Smelter, Water and Light

Reprint of this story from the January 5, 1900 issue of The Grand Encampment Herald brought to you courtesy of Grandma’s Cabin, Encampment, Wyoming. Preserving History - Serving the Community.

SMELTER, WATER AND LIGHT

Companies Organized and Preparing

for Business

Wyoming Tribune. — Articles of three new incorporations that will operate in the state of Wyoming and assist in developing the resources of the state were filed in the secretary’s office yesterday.

The Boston-Wyoming Smelter Power and Light Company organized with a capital stock of $600,000, and the object for which the company is formed is stated to be “to own, control and operate a smelter or smelters, and to acquire possession of such property as may be necessary to the successful operation of the same.” The smelter or smelters, whichever it may be, are to be located in the town of Grand Encampment, Carbon county. The trustees are as follows: Willis George Emerson, H.A. Frambach, George W. Ferris, Bernard McCaffrey, T.J. Milner, Fenimore Chatterton, and I.C. Miller.

Articles were also filed for the incorporation of a concern to be known as the Frambach Water Works Company, with a capital stock of $60,000 and the following trustees: Willis George Emerson, H.A. Frambach, Bernard McCaffrey, Fenimore Chatterton, .and W.R. Thompson. The company is organized for the purpose of erecting, constructing and operating a system of water works to supply water to the town of Grand Encampment.

The third company is the Emerson Electric Light Company with a capital stock equal to that of the water company and with the same trustees. The object of this company, as its name implies, is to erect and operate an electric light and power plant to furnish light and power to the town and people of Grand Encampment, and also to the operation of mines and other property.

It is intended that work on all three of the new enterprises will commence early in the spring and be pushed forward to completion. The smelter is expected to be ready for use by the first of June, and will be capable of handling 100 tons of ore per day.

There are a large number of mines in the vicinity of the town that produce a grade of ore containing from seven to fifteen percent of minerals, which cannot be shipped to Colorado points and be made to pay freight rates and leave any profit to the operators of the mines. This difficulty will be overcome by the erection of the new smelter as the ore can then be reduced in bulk to such an extent as to make its shipment remunerative.

Although great strides have been made during the past few years in the mining industry in the vicinity of Grand Encampment, it is expected that the operation of a smelter at that place will give a new impetus to the developments being made, and that the country will be rapidly opened up by the prospectors that will flock to the camp.

The north fork of the Grand Encampment river will furnish the supply of water not only for the city water system but for power to operate the electric light plant as well. The river has an abundance of water at all times and from the place where the dam will be built to the townsite there is a fall of 200 feet. This will result in a very high pressure that can be utilized in mechanical operations of all descriptions.

It has been ascertained that a large force of men will be employed within a short time and that work on all three of the enterprises will be begun simultaneously. The men back of the new companies are a sufficient guarantee that within the next few years the town of Grand Encampment will see some wonderful improvements.