The Pioche weekly record. [volume] (Pioche, Nev.) 1877-1900, 1883-04-21
A NEW sLuroE BOX.
lButte tMon.) siiner.I

A Miner reporter yesterday enjoyed
the privilege of examining the Driscoll
sluice box, in operation at the Lexington
mill. One of the most difficult problems
for quartz men to solve has been the pre-
vention Of loss by a large percentage of
the quicksilver used in collecting gold
and silver passing off in the tailings Mr..
Driscoll has invented an improved sluice
box, which it is believed will accomplish
this object by peculiar system Of rifles,
which causes reverse current Of water
and keeps the minutest PARTICLES of glob-
ulated, or even -four quicksilver, in agi.
tation until their specific gravity causes
them to sink to the bottom, where they
are either caught in blanketed pocket
or metallic affinity causes them to adhere
to copper plate. The invention is be-
ing put to most severe test here, in the
fact that the inventor has chosen to make
his experimental run on the tailings of
the Lexington mill which, with its new
and improved machinery, probably loses
less quicksilver in the tailings than any
other quartz mill in the country. In ad.
dition to this Mr.. Driscoll has placed his
sluice box at the end of Rowland rifle,
so that the tailings reach his box after
passing through one Of the best sluice
boxes heretofore in use. The results of
the experimental run have already been
so far successful as to induce two of our
largest mills to order them put in, and
the invention seems likely to work some
thing of revolution in silver and gold
reduction in this camp The invention
is designed for use in placer mining. a.
well as in concentrating lead and copper
ores, and saving the metals in the tailings
of mills. The patentee has been SO long
in testing the merits of his invention,
that it is no longer an experiment but a
demonstrated fact that it economically
does its work and accomplishes all that
is claimed by the inventor. The inven-
toin consists of a box having sides, SINH.
lar to any sluice box, while the bottom
is made in a succession of rifles. These
rifles are made by cutting short boards
to act as "risers or supports to one end.
while the other end is made the length oi
the lower, thus making the bottom re
semble the shape of saw teeth pointed
upwards. In use, metals contained in
placer dirt or tailings from mills will
collect in the lower part Of these rifles,
and can be easily removed when cleaning
up. A test was made some time ago a
Tuscarora, Nevada, in working over ar
old tailings pile from the mill. with salts
factory results. mira
At the Ontario mill, Park City, a eel
of these sluice boxes were put in som,
time ago, and although being only short
box, and located below the lower agita
ting fan, proved so successful that I
longer box has been put in, and coppe
plates are to DO used for the bottom.
Messn. Driscoll l. Barbee are now Al
the Centennial Hotel, in this city, ant
are prepared to put in sluice-boxes a
mills or placer mines, ON reasonabl,
terms, and they will take contracts II
save large per cent. of the quicksilve
and amalgam in the tailings of silver o
gold mills, for apercentage of the amour
thus saved, they taking all risks.