The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1896-08-05
Increased Production Of
Gold.
By New Cyanide Process Pro-
duction is Limltless.
Iowa State Register.

Iowa State Register.
The inventive genius Of the world is
at the present time being applied With
startling results to the production Of
gold. Gold to-day is not confined to a
few countries it is worldwide pro-
duc,ion. 1t has been discovered in re-
cent years in places where it was few
years ago undreamed Of. But nothing
has wrought so large change 10 the
gold production as the process which is
kuovu as the cyanide process. Cy-
anide is worth from 80 to 81 cents a
pound. 1t is made from the horns aud
boots of cattle aud from their refuse.
It shows the infinite uses to which the
American COW is put. Cyanide is said
TO look like powdered pumic stone. and
IS a deadly poison, making its use -. at
tended With more or less danger. This
cyanide has wonderful attractive
power for the PARTICLES of gold:
In newspaper letter, Mr.. Frank u
Carpenter recently described what lie
said to be the greatest cyanide mill IN
the world which is located in the State
Of Colorado, State which is still
clamoriug for free silver, although its
production of gold has leaped upward
until it is to-day the ranking State.
producing more gold than the golden
State of the Pacific slope itself. This
process is bound to exert an influence
in the settlement of the silver consro-
versg, sooner or later The gold pro-
duct of Colorado last year was Sl9,-
coo, 900 and this year it will be S25.-
600. 900. The total gold product OF
this couutry-iast year was $50. 600. 600
and of the world $2c0, 900, 900 to
1920. 900, 900. This is an enormous
quantity of gold to add to the world 10
a single yaar and the problem OF gold
appreciation will make but little head
way against such production.
TIE interest taken in gold is a: the
present time keen enough to warrant
some reference to the cyanide process.
The cyanide process was discovered 10
1889 by two Scotchmeu at work 10
Australia. Four years ago it vas 6rst
used io this couotry. Since that time
many cyanide mills have been erected
throughout the gold. producing regions.
This process is said to save 50 per cent
Of the gold contained 10 ore, though
the gold be no more than half az ounce
to ton of ore. The extraction of the
yellow metal under such circumstances
seems alnost hopeless. Think of half
an ounce of gold in ton OF ore. The
problem of finding the grain of wheat
10 a bushel of cha6 becomes an easy
one omparea with the gold problem
How is this doae? The ere is ground
into the finest powder. in itself woI-
derful process. Then it is mixed With
water uatil it is like musb. The
.cyaDide is introduced ioto this mixture
It acts upon the gold aad takes it froia
the baser associations. The molten
gold becomes part of the water. The
water is drained of. It is clear as
crystal, but it contains Che gold which
the miner is after. 10 passing over the
zinc plates estaches itself to the zinc.
The zinc and the gold are then melted
together aud separated. From the ton
of ore comes the one atom of yellow,
bat the a,oms are valuable. There are
mills which reduce 400 tons of ore day
at half an ounce per ton, that means
900 ounces of gold a day aud that
means S2.0Q0,000 year. Who
aould have thought few years ago
that ore bearing only half an ounce of
gold per ton would b. made profitable ?
With these new processes the produc
ton Of gold is practically limitless.
By 1900 it is estimated the worlds
product will be 1920, 100000 annually.
The United States has been hundred
years 10 accumulatiug twice that amount
Of gold 10 its circulation. But how
much more plentiful is silver. The
mountain ranges OF the west have
hardly been scraped over for the white
metal. 1t is being produced not at
profit, in many mines, though the SELL
ing price is only about 50 cents an
oance. Make it worth $l.29 an ounce,
by the government guaranteeing TO
take ali that ia offered at that price and
shiok of the enormous production that
would follow. Do you for one moment
profess to believe that this government
can absorb 10 it's circulation al the sill
yer that cau be mined at $l.29 an
ounce. 10 time it would be necessary
to set aside a whole State to build
warehouses in which to store the silver
Yet that is what the nine owners Of
The west, already millionaires, ask the
country to do and many thoaghtless
men think it is going to benefit them