Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1885-09-10
ASSAYING PRECIOUS METALS.
a Talk with MAN who Makes n Bus,
tness Of &C.
New York Mail and Express.

New Aofk man ana Express.
Some queer things happen in our
liHe of business remarked the pre-
prietor of an assay and refining estab-
lIshment OF Centre street to a reporter.
He was in the basement of his house,
where the smelling furnaces were
glowing at white heat. He looked
like an alchemist seen in pictures
bending over the furnace to invent a
process of making gold. He put down
a ladle red hot, removed a small skull
cap from his head, and continued:
You see, we take the %sweepings from
factories or private individuals and
extract the metal. Well, very often
people that were once wealthy come
in and part with their silver service,
or gold ornaments in order to get the
cash down. The p~awnbrokers will
give nothing on them because perhaps
they are out Of style. We give them
the intrinsic value oil the metal, less
the expense of refining. Ladies fire.
quently bring their silver dinner sets
in order to raise money. Some part
with their wedding presents given to
them twenty and thirty years ago. |
can see the way they act that only
stern necessity compelled them TO part
with what was given them in happy
and prosperous times. Three weeks
ago a young man strayed IN casually.
He said he had a nice piece Of ore
and wanted it assayed. 4 picked il
up accidentally" he said, "a few
days ago IN Pennsylvania, where l
was spending vacation The spscj,
men we assayed proved a wonderful
one. Ittursed out 1856 in gold and SIS
ia silver. The young man nearly
went wild. He fastened back TO
Pennsylvania and purchased the
land whore he found the ore.
II ths land is rich with that kind Of
ore, it will be a bonanza. We smelt
down and refine every description Of
iewelry, and assay a large amount Of
specimen ore which has already been
examined and disposed of as far as the
mine is concerned forever. Photo
graphic wastes have become enormous
within the last few years. The trim
mings from paper, which are on asur-
face of nitrate of silver, amount to
thousands Of dollars annually in say.
ing. Each photograph gallery is care
full to ave the trimmings and have
them reduced. 1t is only of recent
years that the sweepings from jswelry
factories are saved. Ny grandfather
commenced business in New York rs
.years ago. He tried to teach the PEG
pie the value of savings. Ny father
succeeded in a a in showing the
business people what D great piece of
economy it was to save the trimmings
and ~sweepings of all metals. Why,
twenty years ago | know a jewelry
factory that threw away $50 TO the
pound Of discarded trimmings. They
would thrash their office boys If they
did not put the stuff in the ash barrel.
To day If the boys put it in the ash
barrel they will be treated with due
severity. So much for a change TO
strict economy in metal"
what do you do with tae metal
after it is redned2"
eve sell it again To the dealers. 1t
does rot deteriorate by the process of
refining, bat puts on a brighter look
than ever"
"Wnl the trade amount to anything
yearly2'
eyes. to millions. / have furnaces
here and IN Newark, and keep them
busy running all the time. Sweepings
alone would amount to millions in
this city. ia these days nothing must
be lost
"Do you have many trimmings IN
| platinum and aluminium
"No, very little. They are both ex-
pensive metals, and not universally
used ike gold and silver. Sometimes
when | see beautiful ornaments that
once graced the person of lady, melt
ing isto liquid, | wonder what those
ornaments could tell if they could
speak"
AInaca goats have been discovered