The Marble times and Crystal silver lance., 1901-06-21
Custom Mills.

! ohuo piiS iAiihSi ol w CSt 10 hoW ohCt iAS
to capitalists, is in the line of custom
cyanide and chlorination mills, locat-
ed at points where one large, or-bet-
ter still-several large or small min
ore supply, says the Mining Reporter.
1t is safe to say that there are hund-
reds of points where such plants may
be proftably established without enter
ing into competition with the smelters,
and without risk.
The chlorin alton and cyanide pro-
cesses are now thoroughly proven to
be reliable and advantageous methods
of extracting the gold values in low
grade ores $S to $40 and upwards per
ton) where there is no large quantity
of associated valuable base metals like
lead, copper and zinc; and even where
these do occur, preliminary mechan-
ical separ alton of them in the form of
concentrates often leaves u quartzose
porphyritic failing with plenty of value
in it, and we'll adapted to one or the
other method. Where there is much
silver in the ore, neither process will
alone suffice, but already notifications
or additions to both systems are pro-
posed, which promise to recover high
percentage of the white metal. The
bulk of all precious metal ores are
naturally of silicious nature, or can
be made so at cost of so cents to $l.50
per ton, according to the conditions.
To smelt such material and properly
collect it's valuable contents, includes
a cost in iron. for flux) y lead for col
lection of the gold and silver) and fuel
for heating purposes and power) OF
IS to $40 per ton, so that anything
carrying less than $l5 in precious met
al values cannot be worked by fire,
and is rarely susceptible of amalgam-
alton. Every mining man is aware of
the enormous amount of such ore that
is already known. All over the West
scores of individual plants are going
up to handle this class of mineral from
individual mines, and most of the new
establishments are proving successful.
The point Mining Reporter desires to
bring out is that where individual
plants can flourish there is always a
good opening for a custom mill.
The success that has attended the
establishment of the precious metal
smelling industry in the United States
is so marked, that no doubt can exist
of the feasibility of placing business
of a similar nature, yet one which is
in no sense competitive, firmly on it's
feet in few years, if equally good
judgment and metallurgical skill is
employed. By the cyanide and chlori-
nation processes the cost of reduction
may approximately and safely be
placed, on an average, at not over S.
per ton and the recovery at ninety per
cent. or better. On a $15 ore this leaves
a margin of SO to pay for mining and
the miner and millman. Where 100
tons per day or more are milled, net
profit of 81 per ton will pay ten per
cent. on an investment of $3.50, 900, or
twenty per cent. on half that sum. A
very fine plant can be built for 800, 900
Custom algamation mills have
not been a general success because of
the uncertainty of the process, and be-
cause the millers do not buy the ore
outright on sample as do the smelters.
Custom chlorination and cyanide mills
on the other hand have become in
Colorado and in the Black Hills of
South Dakota complete success.
through the adoption of the purchas-
ing system. Anyone who wishes to
examine into the industry can study
the string of establishments in and
around Cripple Creek that are now
treating sixty-six per cent. and more
of the output of that camp. The same
many other well-lznown points, as for
instance Mercur, Utah; Boise Basin,
il, Warren's and Pierce City, Idaho
Cherry Creek and Wickenburg, Ari.
zona; Grass Valley and Angels, Cali
fornia; Bohemia and Sumpter, in
Oregon; Virginia City and Pony, in
Montana: Cochiti and Hillsboro, New
Mexico. The dangers to be avoided
are first the presence of silver in any
quantity in the ore unless provided for
by subsequent process, and the ex.
istence OF base metals which either
carry most of the precious metal values
or else cannot be we'll separated from
> the quartz by water concenlrators.
This branch of investment will well
pay for consideration by men who can
command moderate capital, and who
will investirate very carefully before