New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1864-07-13


region.
That the inexperienced may more clearly understand
the difference between placer and "lode MINING
the following brief explanation Is appended;
"PLAcER" AND "LoDE" MINING.
Where deposits of gold found in gulches on bars
or in river beds mixed only with the sands and aluvai
washings Of the mountains hilsides and requiring
ony the action of water by slucing hydraulics to
separate them ffom the earthly mixture, the term
placer" is applied TO this mode of mining. On the
other hand where gold deposits found mixed with
quartz rock prtes Of iron and copper or other metals
and occupying reias between walls OF Gold graate'
they are called lode" mines he latter can only Do
worked proftsbly by the aid Of capital and powerful
machinery; but experience has confirmed the belief that
this kind Of mining is permanent and quite az
profitable placer mining. The mines Of COLORADO
are of this class aud the leading enterprises OF the pop
u!aon are specially directed TO the improvement and
development of these veins or creyices
MINING MACHINERY USED IN COLORADO.
The success of any mining region is dependent phi
marily upon manual labor; liberal capital and powerful
machinery are important accessories, however ana ID
Colorado they essential ones
Tie machinery generally in there for obtaining
gold from tie quartz is OF very simple consruc
ton consisting chiefly Of engine Cor wheeh "a'er
power is used) and set Of stamps lor crushing tno
ore II Is the opnion Of all practical miners in Colo
RADIO with only or two exceptions that the engines
in use there are by no means large enough for the
required use. The largest of them measures 4-inch
cylinder, and 2iilch strcke "a revolutions per
minute and carries about 5Opounds Of steam In Coo
redo this engine is estimated at e0horse poweL All
other engines ere likewise overratod, and to do the
work required of them they are run at high speed.
Most Of the engines and stamping machinery have,
thus far, been made in st. Louis and Chicago. The
principal water.whecl used is the overshot, although
there are some uDder.shot and breast wheels
MINING CLAIMS
IN Colorado liberal laws are in force which give 70
the fortunate discoyerer Of quartz vein 200 local feet
Of the same and TO all others who apply in season 100
feet not already claimed These claims are recorded IN
the Clerks Office Of the District and by this process
the rights Of the parties are secured and respected
Having made your claim and had il recorded the
next thing for the miner to do is to see 10
srsK1sG SHAFT.
This is sometimes attended with great labor and not
little expense The cost of sinking shaft four feet
wide aud twelve feet long through the "capi Is es
mated to be about S per running foot If tie shaft Is
from 60 to 100 feet deep $50 per foot If Il is from 100 TO
10 feet deep and so in proportion, the expense in
creasing with the depth and consequent difficulty Of
drawing the rubbish to the surface.
Much, OF course depends upon the hardness OF the
rock through which the shaft is sunk. In cases
large proportion the whole OF the expenses OF The
shaft is betrayed by the gold found during the progress
of the work Indeed. some mines have been sunk TO
great depth without encountering the leap" al all
METHOD OF RAISING THE ORE
The quartz mills are with but single exception,
some distance from the shafts mines. The hosting
is performed by an ordinary "whim. worked some
times by horse mule and sometimes by five or sI
horsepower onguel ten fifteen horse engine would
be better when the shafts are worked 10 great depths
PROCESS or EXTRACTING TIE ORE.
The usual method Of extracting the gold may be simply
described as follows The ore is crushed to powder by
heavy stamps which fall down with great force then
the powder is mixed with water, run over metallic
plates. having slight ridges their surface, and
smeared with quicksilver thus part Of the gold is re-
tanned. q
A better process than his low extensively adopted
and known as the Keith Process" may he briefly de-
seribed as follows:
IHg KEITH PROCESS
consists Of Jaw working frame at about % strokes
crushing the dry ore, which is then conveyed by tube
OF trough 10 close, narrow sort OF fan-mil hted IN
side with three revolving Tho crushed orc is in
PRODUCED into the center and the high speed throws II
ont along the arms till II is reduced 20 fine powder
when the draft caused by the arms carries II
through three four.inch 1ue into furnace
heated to an intense heat. The Huc then expand
ing 10 a width Of three or four feet and one
foot in hight takes a slanting direction down,
about 10 feet, angle Of As degrees all the time
heated by fire underneath. The sulphur is separated
from the ore in this ue and at tue bottom 1t il cent
through an opening In the roof Of the fue another fuo
passing along the top Of the first and so OF into the
air while the desuphurized orc falls into pit where
II coos and is taken out and submitted 10 the action OF
quicksilver This process" is said to be satisfactory.
APPEARANCE OF THE ORR.
"All that gliters is not gold" The gold ore Is usu
ally Of light gray color. Many PARTICLES Of II SHINE
brightly in the SUM- and form handsome specimens to
carry away but these not the precious metal That
which gliters is not tho gold bat chiefly pyres Of IRON
PRoDUcuvEEEss OF The ORE.
| The Hon. John Evans Governor Of Colorado states
that the ore in most Of the lodes worked pays
at least ESQ per tun, while In instances the
same quantity yieks sl5O, goo. and even as high az
ESQ., treated by the stamping process alone. This orc
yields upon analysis from three TO six times as much
gold as can DO saved by the ordinary method, In
use giving results which TO the inexperienced miner sp
pear almost fabulous but Of course practical coneu
sions can be drawn from merely chemical analyses in
applicable upon large scale. The practical proofs IN
the actual yield and profit 10 the miner.
The cost Of each tun Of quartz may be fairly stated at
sl2 and the yield at ESQ thus aoTding profit at tho
rate Of 900 per cent and that, too in manufacture
business whore the returns are unusually quick and
activethe yarSs operation, Of mining and crushing
the ore. extracting and selling the gold being easily
performed within week.