The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1898-03-13
Gold i'm Its Native Forms.
Boston Transcript

During the recent excitement respecting
Alaskan gold. Smithsonian experts~ have
been putting together a small Klondkc on
their own account, FOR scientific purposes.
They have taken all the different kinds Of
gold obtained frem various parts Of .he
United States and have assembled them.
Naturally IL might be supposed that there
WAS only enc Kind of gold, and 1t Is true
that there Is only one metal OF that name;
but II is found in many snapes, some OF
which are decidedly curious.
For example. there Is moss geld, which
is occasionally discovered in masses nearly
a foot In diameter. II bit of rock ba
thickly interiaced with gold veins. and the
rocky substance be dissolved away. the
metal Is apt TO be left behind In t.iis
strange form. What is called wire gold''
is formed In much the same manner. In
The famous Cripple Creek regicn gold Of
ten appears In little crystals composing
fern-like pieces. Once In long while a
gold crystal OF considerable size. say. half
an inch in diameter. and g perfect octa-
hebron. is picked up.
In the Snake river. idaho. regular min
ing is done for flour gold" 80 called be-
cause Ii occurs as a very fine powder
mixed with the sands at the bottom of tho
stream. These sands are attacked by
stern wheel iatboats. which are floating
dredges propelled by steam The nstboaf
dNGnofs III a pace, 8nu the gran
Is hauled ahtard With bu rkets attached 10
endless chain. The gold il caught IN
copper plates with the aid OF quicksilver.
and the refuse Is carried overheard by q
stream Of water
The beach sands of the Oregon seacosst
ara quit. rich In gold which IN very pure.
though finely divided. There has been n
good deal said lately abou, the gold In or
binary sea water which actually does
sfF.s utr NY ny ats1 t.aff frFs
Blu; the water or Tbs Caspian sea. which Is
very salty. contains from Is TO 1s eents'
worth OF gold per ton. and II IL there that
the proposed works should he set up for
the purpose Of separating the yellow metal
from its saline solution by electrolysis.
Unfortunately. a separation by this pro-
cess Is expensive. powerful, current be-
ing required.
The characteristic placer gold Of the Yu-
kon takes the form or fine dust with little
bits OF nuggets mixed The Smithsonian
experts confess that they 40 not know how
nuggets are formed The most piansibls
guess seems TO be that they are accidental
accumulations of grains OF gold washed
out OF the rocks. The biggest gold nugge:
on record was found at Ballarat Austria
liza II weighted 2.2is ounces. and was worth
sii 600 Next comes chunk Of he yellow
meta dug up az Berlin, n. s. w. valued
at $40 $40. II tipped the scales at no
ouaces, Two Australian nuggets called The
''Niscount Canterbury" and "yiscounte-s
Canterbury weighing 1,12f ounces aud So
ounces respectively. wcre appraised AT f22,-
GO and $1,000. ON one claim at Dunuoiiy
two golden Jumps weighing rs ounces nd
us ounces. worth 10000 and 5000. were
picked up Two other great Australian
rgsgets-all the biggest ones were discov-
cred therc~~wera found by Cf:lnamen. ana
were melted to the tune OF $4,000 and ss.-
CO.,