The mountain Democrat., 1865-08-26
InexhauStibiIity Of silver Mines


A correspondent Of the Tribune,
writing from Freiburg. Saxony, seeks
to draw from hIh observations at that
place the conclusion that all silver
mines are inexhauStibls. Knowing
that newspaper assertions Of this
character frequently pass for scien.
tific conclusions and assume an au
thority to which they are not enti-
tied, We take the liberty Of correct
ing both the premises and conclu-
sions Of the writer in question.
One or two tri6ing criticisms upon
his letter may not be out Of place.
l. "Freihurg" is not the name Of
the Saxon city "Freiberg," but the
seat Of the celebrated University Of
Southern Baden.
Q. Silver is not "f0und in the ore
in combination with sulphur, chic.
rinc and iodine" Chl0rides and 10.
dides Of silver do not occur ih the
Freiberg district. Lead, arsenic
and antimony, which are not men.
TONED by this cOrreSpondent,are the
main elements Of the Freiberg ores.
The great mass Of these ores is ar,
gentifcrous galena.
8. The method Of extracting silver
from the Freiberg ores cannot be
called the most perfect yet discov-
cred, if that assertion is intended TO
apply to the silver ores of Nevada
also. There is no panacea. process
which will suit equally all sorts Of
ores.
4 The inexhaustibility of silver
beahing lodcs is not proved by the
experience Of the Freiberg mines
But, without discussing the matter
from this standpoint, we desire to
adduce another and most striking
fact which is OF itself Sufficient to
Overturn the dogma thus set up.
The Government of Hanover is |
now occupied with the solution of
grand socitl problem. For three
centuries the population Of the An.
dreaSberg district, in the Hartz, has
been employed in the celebrated sill.
yer miOes Of that district. From fa-
ther to son the work has been be.
queathed; and the AndreaSbcrgers
are neither able nor willing to do !
anything else.
Now, these silver mines, once the |
wonder Of the world. furnishing eve.
~ cabinet in Europe With its most
magnificent specimens Of ruby, silver
and other splendid ores arc literal
ly and absolutely exhausted. For
several years this painful result has |
been foreseen, and the Government
has employed the best talent of the
continent in vain attempts to diScov-
er some escape from impending rsin.
Thousands of dollars have been
spent; scientific com missions have
been at work for months; no dis
trict in the world has ever been so
thoroughly and minutely examined.
The result is conclusion beyond the
shadow of a doubt.
The rich veins of Andreasberg
have yielded their entire store oi
wealth. and they absolutely cease to
exist at the points to which the
mines now reach. THe phenomenon
Is not wholly inexplica bic, but it is
1oEeign to our purpose to discuss it
here. The distress and destruction
which has fallen upon q fouriShing
and happy community are witnesses
to the fact, and the fact itself is con
rclusive witness that no vein is mex
hauStiblo, simply because it is a sill
ver-bearing vein. The question of
extension in any mineral deposit can
not be so cavalierly settled; and it's
answer depends as much on the pro.
cess by which q vein came into exis
tence as upon the absolute constitu-
,ents Of its ore. But the subject be-
com-s too large for the limits Of an. |
article. The science Of mineral de.
posits needs an English textbook.
Incomplete as are the various works
Of Gotta, GetchWaRu end others in
German, they are better than any
thing We have in this country, and
our people require some defense
against the careless observation and |
hasty generalization Of Young Amer
ica.- Exchange.