Idaho semi-weekly world. [volume] (Idaho City, Idaho Territory) 1875-1908, 1888-08-10

1t was subsequently discovere | { ut
the ragged stranger and the man win
A gun were identical H, had filed
down twenty-dollar gold piece,
loaded gun with the dust. and fred
into the face of the cliff This man
hal been deserter from the United
States Army. His name escapes me.
Sailing with chloride of gold so
called. was the invention OF Ca l.
fornia man and practieed by him at
the hydraulic mines in the northern
Part OF that State. ! will leave some
chemist 10 state what the powerful re-
solvent was that held gold suspended
In infinitely small particles. but such
an agent he did discover and used with
success. II, draulic mining is done by
means Of very long sluice or trough
with stats nailed crosswise along the
bottom. As muddy water, with which
the rich earth has been mixed. is
passed through this sluice. quicksilver
In the angles Of the stats attracts the
atoms of gold. and the alluyial de-
posit forms an amalgum. AT several
WORTHLESS, mines this chloride Of < Ill
was emptied into the water, aud the
particles OF metal united with the
quicksilver In exactly the manner OF
nature. II deceived ell The experts
and realz d a fortune for the swind-
Ter He built summer hotel OH the
Pacific coast with the proceeds, and
this was shortly after destroyed by
FIRE. Thus vice was ultimately pun
ishcd. is as 1t is in novels plays
and real life
Who has ever heard Of 'Grattin' s
boitles" Very few, and yet they at
one time puzzled numerous leading
scientists Of the couatry. This is
briefly the history Of them: A man
named Grattin owned cluster Of bar
rem claims 10 Colorado He went to a
ST. Louis capitalist and told him a
vonderiu story Of gold. which exls ell.
he said. all through the loamy subsoil
Of the mines The capitalist became
interested. and went out to investigate.
Gratiin giving him four glass bottles
In which to bring home specimens Of
the earth These he brought back,
securely sealed. and an assay discov-
cred gold running thousands Of dollars
to the ton He bought the mines and
Graitin disappeared.
When the mines turned out to be
absolutely worthless the question OF
how the swindle was perpetra ed
arose The strictest search failed to
show any sigus of sailing. aud then
The victim thought of the bottles.
They we're ordinary glass jars holding
q quart each. and there was apparent.
ly nothing suspicious about them.
However. he had them scalded on,
and filed with earth from hi.
garden. In few days the jars were
opened and unquesiionable traces OF
gold found in the contents He was
nonplusscd. Scientific men examin ed
them, and could make nothing out Of
the phenonen No matter what was
put into the bottles gold would mp.
pear in a few days 1t looked lik,
alchemy.
Finally 1t occurred to some body t,
cut into the corks and then the secre
was out They were made Of com
position OF shellac powdered cork an,
gold dust This had the property o
gradually disinlegrating and droppin!
of. and the more the bottles we're han
died the more gold would be found OF
assay.
Mine sailing has been practiced 81
frequently in Colorado that smelter
and miners are extremely careful 4
whom they sell rich ore. lest it be pu
to improper uses. Hence it Is n mat
ter of some difficulty 10 obtain tn
salt This was rather ingeniousl,
overcome some years ago in L ad
vile. A salier wanted some ore frou
the Robert z Lee mine. at that i'm
the richest in the camp He obi aine'
employment as Il laborer. and ever
day. af er he had eaten his dinner Il
one OF the drifts he would fill hi
bucket with ore. In short time n
had the necessary quantity. Som
miners who noticed the trick EN-
ployed 1t 10 steal ore and were getting
rich when the whole story came t
light and they came to grief
Very few smelters have ever bee
swindled by sailing They take ex
traordinary precautions against II
sampling all the ore they buy from a
least q dozen places. and then grind
ing up the balance and sampling
afresh. In some smelters as many q
forty different samples are taken.
Ii is a singular fact that not onl
have poor mines been sailed with rio
ore. but rich mines have been yer
frequently saltel with poor. The Gil
enmstancss under which sach an az
parent paradox would take place ar
thes Explorations are being mad
In some part of mine and vein {
very rich mineral is suddenly ur
covered II the superintendent hr
salt and darkness In his soul he is yer
apt to take a pick. dig out little
the ore. and i'll the cavity with low
grade stuff from some other part
the mine. Then no makes n dis
eour,ging report. apparently vertie
by facts. aud in due course OF tim
proposes to lease the property for
song. II he is successful. the vein
not long la being rediscovcrcd. Th
trick has been played time aud agai
all over tho State, aud in instances til
salter has gone so far as to "a,
eidentallv" blow up tho tunnel
which rich find wa, made. Perhap
some poor wretch OF miner would b
caught Ia the awful sub erranear