Sep 08, 2018 — GREENWOOD, BC (BG)

PAUL JOHNSON - PART TWO

As we look back at the history of Greenwood, and in today's Feature, at the life and times of Paul Johnson, we find an interesting footprint in the historic papers. Mr. Johnson's work as manager of the Greenwood smelter construction was so interesting to Greenwood readers that he not only made mention in many editions of the weekly news, but his activities were repeatedly mentioned in the Ten Years Ago column of the Boundary Creek Times.

Here are some of the highlights of Mr. Johnson's activities, reprised ten years later in the Times, beginning with a 'look back' at his arrival in 1899:

Aug 13, 1909 — "Paul Johnson will consult with Frederick Keffer, the manager of the B.C. Copper Co., relative to a site for a smelter. Mr. Johnson has arrived from California this week."

Aug 20, 1909 — "Paul Johnson, M.E., is here. The smelter will be built at the mouth of Copper creek, within the city limits."

Sep 03, 1909 — "Last night a big banquet was given to Paul Johnson, at the Pioneer Hotel. There were 50 business men there. The Smelter is assured."

Sep 10, 1909 — "Paul Johnson says "this place will beat Butte."

Dec 03, 1909 — "Paul Johnson has gone to New York to consult with the B.C. Copper Co. directors re the purchase of machinery for the new smelter."

Mar 18, 1910 — "Paul Johnson is the best advertising agent the city could have, he looses no opportunity to boost for this city."

Aug 26, 1910 — "Paul Johnson, M.E., general manager of the B.C. Copper Co., returned on last Monday's train from Europe."

The Paul Johnson story begins with this announcement in the Times, on April 29, 1899:_[1]

"A New York despatch states that Paul Johnson, until lately with the Guggerheimer Smelting company of Mexico, would leave New York in a few days to take charge of the smelter for the British Columbia Copper company on that company's property at Greenwood. Officials of the B. C. Copper company informed The Times that the announcement was rather premature. The B. C. Copper company will build a smelter to treat their own ores, but before this is done more work will be done on the Mother Lode."

The "Guggerheimer" smelter that the Times referred to was another historically famous mining project bankrolled by the wealthy Guggenheim family of Philadelphia. In 1889, the Guggenheims founded the Philadelphia Smelting and Refining Company in Pueblo, Colorado, smelting ore that was high in zinc. In 1890, Mexico allowed the Guggenheims to create the Great National Mexican Smelting Company, which built a lead smelter in Monterrey and a lead/copper smelter in Aguascalientes, Mexico.

So controversial was the project, which brought 'foreign' American workers onto Mexican soil, that the Mexican government had to station armed troops on the Monterrey smelter site to keep the peace. This was the work environment that Paul Johnson would have experienced while helping to build the Mexico smelters.

In 1898, another U.S. industrialist formed the Standard Oil Company, which quickly became an adversary of the Guggenheims. In 1899, the Standard Oil men formed ASARCO, the American Smelting and Refining Company, which quickly had to give up 50% ownership to the Guggenheims in order to avoid a major turf war. It was during this period of corporate uproar that Paul Johnson left the Guggenheim smelter project in Mexico, and headed to British Columbia for his next big project — the Greenwood smelter.

During the summer months of 1899, Johnson made his way north, stopping in California, and eventually in Nelson before landing in Greenwood, as noted in an August 12th edition of the Times:_[2]

"Mr. Paul Johnson, the well known smelter expert, has arrived in Nelson from California and will reach Greenwood in a few days. Mr. Johnson will consult with Mr. Keffer, the manager of the B. C. Copper company, relative to the selection of a site for a smelter. The report in Tuesday's News-Advertiser that the smelter will be built at Cascade, nine miles distant from the Mother Lode mine, is palpably inaccurate. The smelter will be built on Boundary creek, probably at the mouth of Copper creek."

Greenwood B.C. Copper Co's Smelter, c. 1910

By the following week, the Times was able to give a detailed report_[3] on the arrival of Paul Johnson, whose fame had obviously preceded him — even in this debut report, they referred to him as the "smelting Messiah ":

A BIG SMELTER.
MR. PAUL JOHNSON, M.E. IS HERE

"Mr. Paul Johnson is here. He is the smelting Messiah who is to deliver the people from any disappointment because of the installation of the Graves' smelter at Grand Forks. Mr. Johnson means business, and evidently means to stay. He is armed with half a dozen trunks and as many valises, a million dollars or so, and an enviable reputation as a successful smelter expert.

He is here representing the British Columbia Copper Company, Limited, of New York and as an earnest of his intention to erect a smelter he brought with him Mr. John Norborn the mining machinery expert of the Union Iron Works San Francisco.

Mr. Johnson is the heavy weight among the experts. He carries around some 300 odd pounds daily and still remains a genial, jovial gentlemen. Mr. Johnson was not desirous of making public the details of his plans, but he stated positively that he was here to build a large smelter. Questioned as to the location, Mr. Johnson stated that he would make a thorough inspection of the district. When asked regarding a water supply he laughed. "That does not need to frighten any one," he said. ''Water is not a serious consideration with the latest methods for taking care of the slag. Any of the small streams in this locality has sufficient water for a big smelter."

Mr. Johnson has been in consultation with Mr. Keffer, of the Mother Lode, several times since his arrival. It is understood that. Mr. Keffer believes the most convenient and suitable site for a smelter to treat Mother Lode ore is up Copper creek, near Scott McRae's ranch. The company took the precaution to secure a site here some time ago. When Mr. Johnson has an opportunity to look over the ground he will be in a position to give more definite information. He has had a long and successful experience as a smelter expert. He built the Hall mines smelter at Nelson, smelters in Mexico and has just completed the erection of a smelter in California for the principals in the British Columbia Copper company. He is a graduate of the Royal Technical School and Mining Academy of Stockholm, Sweden.

Mr. Norborn is here to arrange for the installation of the plant, which will be supplied by the Union Iron Works of San Francisco. This company supplied the plant for the smelter erected by Mr. Johnson in California."

Paul Johnson's alma mater
The Royal Technical School and Mining Academy, Stockholm, Sweden
(later the KTH Royal Institute of Technology)

FOOTNOTES:

[1] Boundary Creek Times — Apr 29, 1899, p. 1
https://open.library.ubc.ca/collections/bcnewspapers/xboundarycr/items/1.0170193 c

[2] Boundary Creek Times — Aug 12, 1899, p. 1
https://open.library.ubc.ca/collections/bcnewspapers/xboundarycr/items/1.0170218" target="_blank">

[3] Boundary Creek Times — Aug 19, 1899, p. 1
https://open.library.ubc.ca/collections/bcnewspapers/xboundarycr/items/1.0170217" target="_blank">