Gold Hill daily news. [volume] (Gold Hill, N.T. [Nev.]) 1863-1882, 1864-02-20

Accidentally dropped into Knights assay Office
Yesterday our attention was called 10 large gold
brick from the Jefferson mill, the result Of last
weeks work This brick was a tritle larger than
an ordinary clay brick, und weighed 2Oi ounces
Troy or 81 pounds averdupois While examining
this little pile" Mr.. Aaron, the assayer Of the es
tablshment asked us TO walk into the assnying
department and witness the m0GHS 0perdndi by
which the fneness or true value Of such brick OF
gold is ascertained We accepted and spent hall
an hour amidst hot ovens, chemical perfumes and
other paraphernaa of the alchemist. We found
the place. 70 far rs we were able to judge, in cX-
celcnt preparation for the business designed, and
we at once were initiated into the secrets of the
order" We don't know but that We shall be VIC.
lating confidence by publishing description OF
what we saw, but we are determined to do It anu
take the consequences, knowing that while we
may do one friend IL wrong, our rrcompcnsc is in
the fnct that do many friends favor in letting
them know how they can do their own nssaying
and save expense. SO here 1t goes, though In style
and language which may not be readily understood.
The brick was first nipped at opposite ends of q
small piece of gold, perhaps fifty cents worth ia
ken from each end in order for double assay, and
TO ascertain If there any great variance i'll the
true fnepcss of the brick. These pieces were then
placed in pair of scales, very dmnutive and of
exceeding accuracy-wOuld weigh feather.
When the weight was asccrtaincd, several grains
of silver added to it, and snvclOped in lead
wrapper and placed in cupel, and the Ii tier put
into furnace (hottcr than the old
fashioned preachers used to tell lis about where
II was allowed to remain ten minutes and until
the lead was oxydated and sunk into the sub.
stance of the cupcl, while the gold and silver re-
manned pure When taken from the oven, the
gold and silver presented only the appearance of
silver The little buttons, rs we may term
them were placed on an anvil hammered out
slightly and then placed in small rolling ma
chine and drawn into very thin sheet. These
sheets are then rolled up very loosely, put back
into the oven for anncaling that the pores may
be opened for the penetration of the acid which
is next to separate the silver from the gold. The
gold and silver was then dropped into glass YES
sells about eight inches in length and two inches
in circumference half filed with nitric acid, and
these placed over u fame of fire The battery
arranged in this establishment is n line Of gas
pipe 80 punctured as TO send full blaze upon
the base Of these vessels The gas applied, the
acid bubbles and boils and sends forth tiorid
fume which is conducted into the chimney. This
process IN continued until the acid RECEIVERS its
aware that the work is accomplished-the silver
absorbed in the acid, and the gold left in pure
state.
When these gold sheets come out Of this pro.
cess they present Il very odd appearance, and
are AZ tender and not very dissmar to cooked
vermicelli, although little darker. The gold is
next placed back into the oven, receiving another
short baking, and is then ready for re-wCi ching.
When placed on the scale again, "a scale arrang-
ed on the standard Of onc-thousandths tineness)
whatever 1t has lost in weight by the process,
is deducted from the original and that sum is the
figure fixing the standard of fineness. This
statement is clear TO the alchemst and TO us, but
we suspect that it is not so cear to the reader
AfdrVspiile appeal.