The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1896-07-26


we have gotten these new processes at
work upon our ores, but last year we
regained our place as the chief gold
producing country of the world In
1895 we led both Africa and Australia
by more than $10,00O,0 900, our gold pro-
duct last year amounting to $50, 00O, 900.
Colorado alone had an increase in 1895
over its product of 1894 Of So, 900 900,
and it stands today as the greatest
gold state of the Union. 1t produced
last year $18,000,000 worth of gold, or
three millions more than California,
and Colorado men tell me that they ex-
pect to get at least $25, 000, 600 worth Of
gold out Of the mountains during the
present year. There will be an enor-
nous increase In the gold product Of
Utah this year, and California, which
produced $15,000,000 worth Of gold in
1895, will produce more in 1895. Alto
gether in 1895 the world produced
nearly 100000, 900 worth Of gold. This
is greater amount than has ever
been mined in any one year. 1t is
equal to the entire product Of any
twenty years up to $780, and If the
present ratio Of increase goes on we
shall in 1900 have an annual product
Of $320,000,000, and the worlds stock
will, between this time and that, have
been Increased by more than $4,000
100000. These figures are inconceiva-
BILE, but they are founded on fact, and
they represent a revolution brought
about by a combination of new discov-
cries in natural resources and new in
ventions as applied to mining, which
will revolutionize the financial system
of the world
NEW CHEAP PROCESS.
But let me tell you something Of these
cheap methods which have lately been
invented for getting out gold. You have
all heard of placer mining, or the wash
ing OF gold grain, nuggets or dust out
Of the beds of rivers and the sides of
mountains. The first mining done was
OF this kind, and until lately nine
tenths of all of the gold OF the world
was gotten out in this way. An enor-
nous quantity was then produced by
crushing the rock and smelling it, This,
however, is very expensive process,
costing $l4 and upward to the ton of
rock, and ore which does not contain
more than $40 per ton seldom paws the
cost for smelling. By the new process,
II there Is $40 worth of gold in a ton
VI rOch 1t can De gOCten out at profit.
There are immense ore bodies near
salt Lake City, which can be profitably
mined for $3.50 a ton, and there is one
mine there where the cost of reduction
is not more than rs cents. am told that
mills are now being put up in Parke
county, Col, which will treat ores for
70 cents per ton and save SO per cent
OF the gold, and more than half mill
lion dollars Of gold which would have
been wasted has been gotten out of
Cripple Creek rock by the cyanide mill,
which describe further on. Then there
is the chlorination process, by which
certain kinds Of ore are treated with
chemicals and gases, and out of them
are finally taken ingots of pure gold
There is the bromination process some
what similar, and a method has been
lately invented in Germany for getting
the gold out Of the rock by electricity.
WHAT CYANIDE IS.
The most important process, how
ever is the extraction Of the gold by
means of cyanide Of potassium Cyanide
Of potassium Is chemical which looks
for all the world like alum. It now costs
from thirty to fifty cents a pound. II
is made Of the hoofs, horns and refuse
of cattle, and it is deadly poison. 1t has
however, wonderful affinity for gold
and when mixed with water and appli-
ed to the ore in certain way it will
suck all of the gold out of the rock
This process of extraction was invented
by two Scotchmen, and the first mil