Custer weekly chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, S.D.) 1890-1931, 1894-01-06

4
a and silver ores and investigation OF
Y teaching processes, such as the Russell
: cyanide and improved chlorination
process discovered and patented by Mr..
, Englehardt. To coin word, brominea-
/ ton is to be the method Chlorine is
Z not used in any manner. Several pro-
positions for the use of the process are
: said to be under consideration by the
owners The proposals come from
I Montana, Colorado, Utah, the Black
Hills, and from every mining district in
America letters of inquiry as to its
} adaptability to ores are received. At
the works tests of 100 to 900 pounds of
ore will be made and the owners inform
ed of the cost OF treatment.-M Mining
Press.
TELLURIuM.
i yCurrrs, 8. ID. Jan. 2, lS94.---EDIroR
CHRONICLE: There is so much misappre-
hension in regard to tellurium and the
compounds Of that substance that have
concluded to write an article describing
the various tellurium minerals Telur-
ium was originally found in Transylva-
MA. 1t is usually classed as metallic
element being consid red in group
with tin arsenic and antimony, but bears
so strong an analogy to sui phur and see
MUM, that some chemists class il with
those substances as non metal Tel
lnrlum exhibits bright, white metallic
iustre, and has a specific gravity of 6.24,
about "a times heavier than quartz 1t
melts at about 900 degrees Far, and may
he voatilized at white heat. Contrary
TO the usually accepted belief it is less
easily melted and :olatilizej than either
am speaking now of telurium, not Of
tellurides or compounds of tellurum
and other metals. Tellurium, tellurdes
and free gold may and do occur in the
same rock separately. not in cumbina-
ton with each other. Tetradynite is
the most common tellurium mineral
found in the southern Hills. 1t consists
of tellurium and bismuth is not
chemical compound, but simply a mix
ture or alloy of the two metals, and con.
tans no gold in combination. A Ger
man chemist thinks there is a little gold
in some found in Hungary, but it is at
least not necessary or common ingredi-
ent. Ii has specific gravity Offs,
| pale steel gray color, and leaves mark
on paper like graphite, and resembles
that mineral. | have heard it called
graphite tellurium, but il contains no
graphite. Ii often occurs in globelar
form, appearing a fine black shining
shot, disseminated through quartz. 1t
il usually surrounded by light, grayish
stain on the rock, and this gray stain
often contains free gold, although why
gold should occur in connection with i
VSnt understand. However, reason
that as compounds Of tellurium occur in
connection with each other, there has
been at one time gold bearing telluride
in connection with the bismuth com
ponnd, which by its decomposition has
deposited gold. Such compound will
probably be found undecomposed at
greater depth. Altai,e is the next most
common tellurium mineral found in this
locality. The composition of speci-
men was as follows:
i Gold, ......"."....... 80 per cent.
Silver, 8 per cent.
Lead ....... .........54.0 per cent.
Copper, ,................ l.3 per cent.
Tellurium, ..........,.322 per Gems.
Sulphur, .......... 80 per cent.
A telluride of gold and lead, it might
be called ,lena in which sulphur is
replaced by tellurium, occurs as dark
gray crystals resembling galena. is quite
soft and makes slight mark on paper,
specific gravity above z. Usually sur
rounded by dark stain on the quartz,
and this stain always contains free gold
resulting from the partial decomposi-
ton Of the mineral. At a greater dist
ance from the specimen the rock VIII
give the reddish yellow stain OF lead,
particularly in the seams, | have OBJ
, in this vicinity, but it is not as common
: as the bismuth mineral. There is an
other telluride of lead not containing
gold occurring in white cleavable cryst
ais which l have observed here, bnt
have only seen it in two places. The
G above are all the tellurium compounds
: / have found in this vicinity. Sylvanite
e is a telluride OF gold occurring in yellow
:. ish, white CRYSTALS. / would not expect
: to find il near the surface, but expect il
;, TO occur il. connection with the bismutf
y mineral ut greater depths. The other
known tellurides. Hessite, Calaverit'
: and Petite contain so much silver tina
: we need not look for them here, wher'
we have practically no silver.
u Yours, etc.
J. S. D. PORTER.
% AN OLD MINERS ADVICE
A miner who worked in the Califor
i, mia diggings in the early days, gives tn
y following advice to prospectors for gold
"a "If had friend going to start farming
" my advice to him would be, shun al
le poor, hungry land as you would pes
"a thence. Get into district noted 70
r, good land. and you may succeed. We.
ii II is just the same in mining. IL part
to is formed to go prospsSlina, the frs
is best thing to do is-Ag secure the les
OF mining maps Of .ks coantry, and the
10 trace on ths1y the surifsrons belts o.
IN which the Achest disgings have prove
Ae n exjsk. ..,s .,,r,, tho~a ~ NJ have neye