The Wallace miner. [volume] (Wallace, Idaho) 1907-current, 1919-04-17
Hercules-and Tam
Iarack Again on /. !,
Active List
WORK FOR MANY MEN
Evidence of Returning Pros
perity..for Mining Industry.
Down Four Months
Asst THURSDAY afternoon
when it became known that or


ders had been issued for a re-
sumption of work at the Her.
cules and Tamarack mines, there were
general expressions Of qualification,
not alone because these big properties
would again be on the active list, but
also because it was accepted as a
strong indication that the turn in the
lane had been reached, that the metal
market gave promise of steady i'm
provement and that there would soon
be a demand that would insure maxi
mum mineral production in the dis
trict The Hercules and Tamarack
mines being controlled by the Days.
who also control the Northport smell
ter which treats the ores for these two
mines, it was naturally assumed that
the Days felt sure Of a profitable mar
ket for their product, since it was the
absence of a market that forced the
shut down four months ago. Follow
ing the shut down rumors were rife
that a deal was pending for the pur-
chase of the Day mines and smelter
by the Guggenheims, and the timely
appearance of William Loeb vice
president of the American Smelling &
Refining company, in Spokane and his
reported conference with the Days,
gave the color Of truth to the persist
ent rumors. AS time passed the rum
ors varied to fit the fancy Of those
who peddled them or through ex-
haustion Of the inventive fertility of
the brain that created them. The
Days appear to be still in peaceful
possession of their mines, smelter and
various subsidiary institutions, and If
the Guggenheim goblin has got 'em it
hasn't leaked out
Employ 800 Men.
Under normal conditions the Hercu-
les in round figures employs about
500 men and the Tamarack about 300.
During the past week many old en-
ployes Of both properties have re"
turned to work, and every day sees a
few men added to the force, but 1t
will require considerable time to Sc
cure sufficient men to bring the mir IS
up to point approaching normal
production. There are few idle men in
the district and experienced miners
are particularly hard to get. This is
due in great measure to the tend :
ency of underground workers to seek
oil a. in
summer and there seems to be plen-
ty of work in the farming districts
and on the coast. 1t is believed. how
ever that this shortage of labor will
not seriously interfere with the plans
of the two companies. While men are
being put on as fast as they apply, 1t
is probable that the gradual building
up of a working force is desired, MAX
ing the mine production conform to
the increasing demand for lead that Is
anticipated rather than start maxi
mum production at once. Besides the
absence of an immediate market, 1t Is
understood that the extensive better
ments at the Northport smelter, which
were undertaken since the shut down,
are not yet completed and that the
plant Is not in position to handle the
ore from both mines. The Hercules
mill will begin running one shift this
week, according to report
Four Months Down.
The Hercules and Tamarack mines
cfY
a holiday Of ten days. At the end of
that period men who returned to work
were informed that the shut down
would continue indefinitely The fact
that all other lead mines of the dis
trict continued in operation in spite
of the reduced price and weak mar
ket for the metal first suggested the
report that the Day mines were about
to be transferred to the trust" This
theory was subsequently dispelled by
information that appears to give the
real reason for the sudden suspension
of the Day mines The sudden ter
mination of the war left large surplus
stocks of lead with no industrial de-
mand to consume it. Lead producers
found themselves without a market
for their product and the smelters hat
the choice Of either shutting down OF
carrying a rapidly accumulating stocl
Of lead until the market came back
Necessarily the latter course involved
tying up a large amount Of money fol
an indefinite period. but 1t was never
theless generally adopted by the smel
ters. But the Days chose the former
either through the lack Of fnancia