The Sun.
London, England, 1866-03-12 00:00:00

NEVADA.

THE SILVER REDUCTION PROCESSES OF NEVADA.—AII
important memoir under this title was read at the present
session of the National Academy of Sciences, at Washing-
ton, by Professor Silliman. This paper embraced a de-
tailed statement of the so-called Pan process of Nevada—
a kind of quickened Patio process, the pan being only a
highly-improved and perfected form of the old Mexican
Arrastra. The paper was illustrated by extended and
minute tabular statements of the results of this metallur-
gical process as drawn from the records and statistics of
the best silver mills in Nevada. The statistics of seventy
mills were also tabulated in a systematic manner. Ana-
lysis of the ores of the Comstock Ledge, the results of the
patio and barrel reduction processes of the Ophir Works,
in the Washoe:Valley, and other similar details, illustrated
the paper'gleaned by Professor Silliman during his re-
searches in 1864 among the silver mines of Nevada.
This paper was accompanied by interesting oral
remarks illustrative of the mineralogy and mining pro-
cesses of the Comstock Ledge, which, since its discovery
in 1859, has returned to America, in spite of the very ex-
travagant waste of ores at the outset, about $50,000,000
up to the close of 1865. The nature of this communica-
tion, full of interest for the miner, metallurgist, and states-
man, is such that no justice can be done to it in a newspa-
per abstract.
NATIVE IRON IN NEVADA.—The Virginia Enter-
prise says :—" Near Dog Valley Hill, on the Henness Pas
Route, is a large vein of a mixture of quartz or country
rock, which has puzzled our miners over since 1860. In
1861 a company took up a claim, but could not make
out what it contained by any of the tests in common use
among miners, and the returns from rock sent to Cali-
fornia and other places for assay were very contradic-
tory and unsatisfactory. The ore contained a malle-
able metal which some supposed to be platina,
and for a time there was a good deal of excitement among
owners about the lead. However, there was no work done,
and finally the mine was about forgotten. The rich dis-
coveries in Excelsior attracting the attention of miners in
that direction, the lead was again located and slightly
prospected. The new owners were determined to find out
exactly what their ore contained, so they sent a quantity
of it to Richard and Wiegaud, assayers, at Gold Hill, for
chemical analysis. The result shows the rock to contain
a small per cent. of gold and silver, and a very consider-
able quantity of native iron, something rarely seen. This
was the malleable metal which had so lung puzzled the
prospectors.
The Virginia Enterprise has the following mining intel-
ligence :—The yield'of the Gould and Corry mine for the
year ending November 27, 1865, was 12,948 tons, valued
at $38.14 per ton, and amounting to $493,816.72. The yield
of the Chollar-Potosi mine for the same period was 12,5091
tons of ore, valued at $30,75 3-5 per ton, amounting to,
$884,742.10. The Savage yielded 8,036 tons, valued at $36
per ton, and amounting to $343,404. The Ophir yielded
3,000 tons, valued at $18.33 1-3 per ton, and amounting to
$55,000. The Mexican yielded 1,791 tons, valued at
$17,92 2-5 per ton, amounting to $32,119.81. Total num-
ber of tons extracted, 32,2851 amounting to $279,101.68
from those five mines.
COLORADO.

In late papers from Colorado are statements concerning
lie workings of old-fashioned mills, such as the follow-

Lng

"Mr. Fitzpatrick shipped one hundred and fifty-two
ounces of gold yesterday morning, the result of a week's
run from thirty-five stamps, upon which Mr. F. assures
us there was a thousand dollars absolutely clear profits.
Mr. F. took charge of the Gunnel Company's works about
the Ist of August, since which time he has shipped East
2,252 ounces of gold—at the generally prevailing rates of
premium durinz that period, worth $51,796."
The Smith ad Parmelee Company shipped during the
same period sixty-one thousand nine hundred and fifty-
nine dollars, with even a greater proportion of net profits.
Most of the gold produced in Colorado is sent through
by private hands or special messengers, and yet Ben. Hal-
lemy's express is carrying at thepresent time over $lOO,OOO
per week of gold. The returns of the Philadelphia mint
show that Colorado is at present second only to California in
amount of gold coined there, Colorado having furnished
for coinage nearly four times as much gold as any other
one of the new States and territories.

The receipts of gold from Colorado up to last year
amounted to $30,000,000. It is thought that this will prove
a most
productive gold-bearing State. All the country
needs to develop() and secure the rich mineral products of
Colorado is the building of the Pacific B.ulroad.
PitOFITS ON COLORADO MINING.—Many encouraging re-
ports from the gold mines of Colorado Territory have come
to hand recently, but perhaps none deserve more attention
than a. plain business-like letter, just published by the
" Dock Cold Company." From tho figures given it ap-
pear
nows that the poorest qualities of Colorado gold ores
can
be worked to great advantage. On the basis stated
a mill that can put through four cords (or forty tons) of
ore, that will yield only three hundred dollars to the cord
of ten tons, must net ono thousand dollars per day clear
profit. Mr. Bowles, who accompanied Speaker Colfax on
his recent Western tour, estimates that Colorado gold ores
will average sloodollars per ton, or about three times pm,
per cord.

A despatch from Denver, Colorado, on the Bth, says that
150 pounds of bullion from Colorado ores were obtained
from the first runs of a new smelting process on exhibition
The process exceeds the most sanguine expec..
tt alietiroen:s •
MONTANA.

moNTANA AWES. —Captain Nich. "Welland, an old citizen,