The Wallace miner. [volume] (Wallace, Idaho) 1907-current, 1917-05-31

definite announcement that it
would erect a great lead smell
ter at Kellogg has there been a more
important announcement so far as the
Coeur d'Alene district is concerned
than that made by II. w. Bradley
president of the Bunker Hill & Sulli-
van company, last week that his com
Ipany would Immediately begin the
construction of an electrolytic zine re-
tinery as soon as the big lead smeter
is in operation. The Bunker Hill
company is not a producer of zinc,
and the decision of the company to
build a great plant for the reduction
and refining of zinc ores is a distinct
recognition of the present and future
importance of zinc mining in this dis
trict. 1t may mean that the Bunker
Hill company is in the market for
zinc mines, and it does mean beyond
question that the company is prepar-
ing to provide "A local market for zinc
cres. This means that the producers
of zinc ore, both large and small, will
receive the same benefit that the COM
pletion of the lead smelter will bring
to the lead miners. The elimination
of the long freight haul will make it
possible for much zinc ore to be min
ed at profit. The electrolytic pro-
cess is particularly adapted to low
grade and complex ores, and a iocal
S,rn al Tor 70 n a
much ore of this character that is now
practically valueless.
Market for Both Lead and Zinc.
A serious difficulty that producers
Of complex zinc-lead ore have en-
countered is to get fair price for
both metals. Electrolytic zinc refin-
ers are not generally prepared to han
die the lead, with the result that the
miner in order to~market his ore must
accept very low price for his lead
content, practically limiting his profit
to the zinc. This condition will doubt
lessly be remedied when the Bunker
Hill >& Sullivan company enters the
zinc smelling field. Being equipped
with both zinc and lead reduction
works and the two plants in close
proximity, the company will be in
position to make attractive terms for
both metals. This situation will prove
Of special advantage. to the miners of
Pine creek, where there is much COM
plex zinc-lead ore and which baffled
oil ncfa ~, nj M
til the discovery of the electrolytic
process by the Anaconda company.
Bunker Hill Zinc Plant.
The initial capacity of the electro
the Bunker Hill company will be 800
tons per day, not 80 tons as had been
published. 1t will be built near the
lead smelter, and like that model
plant, it will be planned with the view
to enlargement when conditions justi-
fy 1t without modification or altera-
tion of the original plant. Whether
the process will be identical with that
used by the Anaconda company is not
known. While that process Is protect
ed by patent, it is known that the
Anaconda company is not disposed to
monopolize its use. 1t may be that
the Bunker Hill company has evolved
a process of its own, for it is known
that for several years it has been CIV
ing much attention to electrical ex-
periments for the recovery of both
zinc and lead.
Great Smelling Center.
All indications point to Kellogg as
a great smelling center. Having over
come what has long been supposed to
be an insurmountable barrier in the
form of freight rates to profitable
smelling Of lead ores in the Occur
d'Alene district, it looks like the Bun
ker Hill company has in view the
steady expansion Of its operations un-
til Kellogg becomes one Of the great
est smelling and refining centers in the
west In combining the refining of the
lead and zinc opens the way for the
manufacture Of those metals into the
various forms in which they appear
! in commerce, and it Is not beyond the
range of possibility that the Bunker
Hill company may eventually enter
this branch of the business also. 1t is
u great progressive company, with
practically unlimited financial re-
sources, and having added smelling
Continued on page -