The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1898-03-28
CHEMICAL TREATMENT OF ORES.
The Adaptability of the Cyanide Pro-
cess to Various Conditions.

Inc Adaptab1l1ty OF the Cyanide Pro-
cess to Various Conditions.
Within the past decade. says the
Western Mining World, the belief has
! become d conviction among mining
men that the key to the economic
! treatment of ores rests in chemistry.
( Experiments covering a wide range
have been made, usually with salts
: factory results. The Improvements in
/ the application of chemicals is as
marked as the advance that has been
made along mechanical lines during
/ the same period. With new mechanical
/ devices TO cheaper the conversion of
ores, and new chemical combinations
to search out the values in cheap re-
fractory ores, it looks as if the morn
ing twilight of the mineral millennium
is at last dawning and that the in
dustry of mining will soon adapt itself
to the progressive impulses of this en-
lightened age.
1t is especially gratifying to note
that Montana is contributing generous
! ly to these improvements, both as to
chemical appliances and in the field
of chemistry. Inventive genius in this
state has given to the industry new
rock crusherS, new amalgamatorS, new
devices for the saving of placer gold,
and many other mechanical features
treatment of ores this state is in a
fair way to make its most valuable
contributions to the mining industry.
The cyanide process, now used with
success all over the world, has been
subjected to numberless experiments
along the line Of we'll defined theories
by Mr.. Matt Anderson. who is known
as the cyanide king of the northwest.
This gentleman, who was formerly a
newspaper man in Bozeman, carried
into his experiments with cyanide
breadth of intellect and a depth of sin
cerity of purpose that knew no such
word as fail. His speciality was the
treatment OF tailings-extracting val
ues from abandoned dumps. and the
like. Last year, hampered by I'M
favorable financial conditions and
crude appliances not suited to the best
work, he contributed over $4,000 to the
mineral wealth OF the state, in a few
short months in which he was active
ly engaged in his experiments. He con-
tinued TO make improvements in the
cyanide process, and with the skill of
a veteran made every step count. 1t
is a low estimate to make that he will
enlarge the output of mineral values
in this state the current year upwards
of $50, 600, with infinite possibilities be-
yond those figures.
He is at present experimenting with
the tailings of the Southern Cross
mine. This mine has long remained
IDLE on account of the intensely re-
fractory character of its ores. Thous-
ands upon thousands of dollars have
been expended in the past in an effort
to devise some method of treatment
by which the values could be success !
fully and economically extracted. Ex-
perts from various parts of the world
have pondered over the problem and /
n CT If
mine with its wealth of ore bodies was
closed down, it being impossible to I
realize enough values from the ores to |
pay the expenses of working the prop
erty. MIR. Anderson recently grappled 4
with the difficulty and has at last sue !
ceeded in overcoming it by chemical 1
processes known only to himself 1t /
was a hard job, but the indOmitable 1
will and determination of the expert /
mentor was equal to ii, and at last vic I
tory crowned his effort. He has dis (
covered that in the original treatment |
OF the ore less than p per cent of the [
values were saved. From % tons of /
tailings so far treated he has obtained I
over $500. a few days since he was
in Butte with a box containing Is /
beautiful gold buttons, representing
of 20 ounces of the precious
metal. which his chemicals had eaten
cut of the limCnite shines of the
Southern Cross. Those who are ia
miliar with the character of Southern
Cross ores know that if they can be
worked the problem of
the refractory ores in this
state is practically solved. Mr.. Alder
sons successes mean a great deal to
the future Of the state. 1t will be only
a question of time when his teaching
plants will he adapted to the treat
ment of refractory ores all over the
and almost revolutionize min
ing in that thousands of abandoned
properties will quickly respond to the
new order of things and take their
place among the rich producers of the
northwest