Western liberal. (Lordsburg, N.M.) 1887-1919, 1893-01-20
TIE PRESENT STATUS OF STAMP
MILLING.
T. ,a,.,u1i A; Richard in Engineering and Mlnins


been considerable, and up TO the gen
eral average. 10 Colorado particular
ly the opening up Of new gold fields
during the year has stimulated the
demand for this type OF reduction
works. In California the add on to
the number OF stamps al work has
been relatively small, while in Dakota,
Montana aud Arizona the stamp mill
has held its own.
Owing to various causes, The dead
ness OF the mining share markets and
the uncertainty in the status OF the
white metal, there has been no un-
wonted activity in this or anv other
branch Of mill build ng. This is pa t.
ly due to the greater care ard judg-
ment now exercised in these matters.
The time has gone by, it may be
hoped, when mills were put Up n a
hurry and allowed to rust in id'eness
and decay at leisure. The amounts Of
money wasted in the erection OF cost
| ly plants where there was no m ne Ca
pable Of giving the necessary ore sup
ply, or in the building Of reduction
works totally unsuited to the end in
view, would if added up form a sta l.
J ing sum and compare well with the
total dividends paid by the miues OF
the west. People are more careful
now, more sane and business Ike, and,
while the machinery business may be
less lively the mining industry cannot
but gain by the change.
The mortality among new processes
is proverbially great, yet the past year
has brought forth more than its usual
quota Of new methods for the extract
ing OF the precious metals from their
ores. Many Of these processes have
died young, others look decidedly un-
healthy, but it must be a owed that
something serious and valuable has
been done in this d ection. The cv-
anlde process has OF late been the
theme Of much discussion, The rsSGlt
OF its comparatively recent intIoduc-
tlon into this country. 1t is, to mRuy,
thing either to swear by or to anath-
ematize, to be called the "uitma
Thule" Of simple meta liurgical treat
Inent or to be secuted as impossible
or impract;cable. II is s,ll in en-
brvo, crude aud dangerous in the
hands Of the unlearned and a pu1z e
to the most experienced. Though the
knowledge extant upon the workings
Of this process would even If concen-
trated form but weak solution, il is
safe TO say that it will in certain dis
tricts aud with certain ores prove a
most valuable aid to The miler
New processes have been many, not
only for the extraction OF the gold and
silver, but also for the plopaialo =
crushing and pulyei ia tion OF he ores.
Mechanical devices OF all Kinds. aad
nearly all very ingenious. have been
invented and patented, each time di-
rectiGY attention TO tle fact t1a5 the
stamp mill is at the very best only 4
very unsatisfactory machine. 1t is
clumsy to erect and to regulate, il
consumes an excess of power in pro-
portion to the work done, and, while a
simple pulyerlzer it has the serious
defect Of Shining the ore. It is gener-
ally allowed that for preparing tho
millstuff for wet concentration pro-
cess, stamps are defective in that the
pulp when sufficiently pulveriLed is
not Immediately discharged through
the screen, but remains long after it
is OF a flneness admitting Of It's exit
through the screen openings. This
produces an excess Of shines. Fur
ther, for teaching processes dry crush
ing is preferable because H. is easier
for the solvent solution to replace ain
between the particles Of the pulp than
water. The stamp mill is. as a uFJ
crushing machine, very inefficient
and has already been largely replaced
by other appliances.
At present the stamp mill has ChC
one oVerpowering argument IN ia
favor that it is simple and thorough
ly tried machine, that a man knows
what he can do with it, and thar
while able TO treat great variety o
ores it does not require the services o
a scientific engineer nor the adjunc
Of laboratory. This is true, but th,
times are near at hand when thl
feature will diminish in Importance
when milling will come. into line will
modern tendencies and be as syste
matically managed and as scientlflcal
ly worked as any other Of the NOR
complicated fire reduction processes
The result will be to discredit tn
rule OF thumb methods now so geneI
ally in vogue, and to further encouI
age the inventive genius Of the age j.
the production OF a machine whicl
will be free from the radical defect
:. Of the stamp battery.
In the mean time no one who ha
been through the chief gold minln