COST AXD PEOFITS OF SMELTING. 669 



Flux. 



Price paid for fluxes used iu 24 boiirs: 



17 tons of dolomite, at $3.50 per ton |5y 50 



2t tons of hematite, at 89-50 26 12 



$85 m 



Fuel. 

 Priee jiaid for fuel used iu 24 hours : 



9i tons of charcoal, at $18.57 per ton 171 77 



7 tons of coke, at .$37.50 per ton 262 50 



434 27 



General expenses 2, 325 39 



Wear and tear and repairs of implements, say 5 per cent, of general expenses IIC 27 



Total expenses 2,441 C6 



PROFITS PER TWEXTY-FOUR HOURS. 



Bullion obtained in 24 hours: 14 tons, assaying 136 ounces of silver to the ton, 

 equivalent to 28,000 pounds, containing 1,904 ounces of silver, or 130.56 

 pounds (avoirdupois) of silver (New York quo:ations July 31, 1880): 



27,869.44 pounds of lead, at 4i cents per pound 1,254 12 



1,904 ounces of silver, at !^1.14J per ounce 2, 175 32 



3,429 44 



Deducting refiner's charges, at $14.50 per ton ol bullion 203 00 



Deducting total expenses . . .- 2, 441 66 



2,644 60 



Net profits per 24 hours ''84 78 



Total expenses per ton of ore 50 dj 



Cost of smelting per ton of ore -0 41 



Profits per ton of ore 10 oa 



From the profit.s must he deducted a certaiu amouut for the siukiiig fund of 

 capital iuvested iu plaut aud a certaiu amouut for the iuterest ou tlie working capital. 



PLANT AND OPERATIONS OF INDIVIDUAL SMELTERS. 



Disposition of works (see Plate XXV). — TLese works are erected ou tlie uortberu 

 bauk of California gulcli. Beiug one of tbe first smelters started iu Leadville, its 

 plaut is somewLat antiquated, but, such as it is, it Las rendered good service. Tbe 

 two furnaces A A' are tbe largest circular furnaces iu tbe camp and are very clumsy. 

 Tbeir clumsiness is made more evident still when one bears that iu spite of tbeir large 

 dimensions tbeir smelting capacity is only equal to tbat of tbe smaller fiunaces at 

 present iu use at the other smelters and when it is found, as has been ])oiuted out iu 

 the composition of smelting charges, that they consume twice as mucli fuel as the 

 smaller ones. Ou the furnace level there is a battery of three .stamps. Tlie v.eight of 

 each stamp aud stem is 400 pounds. These stamps are used chiefly for crushing the coke 

 with which the steep of the furnaces is made. The furnace level commuuicates with tbe 

 feeding-tloor by means of a tlight of steps, and also by means of an elevator, chiefly 



