Helena weekly herald., 1878-10-10
LEACHING.
why the System has Failed In many Of
the Camps.
[Salt Lake Tribune1

[Salt Lake Tribune]
Great excitement was raised in this Terri
tory about year ago by the introduction of
the process known as leaching. Every man
who owned pound OF ore or hole in the
ground was well-nigh crazy with excitement,
and when it was claimed that eight and ten
ounce ore could be worked to profit the
teaching fever became 50 universally epidemic
that ore which carried no more than two dol
lars per ton could not have been purchased
for twenty-five. On its finally becoming
known to q few that solution of hYposul-
phile of soda was the only chemical necessary
for teaching purposes money was lavishly ex-
pended in the erection OF works, debts were
contracted, obligations were entered into,
mines were leased on the most unheard of
terms and everybody was expecting to become
q millionaire within two weeks at the outside.
As soon as an attempt at teaching was made,
however, the sanguine spectators began to
be painfully aware that successful teaching
was by no means so simple and inexpensive
process as many imagined; and they also as
certained that there were many points, ap-
parently insignificant, which must be learned
before any profitable advance could be ex-
pected.
First, they were unacquainted with the best
method of making the sulphide of calcium
next they found themselves ignorant of the
proper way of gauging the requisite strength
of the LIQUOR and the character of the ore
was continually changing, throwing them in
to fresh mazes of bewilderment. Their tanks
being improperly made, were next found to
be in leaking condition, and at least every
two weeks they, were obliged to suspend
operations to secure new supply OF soda,
and while waiting for its arrival, the tanks
became 80 dry that several days more were
lost in waiting for them to soak up.
No record was kept of experiments, no
assays were made to determine what ore could
mined and shipped at heavy expense, which
was totally unfit for teaching purposes, being
either sulphurets or carbonates. 1t was not
known, though the fact was easily ascertain
able that little else than chlorides can be acted
upon by the soda solution. In many cases
the ore was almost valueless; and thus ig-
narant of the simplest elements of chemisry
and metallurgy, men expended their last cent
and then incurred heavy debts in fruit:ess en-
deavors to take something out of nothing by
a process of which they knew 80 little.
1t frequently happened that ores carrying
little else than lead in chloride form, were
placed in the tanks and thoroughly worked.
The results appeared most satisfactory, for
the sulphide of lead is not distinguishable in
appearance from the sulphide of silver. The
teachers enthusiastically concluded therefore,
that the silver was being precipitated in gen.
erous abundance, and in many cases without
even making an assay of the precipitate in
creased their facilities and still further bur-
dened themselves with Indebtedness. .
Then it began to be noised around that
teaching was failure. Men of means who
had been affordipg financial support to the
experimenters, withdrew their aid. The en-
thusiasts themselves became discouraged and
pronounced the process chimerical and fool
ish to the last degree The creditors, becom-
ing alarmed, very naturally began to look out
for themselves attachments were issued, the
tanks seized and sold, and the teaching bust
ness and all connected with Il fell into general
disrepute.
I We are induced to believe, however, that
the fault rests with the teachers themselves
rather than with the process. Men became
too enthusiastic and expended their means
before they ascertained what they could &C.
.complish. They should have put the ore
they intended to work through series of ex-
periments, and should have demonstrated on
a small scale what they could do on large
one. Efforts should have been made to secure
suitable ore containing little else than silver
III CulOIluc NOAAs A4oACou VI JumpAu& AZ
dumps not susceptible of treatment. The
higher grades of ore should have been sought
instead of the most worthless dirt that could
be procured, for the fact that passably low
grade ore can be worked to aproft is no ar
gument against the expediency of securing
high grade ore, as the profit sproportionately
larger, while the cost of manipulation re-
mains the same. Then again, accurate and
frequent assaying should be resorted to, for
no intelligent progress can be made unless
the value of the ore before and after being
worked is fully determined. Ample precau-
tions should be taken against the spilling of
liquor. the manufacture of which should also
be thoroughly understood. If it is made too
strong, the bases of the ore are attacked, and
u sulphate formed in which the chloride of
silver is not soluble Furthermore, the out
side management of the business should be
properly attended to and no obligations en-
tered into which can not be readily met.
These are few of the many points which
seem to have been entirely overlooked by the !
majority of those who have attempted leach
ing In this Territory. Professor Holden, at
favorable conditions, the process csn be en-
ployed successfully, and we are of the opinion
that its general failure in Utah is owing to the
dearth of means, lack of scientific skill and
general mismanagement of those engaged in
the business, rather than anything really i'm
practicable in the process itself.
p Fastfng and Prayer.
New ORLEANS, October 1.-Gov. Nichols
issues proclamation recommending Wednes-
day, October 9th - day Of fasting, humilia-
ton and prayer for deliverance from the
scorsee. From noon to p. M, II deaths
and 1873 new cases are reported, of which 66
since September %.