The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1895-07-02

Vaded other fields and conquered dill
culties in mining and mechanical en-
cheering.
To day chemistry shows us how to
snatch gold from its base surroundings
and present it refined for the work.
mans hammer, or the coiner's ladle'
Happy was the age when gold had only
to be picked up. Happier is the age
before us in which the hand of chem
zeal science shall lift the veil that en-
velopes the hidden treasures OF the
earth. This operation will also pc a
grand personal achievement for the
| chemist. for when the veil that has
been thrown over a loving heart Is
lifted bv some cherishing hand, the
| secret inuuietudes of passion suddenly
burst their bounds, and he sootnlng
overfowing of love and devotion sue
! ceeds that mystery, with which the
oppressed heart had ~enveloped its feel
ings. The chemist, then, who will
have ACQUIRED the skill of such a manlp-
ulation will be the first to enjoy the
rich blessings which none other than
he who has experienced such an opera
ton can enjoy.
Until recently the gold industry sep
arated successfully all gold found in
the metallic state, but we find deep in
the earth a very large amount of gold
in combination with the sulphides of
iron, lead and copper. The great prob
lem for many years has been the eco
nomical separation of gold from these
combinations. After several expert
ments, a method has recently been
found which proves to be a successful
and a practical separation. This
method is called the Cyanide" pro
cess. 1t consists in treating the gold
ore with a solution of potassium eva.
hide, and then pouring the solution
containing the gold a zinc sponge.
The gold in solution, which is in the
form of gold cyanide, is supposed to
react with the zinc, precipitating the
gold in the metallic state, while the
solution of zinc cyanide passes on as
the fltrate. The gold is then shaken
off the sponge and washed in the ordi-
nary manner.
The commercial value of any product
is governed by the cost of production
and the efficiency. The cyanide pro-
cess meets both of these requirements,
80 per cent. of the gold present being
extracted, and the cost of separating
the gold from one ton of ore being only
$2.5O {. This process in taking its place
in the front rank of the metallurgy
Tof gold, displaces no one, antagonizes
no me 1t simply fills a gap that has
long been open.
North Carolina is a gold bearing as
well as an agricultural State. But the
gold mines of North CAROLINA have
been largely abandoned, because the
gold being in com6fnation with other
metals; Gi IGGGr have found it unproft,
/ able to carry on mining. To-day the
political world cries free silver" If
the people of North Carolina will pay
due attention to science and the indus
trial arts, if they will lay aside their
party Issues and political prejudices
and delve with this new. process into
the mines of the West, those mines
will yield up paying gold" which is
far better than free silver.
While not so directly connected with
the wealth of North Carolina, we have
recently had brought before US another
product of equally great Importance
and value, a product that will be in
dustrially usesul and economical to the
civilized world. 1 refer to the physico.
chemical research that has just discov
cred new Illuminating gas, ocetylene,
prepared from a very simple substance
called calcium carbide. The p2ssibili.
ties Of this discovery are perfectly daz
cling. Millions upon millions of cubic
feet of gas are delivered annually from
gas works for the purpose of producing
light, and thus the cost of such a pro
duct is of the greatest Importance
Ascetylene, however, promises to de
crease the cost of light greatly.
The discovery came about in a rather
accidental way. By the accidental ex
posure Of lime and anthracite coal t.
the electric arc, a heavy semi metalli,
mass was produced. When first pro
duced the material was thrown away
some of it into a bucket of water. 4
} gas of powerful odor was produced
: and, to the surprise of the manufactu
rer this ges proved to be combustible
The gas turned out to be acetylene, anC
l thus, at last, the problem Of a century
/ of chemical research was solved Th,