COST AND PEOFITS OF SMELTING. . , 669 



Flux. 



Price paid for fluxes used in 24 hours : 



17 tons of dolomite, at $3.50 per ton $59 50 



2$ tons of hematite, at $9.50 26 12 



$85 62 



Fuel. 

 Price paid for fuel used in 24 hours : 



9J 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 3!) 



Wear and tear and repairs of implements, say 5 per cect. of general expenses 11G 27 



Total expenses 2,441 66 



PROFITS PER TWENTY-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 44 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 of bullion 203 00 



Deducting total expenses 2, 441 66 



2,644 66 



Net profits per 24 hours 784 78 



Total expenses per ton of ore 50 86 



Cost of smelting per ton of ore 20 41 



Profits per ton of ore 10 35 



From the profits must be deducted a certain amount for the siuking fund of 

 capital invested in plant and a certain amount for the interest on the working capital. 



PLANT AND OPERATIONS OF INDIVIDUAL SMELTERS. 

 SMELTER A. 



Disposition of works (see Plate XXV). These works are erected on the northern 

 bank of California gulch. Being one of the first smelters started in Leadville, its 

 plant is somewhat antiquated, but, such as it is, it has rendered good service. The 

 two furnaces A A' are the largest circular furnaces in the cauip and are very clumsy. 

 Their clumsiness is made more evident still when one hears that in spite of their large 

 dimensions their smelting capacity js only equal to that of the smaller furnaces at 

 present in use at the other smelters and wheii it is found, as has been pointed out in 

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

 smaller ones. On the furnace level there is a battery of three stamps. The weight of 

 each stamp and 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 communicates with the 

 feeding-floor by means of a flight of steps, and also by means of an elevator, chiefly 



