The Bechtelville and Ogden operations
were set pilot plants technology that would prove
its worth the mining industry exactly the same way that
the Pearl Street central station had shown the viability the
Edison electric lighting system. was only when all these efforts failed
that Edison took over the ore milling operation himself. Edison bought large steam shovels (one was
the largest America) and several travelling cranes carry
out this work. naturally needed financial
support for the project and tried attract groups of
investors into it.
Everything connected with the ore milling project was
massive, from the size the machinery the amount ore
processed each day. He
decided that was waste time persuading mine owners to
adopt the new technology.VI-23
bought mine Ogden and began equip with his ore
separation machinery. moved from selling separators going directly
28
into the mining and concentrating business. After the ground was torn apart, the huge chunks
of rock were removed and carried railroad skips the large
rock crushing machines where they were broken into
successively smaller lumps. The ore seams Ogden ran straight
line Edison used giant earth movers cut open huge strip
mine the side the mountain, creating enormous
artificial canyon. Instead was going run the mines
himself and then negotiate with the mine owners, from a
position strength, once his method had been proven
successful. The job breaking the rocks
