WORKING GOLD ORES.

Grey River Argus, Volume XII, Issue 1291, 18 September 1872, Page 4

WORKING GOLD ORES.

[SCIENTIFIC AMERICAN.] A correspondent engaged in goldmining in North Carolina writes as follows on the subject of amalgamating gold ores ; — A great majority of mines yielding free gold produce ores that will not work more than lOdol per ton ; and of course a large quantity must be worked to make it pay. Hence, auy process that is not rapid and cheap will, not answer. As to the working of sulphuretted or rebellious ore, of the hundreds of patented and other processes hardly one is worth a moment's consideration. It may be said, however, that many of the so-called improved and newly discovered methods work well enough in the laboratory, but when put to a practical test are found to be worthless. After many experiments I have found the following process to be the best — I first roast the ore (though it is free gold ore) in large piles, rendering it very friable and thoroughly drying all the dirt and clay. In every ton of ore there is about 3001 bof fine rock and dirt, which I screened out through wire sieves of about one-quarter inch meshes, and this fine stuff I run through a common dragmill, and then through a "Georgiarocker," thus saving nearly all the gold. In fact, by this simple process, I obtain nearly 50 dollars of gold per ton of dirt, whereas, when run through the stamp-mill and over copperplate I obtain only about lOdol per ton. The rock I crush in one of the Wilson patent stamp-mills, using quicksilver in the battery, and then running the crushed matter over the ordinary copper plates. The rock ia worth fully lOdol per ton, but 1 save only about half of this. But if this cannot be done, then erect a tommon furnace, having the fire surfaces of good soapstone ; then to every 1501 bof ore put in one bushel of charcoal and 10 per cent of salt. The oro will readily melt to a slag, and will be pretty well desulphurised. The slag can be drawn off, and when cold can be broken up and worked like free gold ore. A small trial furnace can be built of good fire brick, and an ordinary blacksmith's bellows will answer to blow tbo fire. As the loss of gold, by tho present process of amalgamation is known to be very great, and in many cases disastrous to those engaged in mining, it seems to me that the different processes which have been found to work the best by different miners should be made known to the public. ' In this way much good may be done, and a great industry made more valuable than it is.