The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1886-01-15
AN ASSAY OFFICE.

How Gold-Dust II Made Into valuable
Brick.
A visit to the United States Assay
Office here is very interesting. Being
ushered into the receiving Office 1
found clerk opening several packages
of gold dust that had been brought
from the post-office, and was told
that no packages had ever been known
to be lost, though no extra precautions
are taken in sending them. After be-
ing weighed carefully the dust is
handed over to the melter, who is ac-
companied by q gentleman whose sole
business is to see that the dust is
placed in the crucible, for until the
gold assumes the shape of bar no
man is allowed to handle it while alone.
The furnaces in which the dust is
melted produce two thousand five hun
dred degrees of heat, and the crucibles
are made of two parts, plumbago and
one part fire clay, and are of various
sizes. to accommodate the ever-varying
deposits. The mOlds are of different
capacities, varying from twelve ounces
to six thousand ounces. and before each
pouring they are carefully scraped and
smoked, the thin coating of SCOT pre-
venting the bar from sticking to the
mold. The metal is always poured in
the presence of one who watches the
melter all the time. ''This is DONE"
the meter explained, "as well for cur
own protection as in the interest of the
depositOrs. For instance, if deposit
or, deceived as to the value of his
dust, claims that some of j: has been
wasted or stolen during the process of
melting, two of us are here to act as
checks upon each other. Every effort
is made to ascertain the exact value of
the deposit. and while there necessarily
is a little waste in the mechanical
operations, it is very slight. Every
day the crucibles are scraped
of the little fluxing that may adhere to
the sides, and these scrapings, together
with the fluxing, poured out with the
gold, and all the dust that settles upon
the iron floor of the room, are carefully
preserved. and at the end of the year
the mass is melted over and the gold
extracted and given over to the Govern
ment. After handling over a million
dollars last year, little over three
hundred dollars were obtained from the
years 'sweepings." Each bar is taken
to the two assayers, who each take a
chip from the opposite diagonal cor
ncrs. From these bits of gold the
tineness of the whole bar is calculated.
The gold that is bought for the Gov
eminent is sent to New York, with the
calculations on the different bars.
which are tested and averaged. and
the results compared with the calcula-
tons here obtained. The most perfect
accuracy is necessary in the. weighing
and calculating in order to make the
figures agree. The metric system of
weights is used.
"A drop of water" said one of the
assayers, Eat sixty-two degrees Fahr-
emmett weighs fifty Kilograms. These
scales will weigh one-tenth part of
milogram," which, as figure it, would
be one five-hundredth part of drop of
water. They can calculate the value
of ore that yields only seventy-fve
cents to the ton.
The Government buys all the gold
presented for sale, but a depositor may
have his dust refined and made into e
bar upon the payment of a small fee.
A short time ago a deposit valued at
$4,000 was brought in by one man.
The dust equaled in bulk about two
panfuls. The assaying of ore has
lately been discontinued. Pure gold is
worth S2O.67 per ounce. My guide
showed me brick, which. for num-
Der of reasons, l was unable to put in
my pocket. weighing PSI ounces; it
was about sxS - by l-2 inches in its
several Dimensions. and was worth
S3.O46.-Hclena, (M IT, Cor. Louis
cllle C0urier-JOarn0i.