The Pioche weekly record. [volume] (Pioche, Nev.) 1877-1900, 1884-03-01
FOOLS GOLD.
"AIl that Glittsrs is not Gnld."


Prof. -, Of Wisconsin, prominent
mining man, in speaking of the different
minerals which are often mistaken for
gold on account of their resemblance to
that metal, such as mica pyrites of iron,
copper, etc, says:
As every substance has its shadow,
everything genuine an imitation, it is to |
be expected that gold itself, the king of
metals, should haye its counterfeits,
natural or artificial. Leaving aside the
latter class, from time immemorial men
have been deceived by those of the for
mer, that is in mistaking other minerals
for gold. nea
A farmers lad, slowly wading through
little stream, looks down through the
water, and there, brought into view by
the sparkling rays of the sun, he sees
something glistening and shimmering SO
brightly that, seized by sudden curiosity,
he runs his hands through the bed of the
brook and brings up handful of sand in
terspersed with shining yellow specks, and
behold, he has found gold! So he fam
cies, and the wonderful discovery is
noised far and wide. A sample is quickly
sent to some expert, and the report is,
mica in sand But who can blame the
infatuated rustic? 1t looks like gold to
him, and his castle in the air rises higher
and higher until the rude fat of the one
who does know, dashes it to the ground.
1t is not so long ago that apill-box
containing an ounce or more OF this mica
bearing sand was sent to me to ascertain
its value; and the sender was exceed
ingly disappointed when / informed him
of its worthless character. And to-day
I preserve some of it in my cabinet to
show my visitors, and when the question
is asked of each as to its nature, nine out
of ten promptly reply that it is gold.
Then, as a short, practical lesson in min
eralogy OF this metal a second bottle
J containing sand carrying the genuine ar
| ticle is brought out, and the difference is
3 seen at once. --A-e-
What assayer mining engineer, min
eralogist or metalurgist has not had the
: same experience? ..l.
' But mica is not the mineral that ha;
e done tho most harm. Pyrites of iron ane
r copper "copper" pyrites or chalco-pyrites
h and pyrites of iron, the fools gold,
e have misled thousands.
e In general appearance, this " fool
t gold is not so very unlike tke true gold
a this is, when the latter is not directl,
c compared with it. 1t has bright, vel
low, metallic lustre on the surfaces o
unoxidized pieces, and the interiors Q
freshly broken pieces which are decom
posed on the outside. ,fb
a In 1908, about the time of the first set
ls tlement of Virginia, the colonists "be
!. lieving that they had discovered grain
~ of gold in stream of water near Jane:
iS town, the entire industry Of the tow
= was directed in digging, washing, refr
ie H ing and loading gold; and, notwithstant
ing remonstrances of Smith, a ship VIZ
f' actually freighted with the glistenin
IN earth and sent to England" Wilson
"a American History.) Whether the gil
~ tening earth was mica or minute pyrit
10 in the clay or sand, history does not te
ah us, but presumably the latter, since it
u found to a considerable extent throug
ed out that State.
Gil From that time down to the presen
ng the mistake has often been made, not
liz imagining the pyrites to contain gol
We but that it is gold.
nc There is probably no other metallic
D. GUS mineral moro widely distributed tn
'o' iron pyrites. 1t is found in rocks
~ ~ every age, and almost in all parts Of t
'i- world. Hardly State or Territory
IN the United States but contains it tt
JUS greater or less degree, hence the gre
prevalence of the error concerning it.
az To illustrate: A colored man in NJ
iof sissippi mailed me lump of this m
we eral, water-worn into rude semblal
len len of gold nugget, and desired me to I
'he it for him! All could do was to
icy him of it's worthlessness, and instead c
o, piece of gold worth $40 to $50, as he 8
'eu posed it, was, in fact, not worth
oS' postage paid on it.
SIS To come nearer home: From two s
I GOT arate places in Michigan, and from
the different counties in Wisconsin, has
,les same mineral, with the same quest
olo been sent to me, and lately an intellie
ont ont looking gentleman brought me thre
to four pounds Of this same delusive ST
and picked upon the shores Of the lake.