The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1899-12-24

| samples of the precious stuff are collec-
| ted and taken or sent to the nearest place
| for assay. the result OF which determines
| the value Of the ore.
| II of sufficient worth TO warrant FUR
| Their exploitation he proceeds at once to
| secure the ground by stalking Off claim,
| and II the indications are sustainable,
| several claims, each OF which consists
| Of fifteen hundred linear feet in length
| by three hudred feet in width. He PAGES
| or measures II off and drives his stakes
| al each corner and on one posts a writ
| ten notice that he claims by right Of dis
| cOvery. etc, describing the same by num-
| Der of feet in each direction. He then
! employs a mining engineer to survey the
] ground after which he makes what IS
| called Location Certificate" on blanks
| prepared for the purpose by statute OF
| the state. duly executes the same. Zone
for each claim he may take up). and has
| # recorded in the Office OF the clerk OF
| the county in which the land is located.
| This gives him priority Of right TO the
| claim. He may then develop the ground
| or not as he chooses, but Is required Dy
| law to do one hundred dollars worth Of
| work each year, and must have hole
| not less than ten feet in depth on each
| claim before filing his said location GER
| tihcate His failure TO do the required
| amount Of work. works a forfeiture OF
| his right and others can then come in
| and relocate the same ground. These re-
| quirements are watched closely by pros
pectors and miners. and often as the last
| hour Of the period expires. which IS the
last day Of the calander year. If the re-
CURED work has not been done accord
| ing TO the law. some fellow Is found on
| he. 1af Inn, IN 1nnnfn This Is called
jumping a claim" and many poor pros
pectors through such neglect have lost
what proved afterwards 10 be valuable
mines.
A PROSPECT
| : prospector is seldom. If ever. IN con-
| dition financially 10 work his claim az
| ter he has discovered II. So his next
move after locating it. according 10 law
Is to hun, up a purchaser or find some
! one with nancy 10 buy an interest.
| claim al this sage IS called Prospect.
| When the man OF capital is found 20 Join
| him. they proceed 10 develop II into
mine. Whether IL be the sinking Of
shaft straight down on the vein. or the
| running of tunnel. depends upon the
! locality Of the ground; in some cases both
are done especially where the conditions
I are suitable a shaft g. sunk several hun
| urea lHeI ana fLHl = luitAlfA run rum Nttf
| base OF the mountain % connect with the
shaft at its great depth. But only
! few OF the many mines arc 50 located as
! 10 make this plan feasible In many cases
| thousands Of dollars are expended I'm de-
| velopment before any returns are had; u
| being only rare instances where pay min
| eral is found at the "grass-r0Ots."
I'm sinking these shafts the broken
| rock is brought 90 the surface, at least
| Tor the first hund.-d feet. by windlass
| and bucket IN about the same manner as
they dig wells in Virginia. At greater
| depth r. IS found necessary to erect
steam holsters.
After the rock IS brought 10 the sur
| face. all that is not mi1eralized is wheel
| Cd TO the dump That which contains
mineral is sorted by practical sorters,
men who by long experience. can sort
| The ore from the rock with Ike rapidity
! 90 a Virginia farmer sorting his tobacco,
! apples and potatoes Another st Of -Ort-
! ers site by the side Of large block with
| hammer I'm hand breaking OF the barren
| rcck from the part mineraliZed. The ere
| IS stored in bins ready for shipment 20
| "a smelter. or il may be 10 samplng
works Where a mine is but small
| output the ore Is usually sent To samp-
| ling works at Denver for sale. These
works do not treat ore but merely sam
pie IL 10 ascertain the value thereof and
on their sample the ore is sold TO the
highest bidder these bidders being the
smeters.
SAMPLE MILLS.
The mode Of operation Of these sap
ping mills is about as follows: a miner.
for instance. takes a few hundred
pounds Of 1t and having crushed II up as
| fine as powder. divides II and subdivides
! IL many times until down 10, say
| pound, a portion Of which IS given 10 the
owner of the ore for him to have assay
ed The mill assays another portion
These ASSAYS show how many ounces OF
gold and silver per ton the ore VIII aver
age and IL the assays agree, the car Of
ore is offered for sale and its value de-
| termined from these assays and the
weight of the ore In tons and pounds.
| The purchaser gives his check for the
amount and in turn the mill settles with
| the owner Of the ore, less commission
The value OF and settlement for ores
shipped by mine owners direct To the
| shelters is done in about The same man.
ner.
| II is not uncommon for car OF Grip
| nle Creek or % he worth from lity
! thousand up to one hundred thousand dol
| lars, but tho bulk OF thc ore from N"i't-
| ado mines is of much lower grade. But a
| very few OF the mines In the Cripple
/ Creek district are now owned and oper-
ated individually. but by incorporated
companies. Soon az claims are perfected
| company Is incorporated with heavy
| Capitalization. seldom with less that
| million shares ar one dollar each par val
| he Sufficient shares are sold at "A few
! cents per share 20 raise working capl-
| tai and II perchance the ground proves
| rich and the mines become shippers OF
| ore then no goes the stock and the orig
| inal owners hold fast to II. While on the
| other hand should the properties Of any
OF these heavily capitalized companies
| prove barren OF profitable results. the
| stock AT whatever Il may sell for is I'M
loaded upon a gullible public.
A ToRTUOUs COURSE.
Having traced the procedure OF gold
and silver from the spot where nature
| placed IL TO its advent in the smelter, 1t
now enters upon IS mysterious Journey
through this labyrinth from breaker to
crusher from crusher 10 oven, from
oven TO furnace. from furnace to fur
mace again. and so on down through its
tortuous course 10 its complete separa-
ton from all foreign substances and
| transformation into a gold or silver
| brick.
The cold bullion Is sold by the smelt-
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