The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1896-11-22


sesnsxic mining Of ora from tunnel up
wzrd - carried "a. me cpsr.rgB thus
made are called slopes and are gradually
extended On = line parallel win the fun-
nel, doors besng built saso the space there
made vacant 1T intervals % s<gaE sees and
--sure. They are connected with The fun.
rel by wooden chutess through whscn the
capacsry. TIE car Is then pushed ~ hand
aso1g q rack % wooden rails 10 the sur
face ard dumped.
Importance 81 sertiAg.
Thea comes one Of the most important
steps in preparing ofe for shipmens--sort-
ting When . mine il located IN remote
place, reached only by long wagon road.
tire cost Of hauling In 90 great that every
pcuad Of waste rock shipped counts ma
ts-lsiiy against The owner. This IL the
mere true when the ore has % De packed
over . mountain trail OF horses. each one
CT which can only carry about 10 pounds
The same consideration applies 10 frs-gns
and treatment charges Thus az every
rsfre from which ore e being sn-pqed.
IL dumped on table II the mouth OF tun-
rel or shaft and man breaks up every
lump and shrows on the dump the waste
rock or second grade ore, only sacking me
well mtnerahzed pieces OF aiSa grade
Many \ man. by lack OF skill or care IN
sorting. or thorough knowledge OF his ore.
has shipped a large quantity OF waste
rock or low grade ore 10 the snieiser ana
obtained returns which barely paid for
freight and treatment. II he had not de-
f.ency TO make up. For this reason. IL
- best 10 take nothing for granted. but
have separate assays made of every KIND
OF rock IN q ledge. whether IL shows wish
HE signs OF mineral or not. OFTEN the
rock which looks most unpromisdng 10
tire eve carries high value and. even II
not rich enough 10 ship. may well be re-
served for future treatment on the
ground.
Sampling and Assaying.
The next step IS the sampling ana as
saying of the shipment at the smeiter.
Many miners. when their expectations as
to the value of shipment are not realized
hy the returns. are ready 20 accuse the
smelling company OF cheating them, or
If they do not make the accusation. ara
worried by suspicious. It is as much 10
his interest TO learn the actual value Of
his ore from an impartial authority. as IL
Is 20 avoid being cheated. and on this
point the sn1eIter returns are the final de-
cree. Whenever a shipment IS made. or
de-s should be sent that il 3 not 10 be
opened at the smeiter for sampling until
a representative OF the mine owner ar
rives to assist at the sampiing. Ore IS
sampled by setting aside a shovelful from
each wheelbarrow load, then thoroughly
mixing the pile thus made. quarter.ng IL.
taking out two quarters, mixing them and
80 on until the quantity is small enough
for an assay sample. II 10 then broken
small. three or more bottles are filed and
sealed and one is given 10 each party for
assay. In case the assayers for the miner
and smelter disagree very widely as to
che value. they send a third bottle 20 an
other assayer. upon whom they agree az
umpire. and his assay is accepted as final.
The smelling company pays for the ore on
this basis, deducting Its treatment
charges. II miner takes these precau-
tons and selects an assayer IN whom he
has implicit confidence. he can learn exc
actly what his ore 10 worth. and. II IL does
not pay for shipment. can be saved from
pursuing losing venture. otherwise, he
has only himself to thank II he fails to
get satisfactory smelter returns and con-
tinues to mine ore at loss In the belief
that he has been cheated.
Improved Mine Machinery.
In the short space Of time covering the
life Of q man not yet past middle age. the
processes OF mining and reduction have
been revolut.oniEed- They can be seen IN
their primitive and most advanced stages
by any one who visits several mines at
different stages Of development. In the
earlier stages he finds two men at work
-
and sledge hammer. One holds the drill
In hole In the rock. clasping his fingers
tightly around II and keeping a piece of
sacking wrapped around 1t at the mouth
of the hole. The other. with true and
steady aim, swings the sledge at the drill
head, his companion turning the drill a
quarter around after each blow. Two
men thus working together must have
perfect confidence In one another's skill.
for when q Zimmerman has once missed
his aim and mashed mis- partper's fingers
with the sledge, the latter's hand is liable
TO tremble. let the sledge miss the driH
altogether and wrench It's wieider's back
and shoulders. When a prospector works
alone he sits on a low stool and, holding
the drill In one hand, strikes it with
smaller hammer held In the other. Such
work requires a high quality OF steel and
q skilfui blacksmith who knows haw to
suit the edge of the drill 10 the rock on
which IL IL to be used. The prospector Is his
own blacksmith. as he IL his own builder.
carpenter. cook and iaundryman- He not
only makes his own table and chairs, but
AIS own washboard, by mailing round
sticks Of hard wood across board. TO cor
respond 10 the ribs on a metal washboard-
; Some, however. are content TO tie their
garments TO stick and wedge II In a
stream between two bouhers. leaving the
force OF The water to beat but the dirt
clothes 10 pieces. as often happens.
The thorough development Of a prospect
once decided on. the man of capital puts
In machine drills and a compressed air
plant and by these means psnetrates the
rock four times as fast as the man with
hand drills The air. compressed by steam
power. IL piped 10 the face OF the work
lngs. where the men direct the drill 20 the
point where they wish to drive q hole and
keep II grinding away with ceaseless
noise which fills the confined space of the
tunnel and prevents all conversation II
a mine Is opened far Up steep mountain,
rhe ore is brought down to the road In the
valley by means OF iron buckets ssuug on
a wire cable. lis weight being suffictent to
haul UP supp.-es- II the face OF the noun
tain has an even slope. unbroken by pro-
;radIng cliffs. the ore may be dumped into
a wooden chute. through which Il slides 20
the bottom. Where .aine can only be
developed by means of a shaft, the mate
rial ana water Is hauled up In q round
iron bucket by means Of wire rope wind
Ing on a drum operated either by q horse
OF by TWO men working az the rindlass.
but. when large capital takes hold, BY
steam power.
Advantages in the Cascades.
II is IN the matter OF development and
operation OF mines that the formation Of
the Cascade mountains offers peculiar sd-
vsnrsge<, for roads can be built on easy
grades 20 the basins a. the head of the
valleys. the mines can be developed al
great depth by tunnels run into the noun
fains near the level OF the roads and the
ore can be either hauled direct from the
mines By wagons or be brought down By
cable tranwsvS The instances where a
shaft Is necessary 10 develop . mine in the
Cascade range are very rare.