Orange County observer. [volume] (Hillsborough, N.C.) 1880-1918, 1892-10-29
A GOLD BRICK.
HOW INGOT METAL IS TURNED
INTO COIN GOLD.
The varivus Interesting Proccseee
1t fhe United Seates Assay OF
dce-Scales of Marvellous
Delicacy.
Y BOUT 8 o'clock ia the morning
\ two men entered the Mitchell
Il Building. in Third street, st.
Tnnic and Ua4tinD into $ha

went straight to the rooms of the United
States Assay Office. Oae of them carried
in his hand bundle the size OF a thin
brick, wrapped in paper. he laid it
down On the counter in the Office aud
slowly unwrapped the bundle. 1t was
gold brick. The clerk took the bullion,
and stepping across the door placed it in
one of the pans of large pair of scales.
Then be closed the office windows and
placed some weights in the other. When
it balanced nicely he went to his desk,
took out blank form, and wrote to the
effect that 400 ounces of gold bullion
had been received from the st. Louis
Smelling and Refining Works at the
United States Assay Office, to be assayed;
This was signed by E. c. Jewett, the
| assaver in charge, aud the men went
away. This is the first step the Govern
ment takes toward obtaining precious
metal for coming purposes.
1t is extremely interesting to follow
this process of assaying through all the
steps until the value of the gold is de-
termined and the Cover nment's CHECK
given for it.
While Clerk Rex vas filling out the
receipt Mr. Jewett explained the mar
velous delicacy of the scales Their
weighing capacity is 5000 ounces, and it
is possible to indicate by them the diff
ference in weight of one grain. TO il.
lustrate, SO that this may be easily
erasped, two heavy men could be placed
in one of the pans, and by moving pin
from the coat of one of them the balance
would be changed. Still, it would be
difficult to obtain the exact weight of
the men owing to the constant change
in the mems bodies by perspiration and
other causes.
After the bullion's weigh. was de.
termined on by these scales, it was taken
to the furnace room and placed in a
black-lead cruclble This was set On
! fire brick resting on crate and fire
4 built around it. The fuel used is q mix
cure of anthracite coal and charcoal.
After an hours melting, during which
time it was frequently stirred with q
plumbago poker, to which gold does not
cling, sample of the metal was dipped
out with an ordinary clay pipe and
poured into small mold. The assay is
made from this, as it takes 80 much
longer for the larger quantity to cool.
piece of the sample was cut off
pounded, and then rolled through
roller of tool steel, looking something
like clothes wringer, to make it thin
When this was done, Herman, the Ger
man who aids tie assayer in bis work
handed the thin golden strip to him
and tnen went back to the furnace room
to pour out the molten thousands into
the big mold.
Nr. Jewett cut the strip into small
pieces, and then. forming little lead
cornucopias Of uniform wei yht y dropped
into two of them 500 milligra rs fone
sixteenth OF an ounce) Of accurately
weighed gold to be assayed. Into tw,
Others he puts the same quantity .: alb
solu'esy pure gold. Eaough silver va,
then added 10 make the proportion O
silver to gold Two 10 one, as this proper
ton is necessary in order that the golt
should SCI arate from the silver wher
boiled ii nitric acid
There is in all gold certain amour,
of silver, aud it IS owing to its presenc'
and certain other foreign substances tha
the color of gold varies. The idea tha
gold found in California or Australia j
# such color because found there Is
mistaken one.
After the silse. had been aided th
leaden cornacopias we're squeezed up al
: each oae placed n wha. is called
4 eupel. A cupel IS little cup made Q
sheep bones burned 70 ashes. ground fns
| noiste-ed and inolded into q mold q
inch long. al irch in diameter, With
cup-snaped depression a. one end. II
cupeis were placed in q small furnae
with temperature Of aoou, 100 ds
: arees cen.igrade. and when heated 70
sslite hest the little metal chunks We
. laid by the Aid o. tongs, one Ia eac
>eusel. TheT melted, spute.ei ao
: aba.e<. and thea began TO grow sn.lIe
Ia sbou. ten minutes they were tax.