Salt Lake evening Democrat. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1885-1887, 1886-01-28
CONCENTRATING Low.GRADE ORE
Great success Reported on the Com-
stock-What Will Result From
the New Process.

tne NEW FIOCesss
The Golden Gate Concentrator set up
at the Brunswick mill, says the Virginia
Chronicle OF the 26th, is said to be CIV
ing general satisfaction, and the manage
ment are about to order five more to take
the entire pulp resulting from the daily
crushing of the fifty-six stamps.
Last week the concentrates from 147
tons of ore were amalgamated in onepan
in twelve hours. Under the old process
it is necessary to run sixteen pans twenty
four hours to amalgamate that amount OF
unconcentrated ore crushings.
The bullion returns from the concen-
trates amalgamated are said to have ex-
ceeded the assay value of the ore 81 per
ton, the ore from the assay samples show
ing an average value of so per ton, while
the bullion assay returns gave value of
$11.
This apparently phenomenal result can
readily be explained: The ore worked at
the Brunswick carries much larger per-
centage of gold than silver, and when
that metal predomnates in quartz it is
well known fact that it is not so evenly
distributed as in ore where silver predom-
mates. 1t frequently occurs that in taking
| samples for assay that the quantity taken
out OF mass of cr,ishings contains only a
small percentage of the yellow metal,
while the same amount taken from some
other part of the lot gives a much greater
value.
| II the statement OF the result obtained
from ore worked by the concentrating
process is not exaggerated, it will result
| in the immediate introduction of the pro-
cess in all the mills along the river, and
will lead to the overhauling and starting
up of old mills propelled by steam power
and the construction OF new ones to
crush and concentrate the countless mil
lions of tons of low-grade quartz in the
Comstock lode.
Heretofore the wear and tear OF pan
castings and the pans themselves has
constituted the most expensive branch of
reducing ore to bullion.
The amalgamation OF the concentrates,
according to the late experiment at the
Brunswick mill, demonstrates that the
wear and tear of the pans and shoes alone
is reduced to less than one-sixteenth. A
prominent mill man remarked that ii the
concentrator does its work as well as re-
ported, there will be 10000 men en-
ployed in the mines and mills on the
Comstock in less than three years.
1t is rumored that in view OF the sue
cess Of the experiment at the Brunswick
similar concentrators have been ordered
for the Eureka mill, to be used in work
ing ore taken from above the 1850 level
of the Con. Cal. & Va. mine, which also
carries a larger percentage of gold than
silver. Under the new milling contract
Senator Jones receives SO per ton fol
Transforming into bullion the ore extract
ed from above that level OF the mine.
By the concentrating process it is claimed
that gold-bearing quartz can De crushed
and amalgamated for so cents per. ton;
This will allow the Senator margin OF
concentrator. The shipments of ore from
above the 1850 level OF the mine to the
Eureka mill average $50 tons per day
This will give the mill owner. clear
profit OF over 81 900 per day.
In free milling ore where silver pre-.
dominates, the concentrating process will
not prove so successful. If low grade,
gold-bearing quartz can be transformed
into bullion at cost of only so cents pei
ton or even $1.50, it would pay hand.
somely to run cut at the base OF Cedar
hill, erect two or three one hundred-stamI
mills with concentrators on the floor o
the opening and rake the material pro
miscuously into self-feeders, as the de
} composed matter which forms the hill
will assay over 50 per ton from base tt
summit.
In like manner the entire belt Of low
grade quartz and mineralized decomposed
J matter. assaying from $2 to So per ton
now being explored on the upper levels
of the north-end mines, which extends
in an almost unbroken line from the Utah
to the Silver Hill, distance OF over five
miles in length by several hundred feet
in width and depth, can be Transformed
into bullion at profit, if the concentrate
ing process is adopted.
Mrs. Langtry now speaks of this coun.