The Butte inter mountain. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1901-1912, 1901-11-05

the formation OF the amalgamatiOn fea-
lures there was a noticeable difference.
The tub was larger and concave, fully
10 feet wide and about five feet deep,
and fitted with many devices, in the way
of wings and projections. with which to
agitate the pulp and catch the silver
contained therein.
Most Remarkable Addition.
1t was one of the most remarkable
additions ever installed in any reduction
plant in the West, or, for that matter, in
the world.
One day, so great would be it's ANAL
gamating capacity, that it would catch
more silver than the battery assays
would show to be in the rock treated
while the following days its work would
give no results whatever from the treat
ment Of ores assaying into the hundreds,
and thus it would rightfully receive the
deserved contempt and reproach of the
whole force from the manager down. 6
But the eccentricities and peculiarities
of the Purvine pan would not even stop
with this most remarkable and mysteri-
GUS manifestation of obstinacy, for there
were days when the belt would not stay
on the pulley, despite the fact that the
most skilled mechanics could determine
| no reason why it should not.
It nearly killed every man who had
anything to do with it and seemed to
have an especial spite at the inventor
himself. But Purvine bore his successes
and failure most n1anfully.
While all others stood at respectful
distance when in operation, yet he
showed neither fear nor concern, but
lost three fingers, a part of his right
foot and sundry other portions of his
~,
plicated parts, with a philosophical dis
regard of his own well being truly
amazing.
Has Great Faith.
Yet Frisbey had the utmost faith in
| the final outcome of the Purvine pan
He often declared that if it would only
work week as 1t should he would pay
off the indebtedness of the Northwest
company, and his confidence that sue
cess would finally crown the efforts nj
Purvine was such that he stood tbs
costly and unaccountable workings OF
| this invention until a week before the
| final collapse of the Northwest Mining
company.
One day, armed with a big hammer
and filled to repletion with the bes,
| Kentucky whisky. he strobe with much
| gravity and great dignity from his office
| into the pan room and put the too
| which he carried into the gearing thai
| drove the Purvine.
There was heard a crash of castings
and the whirr of a broken belt. Gentle
| hands lifted THE fallen and badly.
shaken-up superintendent from the cor
| ner where he was thrown by the col
| lision and carried him to his Office. =
There, seated in chair, they left him
| blandly smiling, utterly speeches. anC
supremely happy, despite the numerous
| wounds and Commissions which covered
| him from head to foot.
Never to Return.
| The following day Purvine left the
| camp, never to return. 1t is said, how
| ever, that before doing so he went up t.
see Frisbey, and that in an interview
| extending over an hour, neither said q
word about the pan, but both got royalty
| drunk, with a full consciousness of the
cause of their doing so.
The inventor went from here directly
| to Dewey's Flat, southwest of Butte, and
succeeded in installing a similar pan tc
| the one he had built here in the mill al
| that place.
But although such improvements had
| been made to it as would appear to in
sure success, yet the miserable ANAL.
gamator continued to work its own pc
| culiar ends, and carried it's frantic at
tempts to gain ridiculous notoriety to
such an extent that finally one day Pur-
vine, in a moment of disgust and de.
| spair, deliberately sat down on the driv'
| ing belt and shut off his life and the ma.
| chinery at the same time.
He was buried on the hillside above
| the mill, near the former town of Pom
| sonby, and simultaneously with his being
. so, the wretched pan was torn out and
ANONYMOUSLY thrown into the ravine