Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1870-03-18
Something About Gold.

GOLD is found sparingly in ,many hard
rocks, such as granite, mica-slate, chlorite-
slate, and clay-slate, and sometimes 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 oc-
ours in veins. or in large, irregular
punches or Jumps, with veins diverging
from them. These veins are most COM
monty only few feet wide, and for the
most part traverse the rocks in vertical
or highly inclined position. Sometimes,
however, veins or irregular masses occur
many yards across in every direction ;
and sometimes, but very rarely, quartz is
found in such abundance as to make what
even might be called hills of itself. The
gold is disseminated in this quartz, some
times in such exceedingly minute particles
as to be invisible, not only to the naked
eye, but even to the eye aided by power
full lens. Most commonly, the goldis seen
as little yellow specks, flakes, or grains
scattered through the quartz. When the
quartz has crystalline structure, which
it often has, little nests of gold, like
wise crystalline, may be seen embed
ded between the interlacing crys-
tails of the quartz Where the in
terstices in the quartz are large, these
are sometimes entirely filled up with gold ;
but not unfrequently 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 the idea of the
gold having been deposited in state OF
fusion, a notion in all probability utterly
unfounded. How the gold got in the
quartz, is point at present so uncertain,
that no man of science would take upon
himself the responsibility of answering
the question. The size of the irregular
Jumps thus entangled in the quartz varies
greatly, the largest hitherto known single
lump in the world being an Australian
one of 2, 1856 ounces weight 1t is, how
ever, usually found in small flakes, grains,
and dentridc strings, weighing only few
grains.
Whenever the moving waters of the
sea, by which drilt-materials were formed
and deposited, attacked Tsck containing
gold, il would of course Ibreak off Jumps
of it, Just as of any other rock, and equal.
ly wash, roll, and knock it about, and
thus break it into smaller fragments round
it into pebbles, and grind 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 together.
a From this point of time, however, there
is remarkable difference observable in
the action of the water on the gold, and
on the rock which contains no gold. AL
| kinds of rock, or earth, or stone, at all
events all the common kinds, are pretty
nearly of the same specific grayity-tha
is 20 say, of the same weight, bulk fol
bulk. Chalk, clay, limestone, compact
sandstone, granite, marble, basalt. have
all specific gravities varying from to 81
that is, they are twice or thrice the
weight of their bulk of water
Pure gold has specific gravity of 10, OF
is nineteen times as heavy as its bulk O
water; and the most impure ore OF gold
that occurs in nature has at least a specific
gravity of IL to 10. Gold is about six oI
seven times as heavy as quartz, or any
other stone it is likely to be associated
with. The consequence of this Is, that
moving water has at least seven times less
power over it-less power to move /
along, either suspended in the water OF
rolling along its bed. When the drift
therefore, was formed, vast quantities o
stone might be moved 10 great distances
while the gold was left behind, not fal
from its native site. All the large lumpi
OF gold will certainly be but little re
moved, as also all the large Jumps O
quartz, heavily freighted with gold
Grains OF gold and small Jumps may b
carried further, while scale gold and I'm,
dust, especially if fiat and thin, may b.
carried TO very considerable distances
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