Still another line of industry in which TACOMA takes the lead, is in the
reduction of ores of gold, silver, lead, copper and other metals. The
Tacoma Smelting Company’s plant on the waterfront at the north end of
the city is the largest smelter on the Pacific Coast. In 1902 the plant
was enlarged by the addition of huge copper reduction works which began
operations in September, 1902, and a copper refinery, the only plant of
its kind west of Great Falls, Montana, is now in course of construction.
The Tacoma Smelter began operations in September, 1890. In 1891 an
average of fifty-eight men were employed, and the value of the output was
$781,133.38. Five hundred men are now employed at the smelter and the
output of the plant for the year 1903 was as follows:
Gold, 176,312.41 ounces $3,644,377.51
Silver, 1,899,831.64 ounces 1,016,409.93
Lead, 22,488,377 lbs 955,756.02
Copper, 10,889,463 lbs 1,422,853.84
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Total value of output $7,039,397.30
The amount paid in wages in 1903 was $264,767.60, freight paid to
Northern Pacific railway, $336,751.85, and freight paid to vessels,
$164,392.55.