The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1880-03-30
Edison Has Discovered the 'PbilosO.
pner's stone"


Edison has Invented methods by which
he can extract greater amount OF gold
from the rejected residuum or I'm miners
pbrase)tbe "tailings' Oh auriferous quartz
or sand than ia obtained by the present
processes from the virgin rocks delivered
fresh from the powerful triiuration OF the
crushing-mills. After the system now rrac-
t:ced has exhausted the ores OF all the gold
Trey can be made to yield, Mr.. Edison
can take up the tailings and extract more
gold from them than they were made
TO give out before they were rejected as
worthless refuse. The average yield OF tie
crushs and triiurated auriferous rocks Is
| less than $40 ton. Mr.. Edison can take
up tie hitherto yalnele,s tailings and NAL e
them Weld af astonishingly greater amount.
| The specimens from the fumes. yielded
under his treatment at the rate Of $3.50 per
ton; tie black sand from the lava beds,
$50 per ton; the richest product was
/ from the talings OF the Powers claim,
which was at the rate OF 81 400
per tor. There is nothing incredible
even in this last estimate. considering the
great value OF gold in proportion TO lis
weight. IL requires only about seventy
eight ounces OF gold to be worth 81 400, and
seyenty-eight ouiiccs is but q minute frac-
ton of ton. But II the average yield
from the tailings were no greater than the
ordiuary yield from the virgin ores the
profit would be immense, since Mr.. Edison
estimates the expense OF bis process at Only
s5 per ton. But the profits from tailings
whicll contain $50, or 800, or Sl,4O0 per
topseem fabulous.
This great discovery was an incidental
result of Mr.. Edison's researches 10 find a
suppIy OF platinum for his electric lamps.
lie. sent explorers far and wide TO dis
cover new sources OF this indispensable
metal, the supply of which was limited
To few mines. 1t was found in small
1auaptities in the tailings OF the Call
fornia gold mines, and Edison set him.
self at work to invent process
: for It's cheap extraction. IN The course OF
his experiments on the specimens sent him
he was surprised at the large amount OF
gold which exists in the rejected residue OF
the mines, and this gave his researches z
new direction. Besides trying TO discover
a cbeap process for extracting platinum
E from the taiiings, he aimed at process iol
separating the far larger quantity OF gold
The success OF this process has been coEl
plete, and the wealth which Is likely 10 fe
sui Is beyond computation.
Before allowing bis discovery to be knowr
bey ond the smali circle OF his conhdentEl
associates ne Ulluc CuutidNts ipi thS
T of a number of the most extensive mines
1.-THE Edison Ore Milling Company" wa
formed, with James II. Banker as president
Charles III. Lewis yice-president, and Roo
l.. Cutting as treasurer, Mr.. Edison himstl
holding a place in the Board OF Directors
When tue contracts were made II was sup
, nosed that Edison wanted the taiiine
: merely for the platinum they contain, th
7 mo.t experienced mine-owners having n
: conception OF the possibilities OF wealth
R which lay concealed in the accumulate
, ;ailings.
= This great discovery comes as near 0
i science can ever hope TO come toward real
s izing the dreams OF the old alchemist'
e They spent laborious lives in experiment
Il 70 discover the philosophers stone D.
e which baser substances were 10 be trans
!. muted into gold. What they sougb
u in vain has virtually come to Dir. Ed
II son as the reward OF researches promp'
le ed by fortunate accident. In eXplorln
'y for cheap platinum be has discovered
,e method OF transmitting worthless reius
IT, into source OF InexhaUStible and fabulou
es riches. Goethe winds up his great philoS(
h phical novel, Wilhelm Meister," by mi
lie king one OF the characters say to the hero
or "Thou resemblest Saul. the son OF kisl
Ie who went out TO seek his fathers asses an
as found a kingdom" Edison went ont
seek platinum for his lamps and found 'ti
potentiality OF wealth beyond the dreams
ayarice. ."-Nelc York Herald.