Gold Hill daily news. [volume] (Gold Hill, N.T. [Nev.]) 1863-1882, 1866-03-23
Communicated.
SODIUM

EDITOR News: Permit an humble ad-
mirer Of intellectual superiority to express
the qualification he has derived from the
perusal Of the mastery article, by "An-
shrax," (of the Aha) which appeared in
your issue Of yesterday. Henceforth, the
question Of the value of the sodium ANAL
gamation process m be considered as
definitely settled, and we are indebted to
the illustrious Anthrax" not only for
the settlement Of this question, but for q
new system of inductive reasoning, before
which the systems Of Bacon and his fol-
lowers must "pale their Intellectual fres."
This system, though in this instance re-
stricted to the denomination of the COM
parative values Of sodium and sage-brush
as actuating agents in the amalgamation
Of silver ores, is nevertheless susceptible
Of q far wider application, and may DO
made to furnish some really beautiful ex-
amples Of the adoption Of the processes Of
abstract logic to the affairs Of common
life. Thus, for instance. smelling salts
are mainly composed of carbonate Of am.
monia, prepared from sal amonaic, which
in time was originally derived from the
SCOT produced by the combustion OF
camel's dung. Now, according to can
thrax's" system, raw camel's dung may
DO supposed to contain much Of carbonate
Of amonia In a form altered BY living
animal chemistry" 1t is evident that tho
present process of preparation Is ridicu-
lousy intricate, and that raw camel's dung
constitutes, per Sc, the very best quality
of smelling salts. A conclusion Of the
highest practical importance, and which
must eventually add greatly to the value
of the few survivors Of the late Govern
ment camel express.
Another result Of this same system Of
logic, 10 that "Anthrax" discovers that
Professor Silliman has at last solved the
great problem OF Alchemic science ; has, in
fact, "rendered the mercury highly cleo.
~.ro-negative gold!" A circumstance that
must sstonish that distinguished Professor
in no less degree than the public at large.
But if word of censure might be per-
mit,ed in connection with such q distin.
eui,hed ,apan as "Anthrax" has proven
to be, might it not have been better II in
stead of at once proclaiming his discovery
to the world. Anthrax" had been q little
more c~onsiderats of the Interior conse-
ouences OF such a steps Out here IN
Nevada a very large class Of worthy PEG.
pie are deriving q not over liberal recon-
psnss from their labor in extracting the
precious metals from their rocky Businesses.
Has Anthrax " reflected that the natural
consequence Of his discovery would BE- to
lower the value Of those metals to such .
degree a. to render such labor entirely un-
remunerative? Has he reflected that he
virtually consigns Virginia City to the
destiny Of . Piute settlement where
doughty old Winnemucca, from his head.
quarters At the International Hotel, may
summon the unwashcd Hiawathas and
Minnehahas of that mighty nation to "trip
the light fantastic" in honor Of the exodus
Of tho pale face from the paradise Of the
far wests Let him pause, let him reflect,
let him consider; and II In the end he NAV
be able to devise means to avert the i'm.
pending calamity, he will have earned the
eternal gratitude and distinguished CON.
alteration Of his
Very humble servant Trxos.
Dnteh Niok's, March 20, 1855. 40