The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1878-08-11
DIGGING ron GoLD IN NEW YoRK.
What two California Miners Found In tho
Ruins Of burned Jeweiry store.

The Appleton building in Bond street
then filled with jewelers. wares. was burned
on March G. 1871 Nearly all OF the immense
property in gold and silver ware and lcwrlry
was II total loss. tho precious metals having
boon melted In the flames and scattered about
among tho debris. The estimated loss in the
destruction of gold and silver ware. watches.
and Icwclry alone was estimated ut more than
NOOO,OoO. Tho property and merchandise
being heavily insured, tho loss fell heaviest
probably upon tho insurance companies
These. therefore. had the privilege Of remu-
nerating themselves 10y cleaning from the debris
the precious metals that had been melted.
The first gleanings were an easy matter and
great nuggets OF melted gold and silver were
extracted. and large sum WAS realized But
when the nuggets were all extracted the insur-
ancc companies retired. and then the owner. of
the bulding. Mcssrs. Roberts Appleton.
overturned all this mass and SUPPORTING II 10
what they doomed Il thorough washing, OBJ
thln'd many thousand dollars worth more.
Tho much washed debris WINS then allowed TO
rest undisturbcd until about thrc" months ago.
Whcn II WIS determined hY other persons to
give u another and more thorough washing
than II had ever undergone before. These pcr-
sons were the miners. Poor K Roberts.
Peer began life early as u miner spent twon-
ty-sevcn years in the business in the phcine
slOpr ana has reduced mi ming to such science
TINT he believes he can extrnct every particle Of
the preciOus metals from the most refractory
ores and tailings. One day Roberts told his
partner Peer. who had lust returned from Cali
fornia. about the gold mine in Bond street and
oi the many washings 1t had undergone. The
next day Peer was s'raping about and over.
turning the romans OF the worked-out Bond
street gold mine. Tho consequence WAS n bar
gain with the owners OF the ruins, In which they
agreed to pay them ten por cent Of their net
A gold washer. concentrators, fume rlfrlcs,
md small engine were quickly put up. and
the miners set to work with M much energy IA
IL they had made a rich " find " in the gold re-
gions of tho West None but n close observer
would imagine that the half dozen quiet work
men and nOiscless little engine in the excava-
ton below werc the operators and machinery
of gold mine in full blast The habit OF
secrecy IL 80 great with the old miner that but n
few people IN the city are aware of what rich
" find " the Bond street mine II.
The last cradlcful Of the debris was rocking
miners had no objection 10 telling how much
money they had made and the process OF min.
ing. In the first place, the debris is submitted
70 a thorough washing in fumes. These are
long boxes. twelve inches deep. fourteen wide
and any length that may be desired. There arc
one hundred feet Of flumc used in the Bond
street mine. The water used Ia pumped in by
the engin and then elevated TO the washer. after
which the same water Is again conducted to tho
numes. thus economizing II and catching the
smallest particle Of the precious metal
Forty tons pcr day OF the debris were washed
in the faines. turning out ono ton II concen-
trations This in turn wis submitted 10 the
gold washer. and reduced To base metal, turn
Ing out 300 to 500 pounds 10 the ton. Tho base
metal was then tnkcn TO the refinery and re-
duced To fine bars. $50 fine. From tie refinery
the bars 20 20 the mint. and arc there turned
into bright gold pieces
How much have you made In your two
mouths Of city miningY" WAS asked.
We hnve got out about $50. ~ Mr.. Roberts
said Here are $50 IN bright 500 gold pieces
that have Just drawn. being the proceeds Of
pa pounds Of tho base metal W. have ON
hand forty lfty sacks NJ the base mctnlto goto
the refinery. Each sack weighs 100 pounds
Besides there nre eight or ten tons II taiings
oid hts oi rustod iron with particles NJ precious
X %
process Of pickling. and the precious metals
separated from the has". We expect TO realize
a considerable" amount from these"
Tho expense has not been MS mu IA as nntici-
nAl.d. and iho not nrnc.-L- mo hMmla-mn.