railroad, from the sampling works
TO a refinery.
Q. Smelling: Mixing the concentrated
lead ore with siliccous or dry ore contain
ing silver and gold and with fluXes such
as iron ore and limestone, making the
proportions such that I'm a smelling fur
mace the combination will form a molten
Stag out of which the particles OF lead,
silver, gold, and other metals may settle
and be drawn off as base bullion.
10. Transportation of the base bullion,
by railroad from the smeltery TO re-
finery.
IL Refining: Separating the lead. gold.
silver and other metals and impurities
from one another. either by combination
of fire processes, or by electrOlySlS.