The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1900-05-14

delivered at another part of the ma
chine ready for the work of the refiner
Those who construct the machine will
have no idea of how it is operated.
They will be given certain parts of the
machine to make according to designs
furnished them, and they will have no
knowledge s to the purposes for which
the parts are intended. Some idea OF
the secrecy with which the concentra-
tor has been built may be gathered
from the fact that although it has been
in process of construction for more than
a year the fact that the strange ma
chine was to be used for that purpose
was not known by any employe at the
laboratory until a few weeks ago.
AS soon as the inventor was per-
suaded that he had accomplished his
object he proceeded to organize a com
pany to operate the machine. Mr..
Edison then purchased the abandoned
about SO, 000, 600 for the $4,000 acres, and
it is there that the machinery is now
being installed. The first plant is to
be located at Dolores, and others will
be set UP at different parts of the ter
ritory.
Dolores lies in the very heart of the
Ortez Grant, but no one would imagine,
to look at the surrounding country,
that millions of dollars worth of gold
was concealed in the sun-baked sand.
Metallurgists have estimated that there
is between $500, 600 900 and $500, 000, 900
in gold buried in the rocks and gravel
OIL llOSe O4,UUU acres OIL NEW
Mexican ground.
while the history of the Ortez Grant
has always been regarded as somewhat
romantic, it is particularly interesting
at this time, when the eye of the entire
financial world is turned upon this New
Mexican waste. The original grant
was made to Antonio Ortez by the Mex
lean Government in 1888, but at that
time it contained more than SO. 900 acres
This grant was patented by act of Con-
gress in 1861 and was confirmed in 1876
A number of years ago $1,000 acres of
this land was sold to the Cerrillos Coal
! and Iron Company.
HISTORY OF ORTEZ.
About this time the grant was ac-
quired by the New Mexican Mining
Company, but in 1896 the corporation
passed into the hands of Samuel H.
Elkins, as receiver In spite of the
fact that the property contained mil
lions of dollars in gold no one had ever
| been able to make the property pay
! the expenses of mining and transporta-
| ton. Under the management of Mr..
| Elkins, however, the property was
made to pay so well that all claims
| against the company were settled in
| full and the grant was in many ways
| improved. Squatters were driven from
! the land, prospects were leased for
| large sums, and finally the entire prop
| erty was sold to Mr.. Edison.
1.-The Ortez mine, which is the largest
and oldest of the ore producing proper
| ties on the grant, was located in 1888.
/ 1t was soon in a condition to be worked
quite successfully, mule power being
used for the work. 1t was to obtain
proper pasturage for these mules that
| the vast amount of land was secured
and it is this paSturage that now con-
stitutes the great placer fields in which
| Mr.. Edison proposes to work
| 1.-THE first plant of the new company
| is to be located in what is known as
| Cunningham Gulch. During the past
| year many shipments Of the placer
| ground from the Gulch and other points
| in the grant have been made from Ger
| rillos which is the nearest shipping
| point to the grant, and all have beer
| addressed to East Orange, N. J. There
| they have undoubtedly been treated by
| the inventors new process at his lap
| oratory and only Mr. Edison and his
| confidants know the result of this work
| That the inventor has been successful
| however, is quite evident from the fac
| that such a large amount of capita
was secured so easily, as well as from
the manner in which the work of pre-.
pairing for the great final test is being
| pushed in New Mexico
From reliable sources it is learned
| that the company's first plant viii have
| a capacity of 5000 tons day Since
the work of preparing for the installa
ton of the plant has been under way
| many experts have visited the grant
but have returned without being wise
for the pains they have taken. Still M
| barrier has been raised to prevent tn,
curious from inspecting the work, bu
no one has yet obtained the least ink
| ling of the process by which the in
! ventor expects to be able to extract hi
gold from the sand. Wisacres and ex
Derts return from the gulch with widel!
different theories. Some claim tina
electricity is certain to be the agen
that will be used by Mr.. Edison, Will
others insist that the inventor has dis
covered some new air process, and tina
electricity will not figure in the schern
except so far as to supply the motiv
power for the machinery"