MATERIALS USED IN SMELTING. 



637 



small quautity, owing to tlje fact that the ores themselves often contain the requisite 

 quantity of iron to form slag, and to reduce arsenical, antimonial, and sulphuret com- 

 pounds of lead. Dolomite, as will be seen later, forms as good a flux as carbonate of 

 lime; its chief defect is that the slag formed is less fusible than pure liine-aud-iron 

 slag. 



Before the railroads reached Leadville the smelters were compelled to use 

 dolomite. Since that time it is said that a smelting firm has adopted the use of 

 limestone with good results and that its use is likely to become general in the camp. 



Smelting in Leadville at the present day is never, badly performed, chiefly for 

 the reason that all the furnaces are constructed on the same principles and are pro- 

 vided with the latest improvements. The imperfections in smelting are generally 

 intentional, and are based on economical grounds which are in themselves unattack- 

 able and render criticism useless. Still, it must be stated that a few smelting firms 

 have brought smelting in Leadville to actual practical perfection, and in their economic 

 results these are the most successful. 



STATISTICS OF LEADVILLE SMELTERS. 



In Table IV will be found the following information, compiled from data gathered 

 by special experts for Mining Statistics of the Tenth Census and by the writer, for the 

 year ending June 1, 1880, each smelter being designated by a letter: 



I. Annual consumption of ore. 



II. Annual consumption of fluxes; their nature and cost. 



III. Annual consumption of fuels; their nature and cost. 



IV. Annual production of bullion; its contents, and cost of transportation. 



V. Relations between ore, fuel, fluxes, bullion, and silver. 



VI. Plant of each smelter. 



VII. Labor; amount, time employed, and cost. 



TABLE IV. 

 I. ORE. 



1. Dolomite. 



2. Hematite. 



3. Average price of dolomite per toil. 



4. Average price of hematite per ton. 



a No data. 



b Cost of Uauling. 



