The evening Argus. [volume] (Rock Island, Ill.) 1861-1871, 1867-09-26

hundred and seventy-feet in perpendicular
depth. AS the bucket descends from the
light of day into darkness we soon lose all
sense of motion, and should any part of our
clothing happen to touch the plank walls of
our dark passage it would give the idea of
an upward motion of the plank. But soon,
far down in the depth of darkness, is seen
the feeble light from a miners candle, which
gradually grows larger and brighter, until
we hang upon q level with few blanks
which serve as platform near the bottom
of the shaft. Landing upon this, candle in
hand, we are ready to explore the surround.
ing darkness. Below US, upon the bottom
OF the mine, men are at work sinking it
deeper. Upon one side of rock-bound
room, ten or twelve feet square, is spatter-
ing waterfall trying hard to fill the mine,
while upon the other side huge snakelike
hose Is as busy in drawing the water from
the floor
In working these mines, the shaft is gen.
orally sunk to a required depth then from
this, following the direction of the seam, hor.
izontal drifts are made, working from the
floor up. As it is difficult to blast the min.
eral out from the crevice, they first work
along taking out the wall rock, las it is call
edl or that rock which bounds the mineral
vein, upon one side, after which the mineral
| is blasted off from the other.
In leaving the main shaft we can, from
some landings, walk along rocky floor
To other drifts we must climb wet, slippery
| ladders or crawl up and down narrow rock
| passages. Sometimes we IND the drift quite
narrow and sometimes quite wide and room
| like. Here, standing upon a timber hoor,
we see above us pieces of huge logs, placed
across the lode, their ends resting in inches
in the wall rock. Upon, these other and
smaller timber, or logs are placed to form
| floor for the works above. We hear the
| dull, smothered reports from the blasts
above, and are told that this is the report
| from the operation called Notwithstanding,
or the throwing down of rock from the sides
and ceiling upon the floor above us. Thus
other drifts are worked in to required
length. Then others are started. By
these means the lode will, in course of time
be entirely worked out, leaving, in place o
mineral. loose fragments of wall-rock AMI
timber floors. Down, deeply buried in thes'
damp, dark, cherries crevices, are founc
cavities containing crystals clear as the pur
est water cubes of iron massed in bril-
liant groups, others set beautifully in the mos
snow-liks quartz; and bright, glittering min
erals, mixed in the strangest forms while
from other pieces, gold, silver and crystal
sparkle with the most gem-like brillianc
when exposed to the light of day above.
| We will now return to the works above
so, with the comfor table assurance that tn
rope sometimes breaks when not watches
closely by the men, we again step into til
iron bucket and are drawn quickly up to tn
small, misty opening seen far above US.
The ore is placed in small cars and ru
out to the mill, from Gregory No. 2, but i
No. it is raised within six feet of tn
stamps. In the front part of the large'
mill is a long row of stamps, each weighin
900 pounds, and arranged in batteries {
) groups. By the continued action of tn
: great weight, and free supply of water, tn
ore becomes fine enough to be washe
through fine sieve into large rocking pan
behind the stamps. Upon copper plates
t the batteries, and also in the cradles, quicl
e silver is spread. This, having great affini
. for gold, retains about 40 per cent. of VIII;
was in the quartz. The rest of the gold, vii
the pulverized rock, passes on through ii
rockers into large circular tank, where it
again supplied with water, which is kept r
volving by four radiating rows of bushes
: By this means the heavier particles a
|
gathered for future reworking. At prop
intervals the quicksilver is scraped from Il
copper plates, formed into balls and Ike
!. for separation, which is done by the apple
! ton of heat The weekly retort amounts
r from $4,000 to $4,000.
T. The difficulty IN removing the sulph
s from the mineral in this process proven
k much of the gold malgamating, only 40 p
cent. being saved. But by the other pr
4 cesses, known as the disappointing al
J. chloridizing, IS per cent. of the gold ass
: is saved, and about 50 per cent. of silv
: from the silver ore. So we see that, by Il
e present process, more gold is lost in the ia
e ings than is saved by the quicksilver b
5 should the new processes work successful
:. land it is very certain that they will t
o profits of gold and silver mining will
5. greatly increased.
!. In Colorado the mines are said to be rich
. in mineral than those of California, but t
y cost of reducing the ores is much more.
k When the cost of living and labor becom
r lower, and the greater portion of the valr
e Bile metals are saved, then Colorado will 5
e her best days and the wealth of the count
,e be more fully developed.
T. With best wishes for its prosperity, l
70 main,
FL Yourc firmly