| Show PONDERAY SMELTER BLOWN IN special correspondence spokane wash oct 24 three hours after blowing in the first furnace at the idaho smelting smelling Sm elting refining companas comp anys plant at ponderay Pon deray idaho oct 19 the slag was tapped off amid the screeching of steam whistles and the cheers of men and women from various parts of idaho montana washington and british columbia the work was under the of C C titus who was congratulated on all sides upon the success of the initial firing three bars were run and some of the molten metal was dropped upon the sand in the absence of molds and taken away as souvenirs afterward there was a dinner at the gordon hotel where prominent mining and smelter men discussed matters predicting big things for the panhandle smelter which is a well equipped plant the plant cost part of which was s furnished by the greenough brothers ot of spokane and missoula and W S geho and other montana afen while largely interested te rested the greenough brothers are not operating the plant by virtue of that con arol but through I 1 an arrangement with creditors of the old company the panhandle smelting smelling Sm elting company and with the montana mine owners association by which the creditors have agreed to extend the time for settlement one year and the mine owners to supply the plant with all the ore necessary to keep it running steadily the panhandle smelting smelling Sm elting company owed to winnipeg and manitoba capitalists who had advanced large sums to put the plant in running shape prior to the flurry of a year ago with the slump in copper and financial stringency the smelter just on the point of operation was forced to close and for several months J herbert anderson president and manager sought financial aid to resume it was at this time early in the present year the montana mine aline owners association was formed to build a smelter if necessary at which its members nearly 1000 in number could take their ores for quick and fair treatment A crew was at once assembled a C C titus formerly superintendent of the A S R plant at east helena mont was put in charge and the work of remodeling was pushed to a conclusion W D greenough announces the plant will continue operation indefinitely the plant is designed to have lead and copper stacks each of tons c capacity apa city but the lead stack is the only one yet c completed 0 M the company will enlarge the plant as rapidly as its new business ex bands to justify it it was put into operation oct 20 with tons of ore in the bins and with sufficient coke to run a month while arrangements have been completed within the last ten days to supply the plant with all the ore it can handle W D greenough has received advance sheets of freight schedules from the northern pacific railway which give rates for ores from various montana idaho oregon and washington camps favorable to th the i e new company and making it the equal in transportation facilities of the american smelting smelling Sm elting refining company and the amalgamated copper company the operation of the present plant is due to a need on the part of small mine owners and particularly those in montana for an independent smelter which would give them the full value of their ores and satisfactory treatment in the inai matter of adjusting charges the mines affected include virtually all the small producers of montana and several of the large coeur dalene mines many of which are still under contract to the american smelt ing refining company mr titus superintendent of the smelter said in speaking of the success at the opening of the plant every credit is due to H L morehouse mor ehouse constructing engineer and to L J wolfe master mechanic for the results of our labors the plant is now in excellent condition with a long list of shippers and good facilities for handling the ores among the shippers in the coeur calenes dA lenes there are the success the evolution and callahan group and around pend fend oreille lake bishop brothers ray lovelace and the well known blue abird green monarch and minerva mines we have just received 25 tons from the minerva mine running more than 1000 ounces of silver to the ton the second furnace will be blown in about the middle of november and will give us tons capacity the second roaster will also be ready by that time |
