The Ketchum keystone. [volume] (Ketchum, Idaho) 1885-1899, 1886-11-06

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and Uses 10 which IL II Put.
Quicksilver forms part of soft
red rock called cinnabar, composed
Of mercury and sulphur. The Gin
nabar is crushed and exposed to
the heat, when the metal, in the
form of vapor, passes into a vessel
suitable for the purpose. where it is
cooled. Then, being reduced to
its liquid state, it is pure and fit
for use.
When men working in the mines
heat the rocks the quicksilver will
sometimes roll out in drops as
large as a pigeons egg, and fall on
the ground in million sparkling
globules. 1t is said to be very
beautiful against the dark, red rock
glittering everywhere with living
silver" while every crack and
crevice is also filled with it. Just
as wood floats on water because it is
lighter, so large stones thrown into
kettle of mercury would float on
top, it is SO much more heavy a
substance than the stone.
There are only four important
localities where it is obtained-Cal-
ifornia, Peru, Austria and Almaden,
in Spain. The mines in Peru
were discovered in a curious man
ner. Cinnabar, when ground very
fine, makes a beautiful red paint.
The Indians used this to ornament
their bodies on great occasions.
This caused the country where
they lived to be examined, and the
cinnabar was foud. The Romans
used this paint hundreds of years.
ago in decorating their images. 1t
is of great value now in our times,
and we call it vermilion.
This wonderful quicksilver is
very useful in separating metals
from the rocks to which they cling
The rocks are crushed fine, sifted
and washed until as much of the
gold and silver is removed as pos
sible. Then it is placed in bot
tie with the quicksilver, which
seems to absorb it at once, separat-
ing it entirely from every particle
of sand or rock. If the metal to
be cleaned is gold, YOU will see a
yellQwish mass of sort of paste or
amalgam. This is heated, and the
mercury or quicksilver flies away,
leaving behind it pure gold. 1t is
only after years of patient toll and
very many unsuccessful attempts
that this wonder-wo-king process
was brought about.
Not many years ago, near the
rich gold mines in California, there
were discovered large mines of
quicksilver. Previous to this, all
the quicksilver had to be shipped
to this country from foreign shores,
which made it very hard to obtain,
and very expensive. Now, the ia
bles are turned. For we. after sup
plying our own demand, can sup
ply other countries ourselves plen-
tifully.
Although mercury is So useful
in many ways, it is also a deadly
poison, and its vapor so dangerous
that in the search for it many per-
sons have lost their lives. Not
many years ago the mines of Aus
tria took fire. and thirteen hundred
workmen were poisoned, many of
them dying in consequence; and
the water used to quench the
flames, pumped into river near
by, caused all the fish i'll the river
to die.
Have you ever seen mercury
carried about? 1t is put in sheep
skin bags and iron bottles. 1t is
so heavy that instead of an ordinary
cork, an iron stopper is used
screwed in Sometimes these bags
do sad havoc, as in the case of
storage of several in the hold of a
ship, bringing it to this country.
Some of the bags leaked. Every
body on board was poisoned. Every
bit of metal was covered with a sill
yer coating of ouicklilver.