The Wallace miner. [volume] (Wallace, Idaho) 1907-current, 1916-04-13
YEAR OF GREAT INDUSTRIAL
ACTIVITY.

The Occur dAlene district is destin
ed to witness wonderful changes dur
ing the present year, changes whicl
will result in vastly expanding mining
operations, bringing increased pros
perity to the people and giving thu
Occur dAlene district a position o
greater Importance as an industrial
center. In past years we have looked
upon mining and concentration o.
ores as the limit of operations, the
more intricate processes of smelling
and refining being left to distant
points. But radical change has now
taken place in this respect, one which
it Is reasonable to expect will be fol-
lowed in time by other changes of
equal Importance to the district. The
erection of the great smelter and re-
finery at Kellogg will not only give
employment to several hundred addl-
tional men engaged in construction,
but will provide steady employment
for 800 or more when the plant is COM
pleted. The effect of this big enter
prise is already manifest throughout
the district in the renewal of develop
ment work due to the assurance of a
permanent market for ead-silver ore
in large and small lots without the
payment of heavy freight charges to
the smelter.
Coineident with the construction of
the smelter Is the unmistakable evil
dence that this will also be busy
year in the way of railroad construc-
ton. The branch up Pine creek
seems assured beyond question, and it
appears equally certain that Beaver
creek Is also to have railroad trans
portation, but plans for this branch
have not yet assumed definite shape
The most important prospective rail-
road construction In sight is the clos
ing of the gap of fifty miles between
Wallace and Occur d'Alene city by the |
Northern Pacific. There are unmis-
taxable signs that this work will soon |
be undertaken and rushed to compile
ton as rapidly as possible. In spite of
official announcement to the contrary.
the prediction is still made that the
Milwaukee will invade the same field
by the extension of its line from
Occur dAlene to this city before the
year is out, While all these lines may
not be built this year, some of them 10
will and all of them will come event
lally, Thus with payrolls in connec-
ion with railroad construction the .
~" S"S''Vi anu idi6ely Increased
mining operations throughout the dis
riot, the year 1916 promises to be the o
most active and prosperous in the his
ory Of mining in the Occur d'Alenes
The lead smeter at Kellogg opens II
Up most interesting field for specu-
alton as to the future of the smelling II
usiness in the Occur dAlene district u
lfter twenty-five years it has been IL
ound feasible to reduce and refine our e
ead-silver ores here, and in the mean M
Ime the district has become a large y"
roducer of zinc, and an important ri
respective producer of copper. If III
lad can be smelted and refined to adj
antage here why not zinc also? The III
Id method of zine smelling is rapidly pa
wing away to the new electrolytic co
recess, the successful operation of lty
hich seems to depend upon securing
reap electric power. With two great on
ectric power companies on each side
us fighting for business, there
lould be no trouble about the cheap
over, but if terms could not be OBJ mr.,
ined from these, the st. Joe river sto
Id the North Fork of the Coeur on,
Alene present possibilities in power SEQ
'velGpment which might solve the Iag,
oblem and make zinc smelling prac- bee
al and profitable der