Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1880-08-27
Maryland Gold Mining.

We were among those who were favored
with an invitation to be present at the Mont
gOmery Gold Mine, near Rockville, Md, on
Monday to witness the treatment of the ore
by the patent electrical process Of Mr. Rob
ertson, and were greatly surprised at the re-
suits obtained. Among those present were
number of miners and mine owners from
both the Pacific slope and Atlantic coast,
and they could scarcely believe II possible
that we had a gold region right in the heart
of Maryland that was shown to yield equal
to some of the best mines on the Pacific
These gentlemen--all them experienced in
mining and the geological peculiarties of
mining regions-declared that they could
have imagined themselves in El Dorado
county, California, so similar was the confor-
nation and geological aspect of the country.
In order that the reader may understand
the previous position of affairs at the Mont
gomery Mine, and compare it with the re-
suits obtained on Monday it will be neces-
sary to show what had been the experience of
the company. Operations were commenced
about eighteen months since, and considera-
BILE money had been spent in machinery and
mining. The vein had been thoroughly and
well explored, bringing in sight sufficient
ore to occupy the miners for many years,
and the fissure vein has the appearance OF
extending across the whole property to the
distance of half mile The ore was vas
certained to be apparently inexhaustible,
and such was the opinion Of the experts
who descended the shaft on Monday and
inspected the leads for a distance OF four
hundred feet. Professor Simon declared it
to be as well defined fissure vein as he
had ever seen on the Pacific slope, and said
that there was ore now visible that could
not be exhausted for several years, with
every indication of its being in inexhausti
bic quantity.
Before erecting machinery for the reduc-
ton of the ore and the extraction of the gold,
specimens were sent to several distinguished
chemists in this and other States, and the re-
suits of the various analyses had been such
as to show that it was good paying ore,
though the differences in the various analyses
Were most remarkable. Some Of the chem
lists reported the yield to be as low as $1,000
per ton, whilst others ranged from this point
all the way up-to 5000 per ton. This was
regarded as establishing the fact that the
precious metal was there in paying quanti-
ties, as even in California and Colorado an
ore that viii yield $40 per ton is regarded
as q paying ore. This point being clearly
established, a stamping mill and amalga-
mating pans were erected, such as are used
in the Pacific mines, with all the steam
machinery necessary for active mining
Early last spring this machinery was put
in full operation, and the country around,
night and day, resounded with the sturdy
blow of the stamps as they went on crush
inE hundreds of tons of ore. Every few
DAYS the plates were cleaned up, and the
yield was found to be but al the rate of two
dollars per ton, whilst the cost was about
three times as much as the yield. More
specimens Were sent to New York labora-
tories, and some was sent % Prof Edison,
and the reports were that the yield by fire
assays ranged from SEQ to $50 per ton.
some Of the "taiiings," or sand from the
uill, was then aaalyzed, and these were
reported o. contain about $40 Of gold to the
ton. This settled the point that the gold
from this ore could not be collected by the
C-& process, aud The stamping mill WAS
abandoned shout tie Isl % July last
In the meantime. soma u the ore fell into
the hands q 4IE Robertson, having been
submitted 70 hsnl by a gentleman who had
visited the Montgomery mine. He az once
Ur1a11uCei It what i called in California
refractory oce," from which the gold could
nlt b. obtained without first destroying the
81 1h-r and The base 0-es with which il is
caatsL These specimens and others that
we're sent t. Mr Robertson were analysed
( AMI reported 10 contain from $50 10 $40 10
uEs ton, All Of which he said c1uld be secured
I by his process Thus it viii be seen that the
e1zcers of tie company have always been
sLsIzfied that The god was there in paying
quantity. aasl have spent us1re than year
IL striving o. discover how i could b Sc
T Curei
From this the re4sier VIII perceive why
T the FesEit Of tho frs. trial 81 the new pro-
{ cess was l0okei f1 with great interest. II
was, in reality, . test that was t. decide
/ the future Of she mine. lJr had the new
I process only Yielded what the stamping
T mill had returned % the company, there
E would have been but little disposition TO
I keep up any longer 50 costly an experiment.
( Hopes were entertained and expressed that
7 the yield BY the new process might be $50
I PER toa, blt when Nh. Robertson held up
the gold button which he turned out from
Z the crucible, Is the product Of one ton Of
ore, and it tipped the scale 10 the standard
I value Of SIS, the establishment Of all pres
I eat was very great, and the qualification OF
the members Of the company unbOunded.
/ The test had been watched by a score Of ex-
I peTts, from the commencement to the close,
and whilst there was no reason for decep-
ton, there certainly was no opportunity for
any unfair manipulation Of the ore. The
furnace was kept in operation up to noon
Tuesday, when SIX tons more Of the ore had
passed through the amalgamating watts. On
clearing up these six tons Of ore yielded two
hundred and twenty-five dollars Of pure
gold, or thirty-seven and a-half dollars per
ton. Allowing seven dollars per ton at the
outside as the cost OF mining and reducing
the ore, this will leave b the company a
clear profit Of some thirty dollars per ton.
1 The furnace being capable Of passing through
twenty tons per day when in full operation,
something like $3.50 per day may be antici-
pated at the same rate 81 yield.
The vein u gold-bearing quartz which is
being mined by the Montgomery Company
can be traced, not only over their property,
but over several adjoining farms, two Of
which have already been purchased by par
ties from Baltimore, Pennsylvania and New
York, with the view of awaiting the result
Of this enterprise before commencing work,
Should the result obtained on Monday by
the Robertson process prove substantial, as
indicating the average yield Of the ere, no
time will be lost in opening these mines and
commencing active operations. The vein is
said to have been traced a distance Of forty
miles, to within eight miles Of Baltimore
city, by some prospecting geologist, but of
this we have, as yet, no accurate knowledge.
--BaitO. american, 1871 inst
1t is reported that 10000 persons visited