The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1901-12-31
Submits His Paper at Kansas
Academy of Science.
ONCE AN OCEAN BED.
Shales Are Sedimentary De-
posits Of Vast Body Of Water.
Convinced That There Are Vast
Quantities of Gold There.
Report OF Prof. Ernst Fahrig is
Made Public.

lola, Kas., Dec. 31.-Kansas gold sEale
broke into the annual convention of the
Kansas Academy of Science, in session
here today. and for the first time the
grave and conservative scientists and
college professors of the state seriously
considered the shale problem from sci
entific standpoint.
1t is the first time that formal pre-
sentation of the situation has been made
by scientists who have devoted much
time to the subject, and who are we'll
known to the other scientific men of tie
state Prof J. 7. Lovewell, of Topeka,
read paper on the subject Gold IN
Kansas Shale," and also presented in
full the recent report of DR.. Ernst
FahriA Of Philadelphia, which has
heretofore been kept private.
Prof. Lovewell reviewed the history
and geology of the shale fields, and CAV e
the results of numerous tests, and n1s
conclusions therefron DR.. Fahrig's re-
port explained in detail the electroiytic
process by which he has been getting
good values of gold and silver from the
shale, and explained the difficulties in
the work. Both Prof. Lovewell and DIR.
Fahrig are very sanguine that the shale
fields will produce gold Prof Love-
wells paper was in part as follows:
This paper might be written very
briefly, like the celebrated chapter on
Snakes in Ireland, by saying, Gentle
men, there is no gold in Kansas shale. ;
Such a summary, though delightful for
pedagogical positiveness. appears to me
lacking in the element of truth, and
therefore unworthy the consideration of
a scientific body.
I'VE find in these shaleS abundant
evidence that the region was once an
ocean bed; that the shales are sedinen-
tary deposits which by upheavals, by
the plowing of glaciers and the wash
ing of prehistoric rivers, have in the
progress of time reached the condition
in which we now find Them
Mr.. Lovewell then explained briefly
the geological formation of the shaie
beds. SO far as known, and gave The
history OF the mineral resources from
the first mention of tin and zinc 1nos
in a government report of 1913 to the
results of Ephraim Bakers exploration
seven years ago. Continuing Mr.. Love-
we'll says:
I'm the spring of 1899, cooperating
with DR.. Franklin, at Lawrence, we
made over 100 assays of Shale which
had been obtained from a number of
were blanks, but a few showed small
gold values In the following summer
/ went to the Smoky valley, and took
shale from many places up and down
the river for several miles. 1 brought
my specimens to Topeka and worked
on them for a month, making over 100
assays These gave small values and
the last twenty averaged about 81
tom Since then I have made many
hundreds of shale assays, and 1 suppose
that the average values obtained are
two or three dollars per ton. One Sc
ries of &c assays made last summer
gave an average of s25S per ton. In
my laboratory recently by concentra-
tion methods 100 more assays gave
an average of more than SO ton. This
last series of assays was the joint Work
of several persons, all of whom were
solicitous to find the exact truth, and
there was no intentional error, but in
work divided among sevral people no
one can be absolutely certain. Last
July Mr. F. H Blake, of New York, OBJ
tanned samples of the ShaleS, and had
20 assays made from as many different
specimens, by, Mr.. Henry E. Wood, OF
Denver. Six of these showed gold,
ten showed traces, and nine gave values
ranging from 20 cents to SIG a ton In
my laboratory last week, Mr. S. 3.
Edwards, late chemist in the Franklin
sugar refinery, Philadelphia, made 19
assays, and obtained an average of $2-0S
per ton His highest value was $1S.TS,
and the lowest AZ cents per ton l
might multiply indefinitely assay rec
ords of this kind.
1.-THE most puzzling part of the inves-
tigation is that from the same pulp,
mixed as carefully as we know how
appear. They have varied as much as
$50 ton. I have but two hypothesis
to account for this difference The first
is that the gold is not uniformly dis
tributed, and that unwittingly in tax
ing our assay we get rich portion one
time and a lean portion the other. This
may be true. but to one knowing the
care taken in mixing the ore, it does
not seem likely, and is contrary to the
experience of those who sample ores
for commercial purposes. The other
hypothesis is that owing to the unknown
and peculiar conditions of this ore, very
likely to it's fine division, the values in
one assay are carried away by heavy
vapors, while in another instance, the
values are in some way retained.
TT may be suggested that fraud has
been perpetrated in getting these re-
Suits and even If the assayer is honest,
others less scrupulous have had share
in the work But the same experience
has fallen to quite a number of assay
ers, who were working with the great
est circumspection on specimens taken
by themselves from the shale beds"
Prof. I4ovewel then explained the
various processes proposed for extract
ing gold, in connection with which he
trolytic process. In drawing his con-
clusions Prof. I1ovewell says:
From these considera tions I am con-
vinced that vast quantities of the prec-
ious metals are to be found in the Kan
sas shales. The questions remaining
to be solved are, first, How can the
metals be commercially extracted?
Second, What is the extent of the de-
posit, and the uniformity of distribu-l
ton? Third, If gold can be mined along
the Smoky river in Trego and Ellis
sedimentary deposits in other places?
There are instances of carrying doubt
and skepticism too far, and I appeal
fo the fairness of the members of the