New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1881-08-04
GOLD IN SHOP SWEEPINGS.

HOW THE CUSTOM OF REFINING THEM IN THIS
COUNTRY BEGAN--DTFERENT PROCESSES EN-
PLoYED-ITs COST AND THE PROFIT YIELDED.
"What is done with the sweepings of jewellers
shopsY asked q TRIBUNE reporter of a prominent
Newark rchncr recently.
" Until thirty years ago they thrown away.
Some care was taken to pick out any pieces of gold
that could he seen on the floor, hut nothing was
done with tic fine gold dust. About that time Bal
bach, "a German reiner. came to Newark and seeing
the amount of gold that was wasted went around
TO the different shops and offered the clerks dollar
barrel for the sweepngs In short time his
brother started IN opposition To him, and paid So
barrel. Competition soon advanced the price until
the jewellers themselves took mp the trade so Far
az they conld. In 1874 'Comins Amalgamator'
was introduced into most of the large manufacture
ing jewellers shops 1t requires but little space
and power for its BY means of one of these
amalgamators the sweepings thoroughly
suited that not more than per cent of gold remains
in them. The sweepngs are then sold TO refners
by the pound, the price varying from cents 10 so
cents n pound. If the reiiner does not think there
is much gold remaining in them. he sells them to
rchners IN Europe. where they can be handled more
cheaply than here, Owing to the difference i'll the
What is the process of rcRningp
THAT is our secret, and refining is a profession
where every man is sci f-educated There are no
general principles. The sweepngs are burnt puI-
verlzed and assayed. There are three common
Of chlorine and amalgamation with quicksilver.
The amalgamatng process is the one most generally
used now, as it is cheaper than the others"
Is the business very extensive
lowing to the use of the amalgamators it is not
now. although had quantity of sweepings 10
refine recently which yielded the ewcer 81 D. oOOp
How often do You take MP the floor of n room.
where these sweepmgs are obtaincdf'
/" IL depends upon the material If IL is q spruce
floor. enough gold will have accumulated usually ina
twenty years To defray more than tho expense of a
new floor. The floor like the sweepings is burnt
and pnlverized. few days ago jewelcr wished
me to take up his floor and relay il with Georgia
pine. The amount of gold taken from il was $50
and the expense of refining and furnishing the new
floor was $500
How about the workmcns benches, are they
burnG too n
They are mostly made OF walnut and ash. and
are almost mpcrvlous TO gold"
" DO you not obtain silver rs well rs cold from,
the doors and swecplngsf'
Not much attention is paid TO the silver as il
costs rs much to refine ounce of silver as an
ounce of gold, while the silver is worth but 81 Is
per ounce and the gold $40 3d."
"Wny cannot Edison's proposed plan of separat-
ing gold PARTICLES from ron-sand by the use of q
magnet, be applied to your trade as well o.
" IL is impossible to obtain magnet that will
attract the ron-sand just enough TO dctach it from
the gold and not make il adhere To the magnet
Edison has not made II in his undertaking.
and the same difficulty would exist in the case of
the sNeeplucs.p