The Milan exchange. (Milan, Gibson County, Tenn.) 1874-1978, 1878-04-25
More Than $4,000 Worth OF Gold in
One Solid Chunk.

Thursday afternoon, April 4, says the
Helena (Mont.) Herald, all preparations
having been previously made, the larg-
est gold bar of which there is any record
was cast at the assay Office of MolitOr
Bros. in this city, the process of melt
ing, which commenced before midday,
consumed several hours, and not until
past 3 O'Clock was the accumulated mass
of retOrt crowded beneath the lid of the
No. 100 crucible and reduced to its mol
ten state. The Messrs. Molitor, super
intending the work, were assisted by f.
Bohm, Messrs. John and Benz. Will
liams and Mr.. L. c. Trent, all of them
practical assayers and experts. The
crucible, fed with 800 or more ounces at
intervals of so minutes, received the
last chunk of retort, which speedily
fused and became part of the golden
liquid.
The mOmeet finally arrived when the
mel;ed treasure, SKINNED of the bOrax
Stag covering its surface, was ready to
pour. The heavy tongs were adjusted
to the crucible, the pulley-tackle Sc
curely hitched on, and at the signal
given the seething mass was raised from
the furnace and rested upon the iron ia
BILE The spectators were all manifeStly
excited, aud the assayers and assistants
evinced anxiety At the word the tackle
was unhitched, and four men, with
hands and arms muffled in padded
mits, grasped tongs and leverage,
and tipped the crucible. The liquid
metal poured in q golden rivulet into
the great iron mold, the oil from which
shot up dense, smOthering smoke, fol-
lowed by brilliant flames. In the midst
of the pouring the mold cracked with a
loud report, but the wOrkmen, unmoved
by this accident, held steadily to the
business in hand, and kept up the
''pour." The molten mass was drained
and in the mold lay the red-hot sOlidify-
ing monster bar.
The labor was over-the baby born
and congratulations passed among the
rejoicing crowd present. A few minutes
interviewed, when the bar was discharg-
ed from the mold and lifted into the
cooling tank. Its temperature reduced
to handling touch, it was taken from the
water and muscular man put to work
L IlS ldDOl OlletCtAJ 0AAC OtbA
was lugged to the counter of the front
office, the doors thrown open and the
public admitted. In the course of
couple of hours hundreds of eager peo-
pie hurried to the Office to inspect this
extraordinary, golden specimen.
The Dimensions, weight, fineness and
value of the bar are as follows:
Length, 20 inches.
Top breadth, inches.
Bottom breadth, inches.
Depth, 3 inches.
Weight, 3,2S9 SO ounces.
Fine, $50 gold; 223 silver.
Value, S53, 258.30 gold; S977.32 sill
yer.
This is understood to be the largest
gold bar ever cast in Montana or else
where. 1t exceeds by more than LOCO
ounces the great gold bar cast in Hele-
ma by S. II. Bohm & &c. in 1870. The
product comes entirely from the Penob-
scot mine, and is the result of 80 full
days working of one arastra, and less
than 20 days working of 5 stamps.
The bar will remain on exhibition at
the clearinghouse of Hershfeld Bros.
for several days, after which it will be
expressed to New York, where it is des-
tined to create a sensation ever greater
than we have witnessed in Helena.