Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1897-10-14

After nOJlClnB tncSe ht'lllhtlCS MI
Meade says:
"We cannot ascertain with any ex-
actness tho strength Of tho demand from
the arts. 1t has probably been stimu
lated by tho increasing oheapncss of sill
yer, but there IL no evidence that 1t has
increased sufficiently to offset tho do
creased demand for coinage purposes. "
Mr. Meade thinks that but little of
tho silver that has been used In tho arts
will over DO put upon tho market.
While II Is probably true that tho most
Of tho silver now coined will remain In
this form, tho fear that certain countries
will throw their large stocks Of silver
upon tho market Is constant and Is prob
ubly largely responsible for tho recent
rapid fall In price
Comparing tho years 1873 and 1895,
Mr. Meade finds that tho yearly product
Of silver increased 300 por cent, while
tho price fell 4S per cent.
Tho most interesting portion OF Mr.
Meade's article Is that which deals with
tho cost of producing silver, Ho notes
tho general progress of tho silver indus.
try and mentions few Of the most inn
portant improvements IN methods and
machinery. Tho following extracts will
give an idea of some Of tho changes.
''Tho first and most important i'm.
provemcnt in silver production has been
tho Improvement In transportation.
Railroads have been rapidly extended
throughout tho western part Of tho
United States and of recent years into
Mexico Tho building Of those latter
roads has madc possible tho importa-
ton Of silver ores from Mexico into the
United States, which greatly stimulated
tho silver industry of tho former coun.
try Railroad transportation enables the
shipping Of fuel and timber, frequently
scunty in tho richest mining localities,
and also tho introduction of tho inn
proved machinery, WITHOUT which, ex'
ocpt in the richest deposits, silver min
ing cannot today succeed Transportn-
ton facilities also mako 1t possible to
utilize lead M byproduct Of silver,
which materially decreases tho cost Of
silver production. Difficulties Of trans
portation havo seriously retarded tho
progress Of silver mining in Bolivia, A
railway has, however, recently boon in
process OF construction IN that country,
which will open some of the richest
mines. "
Next in Importance to tho improve
ments in transportation como those IN
the mechanical and chemical processes
Of mining and extraction Of orc, Wo
may divide these ny follows: Improve.
monts IN extracting and dressing tho
orc and improvements in methods Of
and later tho electric hoist have been
substituted for tho hand windlass, I'M.
mense improvements have been mado
in tho construction of conoentrutorS
Tho old method of concentration, which
is still in uso in Mexico and ut mines
in tho United States was that of hand
picking Tho improvements in sampling
ores have boon oven more striking.
"Great improvements have also been
made in orc crushing For tho bowldor
crushcr Of Bolivia and Mexico have been
substituted tho battery of stamps and
tho rolls, A largo amount of labor has
been saved by tho manner Of construc.
ton Of tho smelling works All refining
works arc now built in terrace form and
are so arranged that tho base bullion,
which has necessarily to BIO handled
while being unloaded, sampled and
charged into the softoning furnace, shall
run from ono furnace to another and
not be lifted again until 1t is loaded.
I'm tho smelling proper improve
ment has boon even moro active than IN
the preliminary operations.
''In the treatment Of dry silver ores
which are amalgamated with quick
silver and retorted, tho chief improve
ment Of recent years has been in tn,
saving Of quicksilver
1.-THE methods Of extraction of higl
grade silver in vogue in tho unitet
States and In the best mills Throughout