The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1901-04-26

do this in order to protect the interests
of their employers, for the grinding was
done directly under their own eyes and
in plain sight.
The samples were placed on a fiat steel
plate called "bucking board" and were
reduced to dust by the rocking of A
heavy, semicylindrical piece of iron Each
expert applied the samples on the buck
ing board, stood over them until thew
We're ground and then, gathering up the
dust with his own hands, carried 1t into
the assay-room and Immediately made
his analysis Every part of the process
was done under the bright sunlight and
clearly within the experts vision.
The fact that the Mexicans who work.
ed the hammer were industriously smok-
ing native cigarettes as they swayed
back and forth above the plate upon
which the samples were being crushed
into powder did not attract the atten-
tion of the experts, who naturally ex-
pected the proceedings as the usual thing.
OF course, the ashes fell into the grist
which accumulated on the bucking
board but this was deemed of no conse-
quence. Although the Mexicans seemed
to take the work in a decidedly leisurely
way, this was charged to the native tenn
permanent. Had the grinders worked half
as industriously as they smoked their
the time that it occupied
But the languor which the experts felt
as a result of the extreme heat made
them exceedingly lenient with the Mexi-
cans, who were allowed to take their
time and to chatter and smoke as much
as they liked.
Discovered in Time.
After each expert had completed the
assay of his own samples the entire
group compared the results of their work
and found that the analysis showed
splendid yield. With light hearts and
clear consciences the young men return
ed to San Francisco and reported to
their principals. giving careful descrip-
ton of the extreme precaution which
they had observed to prevent their sam
pies from being tempered with or sailed.
On these reports the veteran mine owners
paid more than 100000 to the agents
of the original owners This money was
placed on deposit in one of the California
banks and the new owners took posses
sion of the property. Had they delayed
pushing operations at the mine results
would have been far different. They
moved quickly. however. and soon dis
covered that in some way either the
mine or the samples had been heavily
sailed. Then action was taken to secure
the purchase money at the bank. This
brought to light the fact that the major
share of the funds had been removed to
Europe. However, a sum amounting to a
comfortable fortune was. still in the
possession of the banking institution
and was recovered.
When too late the experts realized that
score of cigarettes well loaded with
cold dust and smoked above a bucking-
board on which samples are being ground
ia an excellent means of artistic sailing.
In fact, the cigarettes must be considered
as superior to some other processes, as
the amount of golddust to be dropped
into the samples by this method is capa-
BILE of being much more delcately gradu-
ated than by a cruder implement. AS a
very slight variation of the proportions
of gold found in a small sample means
an immense fluctuation in the value OF
a ton of ore, it will readily be realized
that the danger of oversalting is very
great and that the men who employ this
method of swindling are quite likely 70
betray their fraud by OVERRIDING their
work.