The true Democrat. [volume] (Bayou Sara [La.]) 1892-1928, 1897-01-30
RIVERS OF GOLD.
STRIKING SCENES AT MINES ~
THE BLACK HILLS.
Different Methods Used to Woo the
Precious Metal From Its Ores
How Mountains Arc Robbed
Millions Run Wasted.

! ~ strung along deep furrow
&c climbing tho range. The
former has q more pretentlous and
metropolitan aspect, with some neat
shops and handsome blocks of brick
and stone. Its dwellings, seem to
stand on shelves in clrcling tiers up
the steep mountain side, and their
windows overlook the streets below.
At night these towering mountain
galleries ore aglow with the lights of
many windows, and one might imagine
himself looking at some marvel OF
modern architecture.
There's feature Of night life in
Deadwood that is beautiful and moro
fascinating than tho games OF chance
the rivers Of molten metal, the cas-.
cades of flowing slag and smoking,
fiery gold the scintillating food spout.
ing out OF the forehearths and iIlu-
minatlng the darkness, the miniature
Vesuvii of powdered ore below the
chutes growing with rcd avalanches
fresh from the rooster.
From ono Of the forehearths thew
have made winding course of sand,
perhaps sixty feet long, into which
the fiery product OF the furnace flows
rich with gold-so rich thata pot of it
no larger than IN old-fashioned potato
kettle WOULD sell for $3.50. It is liter.
ally a river of gold-the precious
metal Gun bo plainly distinguished as
it comes smoking from the furnace and
sinks in the food, being heavier than
the metals from which 1t is parting
company.
This process Of fusing the ore, which
is moro spectacular than any other, is
employed by one Of the companies.
The ore is shoveled into the furnace
with coke, limo rock and pyritos of
iron, which are used for fusing. The
fire is used with blast OF wind that
would run Presidential campaign.
The Stag flows out OF the furnace over
the perforated top Of the forehoarth.
and the weight Of the gold carries it
through the perforation into the fore.
hearth, while the Stag flows over it;
then the forehearth is tapped and the
mat OF gold and silver is drawn into q
pot on trucks.
When tho mat is cooled it is beaten
with asledge hammer and shipped to
Omaha to be separated.
The roots Of the tree of evil have
many branches that grip the hills
round about Deadwood. No less hot
and suggestive is the mill Of the
colonization works, where the gold is
kept in tanks-a yellow liquid that
looks like sweet cider. Here the ore
is pulverized and then fed into big
barrels of iron, revolving horizon.
tally, where it is roasted to get rid of
the sulphur by flame that shoots
through big hole in one end of the
barrel.
The powdered ore is then treated
with chlorine gas, whereupon the gold
flows out OF it in solution. Then it is
churnel awhile in big, lead lined
tank until the gold comes like butter
in black powder that settles to the
bottom. 10 be more severely scien.
ti6c, the gold and other metals are
precipitated by adding sodium sui.
phide to the solution and stirring it
to hasten and intensity this chemical
action. The gold is then caught in q
series of cloth strainers, which arc
burned to release tho metal.
The1s is still another process of
pulling the leg OF mother nature in
the Black Hills. It is called the
cyanide process. At the mill of this
company the powdered ore is run into
great circular vats and treated with |
cyanide OF potassium, after which the
gold is leached out OF it in solution.
This liquid then flows through series
OF boxes, each of which is filled with
zinc shavings. The zinc loves the
gold and seizes it, and the two arc
welded for q season-uLtil Monday
OF the succeeding week, to be exact
when they are divorced by fire, the
gold being cast into bricks and sent to
the money changers.
The mill would look like common
cheese factory if it were not so dirty.
The air is rank with fumes, and one of
the workmen told me it made whiskers
grow in his wlndpipe, by which he
meant to say no doubt, that it was
serious offence to his lungs.
The Homestake mino at Load CITY
is the most monumental hole in the
ground in the Black Hills, and fancy
it would be hard to find the like OF it
else. They soy that Hearst,
Lounsberry, Haggin and others
bought 1t some twenty years ago for
one hundred thousand dollars. Since
then they have taken out of it hard
on to hundred million dollars. They
have ground up several of tho ever
lasting hills, SO called, and torn tho
bowels out OF two mountains. Now
they say there is enough paying ore in
sight to last twenty years.
There is a rapid stream flowing
along the road to Lead City that is red,
"a IF nta;nod with 4Lo hlao1 IN