The Caldwell tribune. [volume] (Caldwell, Idaho Territory [Idaho]) 1883-1928, 1889-02-09
large stamp mills built at slight,

| large stamp mlliS Quilt 9t sngntiy
lower levels on the mountain side.
From the cars the ore is dumped into
trough-like bins. From these the ore
is fed gradually into massive iron
jaws, which crush the rock into pieces
not larger than a walnut From these
the ore by gravity is fed TO the stamps.
! which are placed in batteries still
lower down. This stamping of rock is
nothing more or less than pounding
up stone in an iron mortar with
pestle, at the same time pouring in
water every little while, at intervals
pouring off the powdered rock with
the water. These stamps are round
chilled iron cylinders attached to
vertical stem of iron and ara in batter.
les of five. These are placed in long
row of 60 or 100. A shaft extends the
whole length with cam-like arms. sc
arranged as to raise each stamp q foot
or so at each revolution, dropping by
its own gravity, and partially revolv.
ing horizontally at the same time. The
stamps do not rise together. but
alternately. The ore and water being
fed in together. as fast as reduced to
mud are flushed out from under the
stamp through screens. 1t then flows
in broad. thin stream over broad
sloping copper table. the copper being
heavily amalgamated with mercury.
The mercury catches the gold. but
permits all the rest to flow away. At
intervals this amalgam Is cleaned off,
placed in a retort the mercury dis.
titled off and condensed for use again.
while the gold left in the retort is
cleaned and melted into q brick.
The output of the several mines OF
the Homestako group is stated to be
$780, 600 per mouth. The yield of gold
per ton averages So. 1t is quite prob
able that at least 81. 900, 900 in gold
are added to commerce from this re.
gion yearly.
The gold belt containing these mines
is continuous, extending a great dis.
lance nearly north and south, dipping
sixty degrees or more to the north.
east, with an average width of nearly
100 feet, this width not including the
collateral veins. The wall rock is
porphyrY schist and various forms of
schist and slate. The gold-bearing
veins consist of hydrous mica, chic
rite hornblende, schists and quartz
veins. the ore, yielding from So up as
high as from Sc to S. per ton. The
vertical shafts reach from 700 to 500
feet below the surface. The pay roll
for labor must be nearly 81, 500. 900
per year. Over 10000 cords of hard
pine are used annually for firewood.
Gold by no means covers tho whole OF
the mineral riches of the Black Hills,
but silver and lead, copper. iron, anti
mony and zinc are all found in abund-
ance; but perhaps what is most impor-
tant Of all is the enormous deposits of
stream tin. that form of tin ozid termed
cassiterite, which occurs in small nod |
ules of the size of peas or larger in
mica, IN crystalline spodumene and in
quartz. An English syndicate has OBJ
tanned largely control of the tin dis
coveries, which it does not see fit to |
develop. for the reason. so many
claim. the owners think that thew fret
wish to get into their hands the whole |
tin bearing region while it can be done
cheaply. and then develop the mines
as source Of inexhaustible wealth. III
Frederick Slearns, in Detioit Free
Press,