The Saline County journal. [volume] (Salina, Kan.) 1871-1893, 1879-04-03
MODERN ALCHEMY.

MODERN ALCHEMY.
A TonAWanda Farty Extracting Gold from
Common-Looking Earth which Ch0a-
lists and MetallurEists Say Contains No
Gold.
From The Bufialo Expra
For some time past vague reports Of the
discovery of gold in the valley of the Ton
AMANDA, this county, have been going
the rounds, so dlsjointed and mcoherent
that but little attention has been given
them. 1t is fact, however, that a REIN
ing establishment has recently been erect
ed near the village, and operations by
which IT is claimed the precious metal il
produced are busily going on. The par
ties who are managing the refinery have
preserved the utmost secrecy concerning
all the details Of the manufacture, or re-
timing process, or whatever it is; but yes
terday, when visited by an insidious and
uncompromising reporter of the Express,
they unbosomed themselves to that extent
that we are enabled to provide our readers
with far more information concerning the
gold-makers and their mysterious proceed
ings than has hitherto been published.
Assuming that the operatives are hon
est In their statements, and we have no
valid reason for disbelieving them, they
are extracting gold by peculiar and only
partially-explaIned process from what ap-
pears to be ordinary brown earth, which
comes from they viii not say where, and
which, after analysis, is pronounced by our
chemists to contain no gold at all. This
10 surely curious and complex condition
Of affairs. Now for the results of our re-
porter investigation.
At the refinery, located as before de-
scribed. he found Mr.. FELTON,. of the firm
Of B. F. FELTON, e. Co., and Prof. F. G.
Hall, the chemist in charge Of the estab-
lishment. These gentlemen received our
reporter very pleasantly and kindly, and,
although they said that they had hereto
fore firmly refused to furnish any details
to newspaper representatives or anybody
else, they eventually gave him all such
facts as were not inconsistent with the
safety of what they hold to be their i'm
portant secrets. The building is q
large frame structure, eighty feet by
forty, and 10 divided into q digesting-
room, precIpltatlng room, and fnrn-
ace-room, with steam boiler and engine
room; where the ''ore," so-called, is oh
tanned remaining profound secret. The
supposition is, however, that it is found
on or IN the neighborhood of the farm on
which the building stands, although Mr..
Hall stated apparently with some hesita-
ton, that it was procured from Pennsyl-
learned is as follows: The ''ore," which
is said to be of a very high grade, isplaced
in large vat with certain chemicals, the
names and properties of which the chem
ist could not be induced to disclose. BY
means Of certain rotating machinery oper-
ated by steam-power, the contents OF the
vas are in the course Of a few hours rem
dered soluble. The ''digested ore" is
then run out into tanks. where it under
goes another process. From thence it II
forced into reservoir for the reception of
gold solution, the nature of which is also
unexplained. By this the refuse, which
resembles river sand, is extracted from
tie ore, and the mineral remains are then
conveyed into a concentrating tank, where
another secret operation is performed up
on ii. The contents of this latter tank
are then prscipitated with gas genera
tor. The per-sulphurettep produced is then
put in black-lead cruclble, which is
placed in a furnace. Here it submitted
to sufficient heat to produce species of
carbon from which the gold is taken. The
whole process occupies about week,
q change can be worked from the rotating
watts, of which there are six every day, as
one process follows another, so that ten
tons of ore day can be worked according
to the present capacity of the machinery
II Is, however, contemplated to erect a
much larger building capable of working
6fty tons a day. 1t is also stated
IS probable that an acid chamber will
be constructed for the purpose of manu-
the oil of vitroil required in thu
works. A piece of the carbon was oper-
ated upon with small blow-pipe in the
presence Of our reporter. A small bead of
gold was produced in the course of few
1t was then thoroughly. tested
and clensed with nitric acid and present |
ed to him. There seems to be no Ques-
ton but that gold can be produced by the |
nodus operandi we have in part endeavor-
I'd to explain, but what ratio Of gold is |
produced from ten tons Of ore, and at |
what expense. is known only to the proprie-
tors, for their lips were Theoretically sealed |
upon these points. They, however, spoke |
IF the success of the undertaking in the
most sanguine manner. In reply to ques-
ions as TO the metallic substances found |
in the ore, Mr.. Hall said they consisted of |
lidymium. cerium, hynthauium. erbium |
md ter1ium, Gallium. motor, vanadium, |
nickel, cobalt, some of which was inspect |
ID, of brilliant blue, silver. gold, traces
IF iron, calcium in its metallic state, po-
,assium in its metallic state, potassium as /
| nitrate, potassium as a cyanide, potas-
'ium both as an oxide and carbonate, zir-
'on,um, and sodium as a nitrate. All |
hese properties have been determined to
,e present. Mr.. Hall stated that speci-
mems of the ore had been submitted for
analysis to chemists in Pennsylvania and
buffalo. and they had declared that not a
race of gold was to be found in them.
As to the quality of gold thus far real
zed. the market into which it IS to be put.
he future policy of the firm concerning
he secrets Of supply and manufacture.
nd other points well calculated to excite
uriosity, the gentleman in question would
i've no word Have they really found
be tabled philosophers stone?" is a
onundrum with which we must leave
theirs who have more leisure to grapple.
A Rome Scandal.
ONE Conupondence Of the Home Journal.
As no carnival scene would be complete