Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1888-08-17
BLACK HILLS MINING.
The Building of Reduction Works Marks
n New Era-A Few Particulars.

The Building of Reduction Works Marks
New Era-A Few Particulars.
The erection of reduction works at Dead
wood, OAK, marks a new era in the history
of mining operations in the Black Hills.
In certain districts, notably those of Bald
Mountain and Ruby Basin, there are i'm
mense deposits of refractory ore that can
neither be milled nor smelted, and the
question of how to get the gold and silver
out of this ore has long vexed and both
cred the mining men: but the problem
seems now to be solved in satisfactory
way by the teaching process. Numerous
unsuccessful attempts have been made, at
one time and another, to reduce these ores,
and the fact that success has ut last been
reached gives great cause for rejoicing.
The attention of d. Clark, the inventor of
the teaching process, was first called to the
Black Hills ores last October. when, at the
suggestion of A. J. Salisbury, president Of
the First National bank of Deadwood, Mr..
Clark was induced to go and examine the
mines in that region. He spent some time
there, and on his return to Cortez. New,
where he was operating large teaching
plant, samples of ore were sent to him. and
after making series Of the most thorough
experiments he reported that his process
was complete success as applied to these
ores, he being able to save something like
80 per cent. of the assay value. A stock
company was organized and correspondence
commenced with Mr.. CLARK with a view to
engaging him to go to Deadwood and per-
sonally superntend the erection of works.
The company was finally successful and
made full arrangements with Mr.. Clark
Sixty thousand dollars worth of stock was
soon subscribed for, 25 per cent. to he
cash and balance paid III as fast as needed.
MIR. Clark reached Deadwood in the early
part of May, and upon his arrival it was
ton plant to cost 100000. Mr.. Clark was
elected superintendent and has gone east
to have the plans prepared and to pur-
chase the machinery, etc. A site has been
secured just below the city, comprising
twenty acres. The mill will be 200 feet
long by 1870 feet wide and so feet high,
with capacity of fifty tons per day. It is
estimated that the cost of mining and
hauling the ore to the mill will not exceed
~ per ton, as the ore is easily extracted,
no hosting works or pumps being neces-
sary. The company proposes to reduce
the ore at a cost to the miner of about So
per ton. making total cost of mining and
reduction $40 per ton. These ores villa
essay on an average about $25 to $50 per
ton, and that from some mine rune much
higher. Thus it will be readily seen what
this means to the mine owner who has sat
down for years and watched his mine, get
ting nothing from it. The teaching pro-
cess used by Mr.. Clark differs from others
of a like nature in that it is entirely sue
cessful with refractory ores while
the others are not. The process
briefly described is as follows:
The ore is first put through a big rock
crusher and broken into pieces as large as
hens egg. Then it is run through a
'dryer" and every particle of moisture ex-
tracted. When it has become thoroughly
dry it is put through another crusher and
broken into still smaller pieces. From the
secon,: crusher it goes to the rollers. where
1t is crushed fine enough to 60 through
twenty mesh SCREEN" From here it is
carried by elevators to the top of the mill
and dunn. ed in the roasting furnace with a
mixture OF 10 per cent. salt and 10 per
cent matte. There the ore is heated until
it becomes chloridized; then it is spread
upon an iron floor to cool After cooling
it is put into huge tanks and solution Of
hyposulphate of soda is poured over the
ore. This solution carries the gold and
silver out with it. The gold and silver is
separated from the soda by the use of sui
phite of calcium, which it turns into sui
phide. 1t is then put into black lead pots
and run Oft into bars ready for shipment.
When the success of this process has been
actually demonstrated by the mill in
operation there is no doubt but that other
works will be built here, for the supply of
ore is practically inexhaustib!e, and fifty
tons per day will only be drop in the
bucket to what can be taken cut.