The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1868-08-24
MEXICO.
Among the Minss-Aow Ore is Reduced
"A silver Road.

0ulle, from PachucI, Mexico, as folloWs:-
The cheapness OF silver reduction, as compared
to the conversion of other metals especialy in
this country, is well shown in the haciendas of
Pachuca. This is the capital of q silver region
radiatlng three or four leagues round, aud com
prising score OF mines, with half dozen works
OF reduction, the bare majority of which are in
operation. The works employ the barrel aud
torta processes OF washing. Smelling is disused,
as the quantity of silver ID be extracted
thereby does not invite the cost of carrying
lead from rIlmapan. In country of railroads
this objection would not be. Drubtess under
the proposed liberation of mining from taxes,
there would he ample chance to utilize all the
processes and save all the ore, BY smelling
the ore is fused with lead, which subsequently
is separated from the silver by oXdzatlJn into
litharge. Most, If not all, the ore ground in
this place rs subsequently baked up into che
mical mud cakes or tortas, which take up
great sTace OF the hacienda. 70 be explicit, n
hacienda is, III the ordinary sense, a farm; but,
as understood by miners, II is a walled estate
where ore is worked into silver. Within IL the
entire reduction is accommodated and by
means OF stamps, alastras, tortas, barrels, pu1-
dles and iIoughs, the ore is crushed, ground,
mixed, and cleared. In short, a hacienda car
ries on in grand scale the business OF turning
dirt into mOLeY.
Pachuca woIks at present three large haci-
endas and 100 arastras, more or less. The ore,
in the first place, is brought up in u half
broken STATE from the mine by means of dre
whim, and then, after beng hammered INTO con-
venient Jumps, and separated from all atte or
be crushed. The haciesda OF Loreto still
employs the rude stamping machine of the
SpaniaTds great Hat Cog-Wheel moving a
cog9ed cylinder, with o system OF wooden
teeth BY which the stamps are let up aud
down like so many irOu-hobbed cobble pounders
From the stamps the ore goes into the arastras.
These are lee bark mills, and are
space OF ftom ten TO twelve feet diane
ter, which is paved with stones set up
on edge lengihwise, and then smoothed. From
the centre moves IN sockets vertical shalt
from which projects the aXes Whereto are at.
taChed four rude heavy millstCnes, and to which
are htched the traces OF the mules. Under
these stones, readily brought from the noun
tans and Clipped iAto shape, the ore is ground
as fine meal. E ch arastra has generally
four OF them, with as many mules. The mues
are blinded to save kicking. II is little as
tonishlng how well these mills do their work.
The old ashloned stamps have their place also.
A better class OF Founders would, OF course,
work with steam, but considering that wood is
scarce az PachuCa, and that the haciendas have
no steam, the Spanish stamps serve a good tum.
While in the arastra snail quantity of
quicksilver is sometimes mixed with the ground
ore bat it IS in the patio that it almost wholly
undergoes chemical combination. From the
arastras the fine ore is ruu out into tanks,
where, after the metal is allowed to settle and
the water drain of, it is taken into the patio, a
department which is commonly nothing more
than the courtyard of good Mexican house,
but which here signifies the amalgamation ward
of silver hacienda. To this yard the ore goes
to be beneJicjded or-to translate the Spanish
verb from which the miners have coined this
lerm-tO De maze SOOu. here III becomes q
torta, OF immense mudcake, into which salt is
thrown, two pounds or so to every hundred
weight For one or two days the mixture rests,
lime being meanwhile added to cool 1t if it heats
too fast Continuing cold, ma2istral is mixed
with it. Magistral Is an ore compounded of
copper pyrites aud sulphurelted iron, which
when roasted yields large percentage OF the
copper sulphate so necessary TO ama'9amation.
The burnt ma9istral, reduced to powder, and
sometimes slightly mixed with SALT is applied
10 the torta. In time quicksilver IS added, IN
GlNn nf IN n hn nlnt1 latn n6
mass of silver. In a basin the d20gero or ANAL
gamator tests his mixture, aud if there is too
much sulphate of copper he coIrects it by
means OF ashes, lime, or copper precpitate.
The general effect of the mixture is, of course,
to liberate the silver so that it shall amagamate
with the quicksilver. The torta, which in its
complete state is composed of ore in the shape
of mud, together with muriatc OF soda, sulphate
of iron and copper, and quicksilver, is trodden
round Tor many hours by mules to make the
amalgam perfect Formerly this muddy aud
not very VIII 0lesome business was done by men,
but now 1t is entirely given over to the
mules, whose green legs and bellies attest
the effect OF copper. According to need, more
of each chemical INGREDIENT is added from day
to day. The silver is taken up by the quick
silver in time varying frsm eight to forty days.
When the azogero is satisfied that his process
has Welded all the silver possible the torta mud
is scraped or sided by means OF mules into a
large vat, where the mass is cleaned, the ANAL
gam settling and the refuse being washed away.
In many cases men tread the vat, into which
regular streams of water and ore are poured, in
order 10 STIR up the ore so that the water shall
carry oil its worthless particles. Sometimes q
ehaft with arms turned round by mules does the
same work as efectuay, to say the least.
have seen thirty or forty mules Jogging round
in the tortas, and benefcidted with mud up to
their ietlocks, some bringing great puddles to
the vats, followed by drivers as much the bene-
fcaIies of the mud process as they. The scene
was worse than Broadway in winter At the
watts, however, man and mule have better
time of it, though as yet have seen no mules.
Quicksilver and silver in amalgam are the
residue after the torta mixture is well washed
and the water gently run OIL. Some amalgam
perslstently escapes into the troughs which run
for o considerable distance; but these troughs
are gently obstructcd here and there with wood,
and the feet of boys are likewise employed in
stopping the metal. From the vat the amalgam
is taken aud poured into thick canvas bag
through which the largest portion of the quick
silver is strained, and dry amalgam left inside
Then it is moulded into three-cornered
put into what is called the capeltind
This consists of big bell which fits over
circular hollow, framed OF iron, round which
over p aHHa with holes is piled the amalgam
on top of which the bell shuts down. Fire is
made to play around the bell, which again il
inclosed in large brick capote, through which
the flames of the furnace pass. The results o
the capelina process are the yaporzlng and pre-
cptation OF the mercury by heat, leaving
porous silver called roScd, which Is subsequently
melted and cast into bars. There is les
clumsy method for separating the silver thai
that praeticed under the old-iashloned capote
The campana or bell is set lengthwise with
door, and vent conducting to water, and tn
amalgam thrown in is subjected to heat, an,
precipitated with less ceremony. This is tn
German method,
What is known as the barrel process remain
to be described BY way OF preparation there
H. hnp 10 do a