METHOD OF ORE BUYING. 627 



3. First ore-bin level, with a wagon road between the rows of bins, allowing the 

 discharge of ore-wagons into the lower row of ore-bins, and the wheeling away of the 

 ore extracted in barrows from the upper row of ore-bins to the feeding and crushing 

 level. This level communicates, like the preceding, with the upper and lower levels 

 by means of inclined ways. 



4. Second ore-bin level, with disposition similar to preceding. 



5. Third ore-bin level, with disposition similar to preceding. 



6. Charcoal and coke-bin level, with dispositions similar to preceding. 



7. Ore-dumps, fluxes, charcoal, coke and wood reserves, or upper level. A glance 

 at Figure 2, Plate XXXI, representing smelter C, will give an idea of the disposition 

 of levels. 



The general arrangement just described is that adopted at the most favorable 

 points, but sometimes levels 3, 4, 5, and 6 are reduced to three, two, and even one level. 

 This is particularly the case on Big Evans gulch, whose banks are far from being as 

 high as those of California gulch. There the levels are reduced to two: 



1. The furnace, slag-heap, and bullion level. 



2. The feeding floor level, used also for crushing, sampling, ore-beds, and ore- 

 bins. The fuel-bins, ore-dumps, fluxes, and wood reserves are generally placed at the 

 back of the ore-bins. 



The works are always inclosed, from the furnace level to the back of the feeding 

 floor, in a light wooden structure. Where there are several levels of ore-bins they are 

 independent of the main building; but where there is only one upper level the ore- 

 bins are placed in the building. The offices and laboratory always occupy a detached 

 building. The office is always provided with large wagon scales, varying in capacity 

 from 10 to 20 tons, and used for weighing the wagons loaded with ore or bullion and 

 taring them after unloading. 



The boilers, engines, and blowers are always placed on the furnace level, on one 

 side of the furnaces, as are the smith's and mechanic's shops, which, however, often 

 occupy a small detached building. 1 



ORE BUYING. 



Method The manner in which ore is purchased by the smelters of Leadville is 

 somewhat different from the method usually pursued in other camps. The ore is pur- 

 chased outright for cash from the mines, a certain deduction being made for the loss 

 of silver in smelting, and a certain amount being charged for what is called the cost 

 of treatment. 



In the following table is shown, as a sample, for a few of the principal mines 



1. The deduction for the loss of silver in smelting. 



2. The cost of treatment. 



3. The price given for the lead contained in the ores. 



1 At the time this report was made all the smelters in California gulch were connected by side 

 tracks with the railroad, and preparations were made to connect the railroad with the smelters on Big 

 Evans gulch. 



