The new North-west. [volume] (Deer Lodge, Mont.) 1869-1897, 1877-01-05
ANOTHER MINING, sWlNDLE.

Z .EII u eE8 ]
Mining and Scientific Press.

tnu.. 4@.y,5t94i 4it n Gro .|.44& l.5L98 $3.50
10 Within WAil the past few weeks articles have
been going, the rounds lo3u Of the, press relative
20 the discovery .ofo certaia mud springs in
Wasco county, Oregon, the mud from which
asssyed all the way, from $500 to, .$12, 600
per ton in silver. The discovery" was in
the appropriate neighborhood of Crooked
River. There were said to be anumber Of
boiilng hot springs, whieh were continually
throwing to the surface a Enushy substance,
resembling soap, ana strongly impregnatsd
with alkaii, in which pure chloride OF silr
yer Was found in such quantities as 10 asa
say up to$is,0ee per ton. The bait seems
to have taken, for only This week we notice
that the Oregon SeatSast states that SOC, ,Gag
shares of stock ia enc or the Rines ssre
readily disposed OF in Portland at 10 cents
per share; bow much 1noFe was sold we do
not know. We have reftained frrm men
tioning this find" While waiting for some
veriaeation Of tbe story. Meanthne, safa-
pies Of the "sfiver mud . were fsens to
Prot. silliaaan for analysis, and his rsplg,
dated from New Haven, he gives, us peg
mission TO publish. Ib is ag follows: Ii
] ana this day in receipt OF yeur favoT OF
New. a5, covering a snail Sample OF the
"sisvez mud" from Oregon, and she clip
from the Portland Bee, detailing in Nun
ehaasan style the wondsrfal and ia Wasce
county, telling OF s'aeres of boiling springs,
which, instead Of waseT,p flow streams of
chloride Of Silver. shipleads al precious
netai are represented TO be In sight in the
shape Of soapy gray substance, somewhat
resembling quicksilver. The snoaten mass-
es bubble and boil vita escaping gasas. .
lsA 81 - y ne Sf38G5
About 16s acres are covered with these
springs, ranging GFom a few fest TO han-
drea yards across. Each oas is surrounded
With rita Of orystalized silves,'' assd gnere
of the same wonderful narrative which need
not be quoted, as asy vivid imagination
can make rs 5inssch OF such fsoenshiae as
may sssit the taste. 5 @a5at 5..t3a5 Z ,5s
But hasten to inform yoa that Z inane-
diately pat tie marvellous mud, which you
sent me, uader examination. It l. light
gray dry powder, quite fas, and resembles
mill failing OF pulp when wet up. tsaz3 '-o .
4a Boiled with asasnonia il yields nss o trace
of silver chloride. a'' s4a US sidl'"ps f.
Boiled with nitric acid it eeefves red
flames and the fitrate tseassd with hyslse-
chloric acid gives q cOpieus casay precipi-
tate OF silver chloride. From this reactlon
l was nearly certain that the silver existed
ia the metallic state in the pulp and proved
it beyond doubt as follows:
'e To demonstrate this o portion OF the
powder was separately washed by water in
test tuhe, and the successive washiags
ideeanted. The ihaaEy residue was mostly
white, with some angular fragments, quite
small, and a Gsw black graiaslike iron sand.
This concentration examined by. reflected
light under a low microscopic poweE-two
inch-at onee displays 8 great aasehsr et
pure white frosted masses which are opaqas
by transmitted light resembling exacblS
the form taken ON by silver when preeipii
tated fron solution by copper, fos iaore
closely the frosted Jumps left by treating
silver chloride by zinc and dilnte sulphuric
acid