The Tipton advertiser. [volume] (Tipton, Cedar Co., Iowa) 1856-1962, 1870-08-18
Something About Gold.

-SldIe, uilu Slu SoAASsA'A~S
even in limestone and other similar
rocks. 1t occurs far more abundantly
in quartz, pure unmixed flint, or silex.
In igneous or metamorphic rocks. the
quartz usually occurs in veins, or in
large, irregular lunches or Jumps, with
veins diverging from them. These
veins are most commonly only few
feet wide, and for the most part traverse
the rocks at vertical or highly inclin-
ed position. Sometimes, however, veins
or irregular masses occur many yards
across in every direction and some
times but very rarely, quartz is found
IN such abundance a. to mako what
even might he called hills of its itself.
The gold is disseminated in this quartz,
sometimes in such exceedingly minute
particles as to be invisible, not only to
the naked eye, bnt even to the eye aided
by a powerful lens. Most commonly,
the gold is seen as little yellow specks,
flakes, or grains scattered throuh the
quartz. When the quartz has Il crystal
line structure, which it often has, little
nests of gold, likewise crystalline, may
he seen embedded between the interlac-
ing crystals of the quartz, Where the
interstices in the quartz are large, these
are sometimes entirely filled up with
gold but not uufrequently irregular
holes and crevices seem to have been
formed in the quartz by decomposition
or rottenness, which have sometimes
been subsequently, filled with gold. In
these cases, the gold assumes irregular
forms, such as melted lead will when
poured into water-forms which have
given people this idea of the gold having
been deposited in state of fusion, no.
tion in ali probability utterly unfounded.
How the gpld got in the quart, is a
point at present 80 uncertain, bat no
man Of science woutd take upon himself
the responsibility Of allsw erfng the ques-
ton. The size Of the Irregular Jumps
thus entangled in the quartz varies, the
largest Hitherto known single lump in
thssWprlstl being am Austfalian one Of
2,l6e -ounces weight. It Is, however,
usualliyit found IL small flax es, grains,
and dehtrific strings, weigAiny only a
few grains.
Whenever the moving waters of the
sea, by which drift-materials were form
ed and deposited, attacked rock contain
ing gold, it would Of course break off
Jumps of it, just as of any other rock
and equally wash, roll and knock it
about, and thus break it into smaller
fragments, round it into pebbles and
grind it into smaller fragments, round
it into sand. In this way, much Of the
gold would be knocked out of the rock,
and much water worn gold accumulated,
or water.worn fragments of gold and
quartz togetncr.
From this point Of time, however,
there is a remarkable difference observ-
able in the action of the water on the
gold, and on the rock which contains no
gold. All kinds of rock, or earth, or
stone, at all events all the common
kinds, are pretty nearly of the same
specific gravity that is to say, of the
\,
clay, limestone, compact sandstone,
granite, marble, basalt, have all specific
gravities varying from . to 3-that is,
they are twice or thrice the weight of
their bulk Of water. Pure gold has a
specific gravity of 10, or is nineteen
times as heavy as its bulk of water and
the most impure ure-of gold that occurs
in nature has at least specific gravity
Of II to Is. Gold Is about six or seven
times as heavy as quartz, Or any other
stone it is likely to be associated with.
The consequence of thia is, that moving
water has at least seven times less pow
er over it less power to move it along
either suspended in the water or rolling
along its bed. When the drift, therefore
was formed, vast quantities of stone
moved to great distances, while the gold
! was left behind, not far from it's native
site. All the large Jumps of gold will
certrinly be but little removed, as also
all the large Jumps of quartz, heavily
| freighted with gold. Grains of gold and
small Jumps may be carried further
while scale gold and fine dust, especially
| If fiat and thin, may be carried to very
considerable distance. Mo,yun's Brit
! ish Trade Jouyadt.
/ How Is It.
The hanging of the horsethief anG
murderer at Charlton, Iowa, by mob
has afforded occasion for ReDubiica,
papers to say that the spirit of mobs wa.
born in the South under Democratic
auspices, and is relic of the Democratic
party.
/ The men who avenged TIE death o
Lyon may have been Democrats and
their act may have been bad.