Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1885-09-10
ASSAYING PRECIOUS METALS.
Talk with a E1an who Makes a BUS,
1ness OF at.
New York Mail and Express.

New Iork Mail and Express
Some queer things happen in our
line of business" remarked the pre-
prietor of an assay and refining estab-
llshment on 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 q
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
IL and part with their silver service
or gold ornaments in order to get the
cash down. The pawnbrokers will
give nothing On them because perhaps
they are out Of style. We give them
the intrinsic value of the metal. less
the expense of refining. Ladies fire.
queatly 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 young man strayed in casually.
He said he had nice piece of ore
and wanted it assayed. I picked it
up accidentally" he said, "a few
days ago n Pennsylvania, where
was spending vacation The specs
men we assayed proved wonderful
one, Itturaed out $3.50 ia gold and SIS
IN silver. The young man nearly
went wild. He fastened back to
Pennsylvania and purchased the
land where he found the ore
If the land is rich with that kind OF
ore, it will be a bonanza. We smelt
down and refine every description of
jewelry, 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 sur
face of nitrate Of silver, amount to
thousands of dollars annually in saw.
ing. Each photograph gallery is care
full to save the trimmings and have
them reduced. It is only of recent
years that the sweepings from jewelry
factories are saved. Ny grandfather
commenced business in New York rs
years ago He tried to teach the PEG.
pie the value of savings NV father
succeeded in measure in sho wing the
business people what a 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 the metal
after it is refned?"
eve sell it again to the dealers. It
does rot deteriorate by the process of
refining, bat puts on brighter look
than ever"
will the trade amount to anything
yearly2'
yes, to millions. I have furnaces
here and in Newark. and keep them
busy running all the time. Sweepings
alone would amount to millions in
this city. In these days nothing must
be lost"
''Do you have many trimmings in
platinum and aluminium"
mo, very little. They are both ex-
pensive metals, and not universally
used like gold and silver. Sometimes
when I see beautiful ornaments that
once graced the person of lady, melt
ing iato liquid, I wonder what these
oraaments could tell if they could
speak"
Alp aca goats have been discovered
in Asia Minor whose hair excels that
of the South American alpaca, and q
very silky, soft alpaca fabric results
from its manufacture.
The Chautauqua Literary and Sci
antifio Circle has 100 O0O MI nils IN al