Arizona weekly citizen., 1894-07-14
NEW MINERAL.
Lately Discovered in Arr
IONA Placers.
IDENTIFIED As BISMUTH.
Uses of Metal that is Considered
an Anomaly in Nature.
IDENTIFIED AS BISMUTH.

Every day brings forth new surprises
in the mineral manifestations of Ari-
IONA. 1t accepted among skilled miners
that while in Arizona are to be found all
the known metals, rarely do they here
occur in the stratiication or under the
same conditions as when originally
classed by biologists. Not a week
passes in the office of a busy assayer
that he is not called upon to identify
some rock that even to him is strange,
@. f. Hine, who is placer mining on
the Hassayamps, brought into the city
the other day half dozen pebbles, up
to pound in weight. He was curious
about these pebbles--believed they con-
tanned large proportion of gold, for
each was seemingly as heavy as simil-
ally sized lump of yellow metal. By
means Of research in Dana's Mineralogy
it was found, however, that the mys-
ferrous substance is Blsmuth, or COM
bination of bismuth with the other
metals.
1t is of high specific gravity, 9S, easily
fused under the blowpipe at tempe
ture of only 507 degrees Fahrenheit,
yellow in color, and of a cleavage that
clearly shows 1t to be of sedimentary
formation.
1t is valuable for many uses, though
chiefly 10 medlcine,;ls used for sllvering
the backs OF the finest OF mirrors, and
also, on account of its low melting point,
for fusible plugs in steam boilers.
Owing to its ready absorption in cupel-
ing, it may be used instead Of lead in
the assaying of gold and silver.
The Worlds supply is very much less
than the demand, and 1t is held at the
price of three or four dollars pound.
it is also valuable from the fact that it
often contains a material percentage of
gold or silver, which may account for
the tendency of the weIghty peddles to
seek the shelter of the rifles on Mr..
Hines sluice boxes.
c. NJ. Thorndyke made tests that es-
tablished the character of the metal
and Al. Poterie found in it a mineral
friend with which he was already
familiar. He has a story to tell about
it. 1t seems about year ago a Mex
lean brought him number OF pieces to
assay for gold. He was told that in a
certain gulch near Valture the ground
was covered with similar pebbles, enough
for scores of wagon loads.
On ascertaining the character OF the
stuff, Joe wrote to firm of wholesale
chemical dealers in the east, asking the
the price of facilities for handling it by
the ton. BY return mail he received q
reply that bespoke extreme agitation on
the part of the writer. Bismuth by the
ton was like speaking of supplying
diamonds by the pound, and the firm,
with stock of thousand pounds or so,
was fearful of the effect of the value OF
their holding should a reckless ArizoIan
insist on throwing several tons on the
markets OF the world.
Before answering, however, Joe had
gone with his Mexican friend to the
gulch specified, but had found, instead
of wagon loads being visible, that few
pounds of the substance was all that
could be gathered, so ne did not paralyze
the market
1t is found by the placer miners al
around the base of the Bradshaw noun
tains, and some day it is probable thai
there will be uncovered a deposit thai
will stock the world with Oismuth IL
quantity sufficient for years.-Gazette