Weekly North Carolina standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1850-1858, 1853-03-02

fuse giving ii at the same time the character Of wash
er of The best construction. This arrangement has
seemed TO us to be the perfection OF mechanical
simplicity and the attainment of the whole desdera-
tum in god mining. There is remaining point TO
be mentioned of less importance to large and veal
thy company, but which it may be well for you TO
know. 1t is feature which may go far to create a
revolution in the manner OF quartz mining, especially
in California and Australia. Il is that single one
of these machines, thatis, a.sngle ball and basin.
can be run separately By single horse or mule, or
even by four five man power, aud is estimated to
be capable of reducing least three tons Of quartz
in days work OF ten hours. For this kind OF ope.
ration the quartz must first be brough, down to a
merely manual operation, this invention seems TO
bring the whole quartz mining business within the
reach of the thousands of single aborers, groups
of laborers engaged in surface mining. An advan.
tage will still remain however in favor OF capital and
operations on the large scale. The difference in the
mode Of operation will be that the powerful engine
will be substituted for animal power. StamPers for
the sledge hammer and frame holding ten. twenty
or fifty Of Berdans basins and balls instead OF sim
gle one. We think there is machine in the world
for any purpose where there is so little power lost
by friction. 1t is the estimate o. Mr.. Berdan and
Mr.. Cutting that la stampers, with six of the basins
and balls will consume about 25 horse power and will
work at least 40 tons of ore per day of "a hours"
This machine, it is stated, extracts all the gold
from the pulverzed rock. We make another ex-
tract from the report, as follows: @
-'' The Committee first witnessed the operation up
on gold bearing quartz from mine in. Virginia, in
which gold could be witk the naked eye, and
which informed has paid th,se who are
engaged in working it with stampers more than
half cent per ID. Fifty pounds Of this was run
through the mill and the result 81 so worth Of
gold, or three cents per h., which the Committee
were Informed was all the gold there was in the rock.
To satisfy ourselves of this important point they took
portion Of the residuum, technically called - the
iaiings," to Messrs. PIau & Brothers, Maiden Lane.
and had it rigidly assayeI. Their report was that
positively no gold could be detected. The Commit
Tee. however, resolved to repeat the test under
stringent arrangements, to prevent the possibility OF
mistake. They had the machine washed out perfect.
| ly clean. strained the quicksilver through buckskn,
put the mercury in the machine themselves. ground
fifty pounds Of the ore, then strained the quick
silver again, and took out ST. SO worth ofpure gold
from the anal gum. They then to,k several pounds
Of the taings and had them carefully assayed. The
| result was the same as before" -.,.
The Phoenix Company have cancelled contracts
which they had entered into for other machinery,
and ordered this and Mr.. Berdan it is stated, had
signed contracts for his machines to the amount
of $4,000. Mr. Berdan is the inventor of Ber-
dams well known Self fCleaning Thrashing Machine
and Double-gearcd HORSEPOWER, so extensively
used in the great wheat growing States, and also
of various agricultural implements.
This invention, it is Obvious, must prove to be
of great Importance. 1t will make clean sweep
wherever it is introduced; and mines which have
been abandoned on account of the small amount
of clear profits realized by the present machinery
will no doubt again be opened and worked to ad
vantage.