Lyon County times. [volume] (Silver City, Nev.) 1874-1907, 1875-10-28


Of National Importance.
Many and curious are the theories
extant regarding the production ana
recovery of gold. 1t is held by
chemists and mineraiogists that thls
metal occus in nature in metaliic
state, and few persons have had the
hardihood to look outside OF this hy-
pothesis for reasons why the metal
should be chemically confined with
other substances. r. be sure 1t is
known that by the agency of Chic
rine the precious metal car be re-
duced to liquid solution, n ~ sd-
mixture with oxygen ii vii be
changed to . purple protoz;;.F. Whea
suiphurettcd hydrogen is ad9sd - 4
solution OF 600, black preciPitate
Of sulphuret OF aeld is produced,
which is soluble in eaIpaurc, Of am
monium; out gola, tie chemists 49,
sure us, caun9t be united vita sui
phur by fusion. |, is a question,
after ali, Whether the sulphurets Ia
nature are formsa s1ieiy bs fusion,
and this hypothesis may he further
strengtheac1 oy ,he circumstance
that they occur 10 quaous Is well
as igen1us form .ti,as. Solutions Of
the ordinary mots!s and ST paur
viii combine, aud wny aot s,iuti II,
Of gold and sutphura
A gentleman in this city has con-
ssivcd new theory in regard to
this matter. He holds that
GOLD 10 CHEMICALLY COMBINED
With iyon ard sulphur, and with
copper and sulphur. He says that
gold will Got com bine directly with
iron or sulphur alone, but when sui
phuret of iron 10 formed it viii unite
with the compound. This is in per-
feet accord with some of the we'll
known laws of chemistry, it being
often found that while say some two
certain simple elcmepts will NOT com
binc, q third clement added to one of
them will effect the desired end, the
remaining simple element combining
readily with the compound. Now,
admitting that gold is held chemi-
cally Is we'll as mechanically in iron
or other sulphurets, it is a question if
it does not pervade all of them in one
or both forns. We know from ex-
perience that in nearly all mining
districts in the world gold in small
quantities, or traces, is found. 1t is
satisfactorily ascertainei that the
amount of low grade ores in the
world exceeds that Of the high grade
by many thousand fold. Most of
these low grade ores cannot be
worked at all on account Of the cost
of reduction by the processes now in
general use. In addition to the cost
lit may be stat-d that only from
forty to fifty per cent. of the free
gold islsaved by our methods of re-
duction. Here is very serious
drawback, indeed, for while it is ad-
mitted that so much of the free gold
is lost if we consider-provided the
theory Of chemical combination Is
correct-that much great amount
than is now supposed, is lost because
1t cannot be recovered by the ordi-
nary methods We may well become
ALABMED AT THE WASTE OF PRE-
0OOb AExAG0
Which is constantly taking place. |
Ores are of two kinds-roasting and
milling. Tue more refractory, or
mixed, ores, are reduced by means
OF heat and fuxes in furnaces. The
mining ores are those in which the
osse metals are in small quantity,
ana from which the precious metals
can be recovered by amalgamation
with quicksilver. Gold, silver and
copper can be amalgamated in this !
way, but not lead. zinc or antimony.
Hence they are the most refractory
in the wet process, while in the fire
process lead, especially, is absolute
ly essential in the success of reduc.
ton.
Mr.. John Wetherbee of this CITY. |
who had spent fortune in Colora-
do, seeking for the precious metals,
il tho gentleman who has hit upon
the new theory and developed q