The Great Tacoma Smelter Scam

It has passed. The Selover smelter this morning has packed and boarded the train for Portland and sped rapidly into the North of nowhere, probably never more to appear as a substantial factor in the Tacoma center of existing surroundings. For a time there had been strong symptoms pointing up to this climax. Mr. Selover will build no smelter in Tacoma. He came out of the indefinite East in the dead of winter and gathered a number of Tacoma representatives of means about him. To them he said he represented a large mining company of the Coeur d'Alene; that untold wealth of ore awaited reduction; that he would build a smelter here if essential inducements were offered. The citizens responded with the offer of a site on the tide flats and, after a long course of figuring, they also offered $10,000 as a bonus. Contracts were drawn and signed. Then the question arose as to rates over the Northern Pacific to Tacoma, and so much trouble was threatened that it was hinted the smelter was 'no go.' While the outside public were breathing heavily under this painful suspense, Selover was saying to the stockholders that his Chicago partners had floaked, and suggested that the citizens here take the stock that had been rejected in the East. This proposition was not met with any considerable enthusiasm. Then he suggested that the concern be stocked for $900,000 and that the stockholders be required to pay but thirty per cent. The stockholders drew from this that Selover wanted them to present him with $10,000 and some tide flats and then build a smelter for him. The fact is, Selover did not have the money to carry out his part of the contract. He left for Portland this morning, taking about all the baggage he brought with him.