Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1891-08-29
Lord Randolph Churchill Gives an In
teresting Account of His Travels
in South Africa.
He Finds Some Rich Gold Ore That is
Exceedingly Hard to
Handle.
There are Also Found in That Country
Valuable Silver, Coal and
Iron Ores.

Largest of all the gold mines round Jo-
Harrisburg the Robinson mine il probably
the most remarkable for the hign average
richness Of its ore, and fore the enterprise
ana method of its management This
mine was originally bought by q small
syndicate for less than 100000, In 1888
a company was formed to work it With a
capital Of e. zoo, 900 The company pos
sesses 4 'mijinpacht, or mining laase, of
about two hundred acres, containing some
thirty-fve mining claims Three distinct
reefs are being worked at different levels
the main reef leader, the middle reef
and the south reef The latter has hither-
to afforded the richest results
The deepest level now being developed
is about three hundred feet below the sur
face and it has been found by assay, but
not yet CONFIRMED by practical crushing,
that the ore at this depth maintains its
richness. There are about FIVE miles of
underground workings, mostly illumin
ated by the electric light. The ore, which
near the surface Of the ground is a friable
couglomerate, free from pyrIte, becomes at
the deeper levels hard congomerate rock
almost impervious to the ordinary drill
and hammer worked by manual labor, and
highly pyritic These two qualities have
necessitated the installation of American
air drilling machinery Of such power as to
be capable OF drilling a hole four feet deep
into the rock in fifteen minutes which a
native would be unable to complete work
ing IN an entire day.
The abundant presence of D r.tss CON-
pels chemical treatment of the concen-
trates and tailings, the stamps alone being
unable to extract more than fifty per cent
Of the gold The Macarthur Fou est
process, or, II other words, the treatment
Of the ore by cyanide Of potassium, is be.
ing tried upon the tailings, and chiOlia-
alton plant is being installed for the treat
ment OF the concentrates 1t is, however
too soon TO pronounce upon the respective
merits Of these processes, and 1t Is posi-
hle that the pense per ton may be greater
than would admit of appreclable profit.
Here and there in the deeper levels peck
cts of ore of extraordinary richness are
found | have before me as write a
specimen taken from such pocket estI-
mated by assay TO produce q thousand
ounces to the ton This IS probably an ex-
agRerated estimate, Another specimen
has been estimated to produce twenty eight
ounces to the ton. The average yield
however, of the ore in the deeper levels
will probably be found to be little under
two ounces to the ton.
The entire gold production Of the Robin
son mine since the commencement of the
year 1889. period Of a little more than
two years. may be stated in round 6gures
at 100000 tons of ore, realizing 100000
ounces of gold, in value from six hundred
40, 5is,b k,v .l~..l in141yYvJ NAM, l1 Ift,o,,
the enormous capital the directors de-
clared for the year 1889 a dividend Of five
per cent. and for the year 1890 four per
cent They spent moreover out of the
earnings on the development of the mine
and on new machinery an amount equal to
these dividends From October next, when
the additional twenty stamps have been
erected, making a total of sixty stamps,
when the rock drilling machinery is at
work and the chlorination plant set up,
the manager expects TO get from crushings
from eighty five hundred to nine thousand
ounces OF gold per month, There are EN-
ployed in the Robinson mine one hundred
and thirty Europeans and about nine
hundred native workmen,
The wages paid to Europeans range
high. Carpenters receive from Is TO Is
los a week Skilled mechanics and
backsmiths receiy. G6 a week. Strange
to say, In spite of these high wages the
white workmen are constantly leaving
their employment and going off to Mas
houaland The directors find it more and
more difficult to obtain skilled labor, and
there appears to be both at this mine and
generally all over the Randi most PROM
les and miners The cost OF living would
probably exceed the cost 0t living in Eng
land, but the high wages, counted with
dwelling rent free IN addition to a mag
nIhcent climate, would appear to open the
road to fortune
The Robinson mine, such rs it is, is
probably one of the finest gold mines IN
the world, bat it is oyerbur dened with an
excessive capital account, which before
long 1t may be found convenient and prac-
tiCable considerably 10 reduce Situated
somewhat to the west of the Robinson
mine is the Llnglate estate This coyu-
pany. with capital Of els 600 owns and
works an estate held in freehold not uu.
der a mining lease, If considerable larger
area than that held by the Robinson COM
panv The main and south reefs are
principally worked, but the average yield
does net exceed fifteen pennywaghts 10
the ton There is. however, an enormous
quantity Of this ore lu sight, and the ex-
re,lent management enables "a good profit
to be realized. A battery of 100 stamps Is
in process of erection ON this mine. which
isperhaps the best developed and general.
lv the most attractive Of all the mines ID.
the Randi
The Ferrelra mine. adjoining the Rob
iDsou, is Just as celebrated for It's splendid
milling plant and machinery and for its
economical and skitful administration
TIE mime consists st about fifteen claims
visdiug on an average nearly one ounce
to the ton. The concentrates and taiIinrs
Of This mine, when properly treated. are ex-
paGed @ produce considerably addition
al tleli Here has been installed 4 very
patitct assay ana smelling plan. and a6-
urt1rr BY the courtesy Cf the very M u
mlgeatleman in charge Of this depart
meat. Pr Simon, was enabled 10 follow
the. beautiful process Of trsatm5n, of
pYdtes Us CHLORINE gas The pyrites a7e
ru1aed prior 10 treatment, hgcomlns IL
treaeIy fuable, losing the sulphur wblgu
s.ssrFaTr fr..4Yr4sr fha e-1l4 ~ Il r.sr.