Mohave County miner., 1892-04-16
presumably by Mr.. MacAnhur's instruc-


The Mercur mill Of Utah WAS the first. in
this country, to start ON the percoiating
plan. The Mercur mill Of Utah WAS the
first, in this country, to start on the per.
colattng plan, on scale OF thirty tons
per day. All percolated solution, whether
from agitators or tanks, contain cyanide,
gold and silver in solution, consequently
all vessels receiving the same should be
perfectly tight, ss you presumably are
handling valuable liquid. This percolated
solution IL nov transferred to the precipi.
tsting box, Of size according TO value Of
ore and quality to be treated. The box
used ut Calumet 10 IA feet long, with IA
apartments. These boxes have wire
screens on the bottom, and are filled with
zinc shsvlngs four inches deep. The
boxss are W constructed, that the solution
is made TO pass through the body Of
shayings, which precipitA,es the gold aud
silver III y dark blackish powder BY
this part of the process y given part Of
the zinc ID destroyed; but this is Of no
particular moment, ~ the loss is but
,rifiing in dollars and cents.
The process is very simple and easily
worked, when you have your plant right.
aud start right on the per cent .. cyanide
and time for your especial ore. As to re-
ducing ore II is yet an unsettled question
whether il Is best ~ crush vet or dry, all
points being considered. The majority
OF the mills are crushing their orc dry.
The Calumet Co. has started out on
new lay, which think will DO the xinn-
ing one; to sit, crushing by stAmps, and
running the cyanide solution through the
battery instead OF water. In other words.
crush your quartz In the solution; thus
you combiue agitation, percolstion ana
expedition.
This. though new deal. suits us, and
thus far no disadvantages present them.
selves, that override the advantages
gained. OF course you have TO keep
pumping your solution back, and running
round. For dry reduction, the Shasta
Co.'S mill uses pulveIiziny barrels. The
advantage gained by the use OF barrels is.
all the ore is Of equal grain, and, as you
do not require fine crushing for this pro.
cess, by uniform grain Of ore you do faster
percolating. Time, however, 10 the es-
sence Of per cent more than fine crushing.
As to cost Of working the process. there
is good deal TO know before this ques-
tion can be correctly answered; to give
some idea. will say from ~ to IS per ton
You can extract the gold and high per
cent Of silver from any ore. The question
10 rs 70 time, and at what per cent Of
cyanide.
As to silver extraction, ct first paid no
attention to 1t, but have found the pro
cess very efficient, except requi. ing more
time than gold; vet silver 10 in SO many
combinations that testing should be the
only guide for any especial ore. II will
work readily sll ores worked by pan
amalsamation. Taking California ores,
from some It vii! often extract more silver
than the total cost Of milling. As to cost
Of plant, for gold il is very much cheaper
than the ordinary frst-class mill; for
silver, the expense will not be half the
cost Of pan mills.
To express myself as TO the process,
will be to declare II one Of the wonders
Of the times. / sm aware that it has not
the friendship Of some men OF science
who tAlk wisely on what they don't know
To me. all opposition il as puff Of wind
in the face Of every day demonstrated
facts as handle the process. l have
been cnrsed ton often by dissppointnents
in yields, by our old systems, to not ap.
preciate the fact Of always being sure Of
high per cent Of the value Of the ore
treat.
One Of the astonishing features Of the
process is, that you can take the heaviest
sulphuretsd ores, and, without roasting,
extract 95 per cent of the value out Of
same, and then you cannot detect any
perceptible difference In their appearance.
This was the hardest part for me to real.
ize. but have long ago gotten over the
doubt, but not the wonder.
One Of the inviting features Of the pro.
cess is that all the machinery you want is
for reducing your ore, and power to drive
It.; and what q comfort there is in this.
every millman can realize. Then, coup
led with the fact that your returns are
certain, wise man can grasp the future
Of mining. Thus give the reader some
idea of what the process IL OF conrsa