Custer weekly chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, S.D.) 1890-1931, 1902-05-17
Ways Pocket SmeIter.

! In recent issue Of the Denver Min
ing Reporter appeared the following
complimentary mention of Ways Pocke ct
Smelter, manufactured by the Custer
Chemical company of this city:
One Of the most ingenious blow pipe
appliances we have ever seen has re.
Gently been introduced under the name
Of ways Pocket Smelter." We haye
used this ourselves for the determine
ton of minerals and find that for sim.
plicity in use and accuracy in result, it
is indispensable. 1t has also the merits
Of extreme probability, and does away
with the use of the unhandy grease
lamp and charcoal block. 1t consists of
tabloid about one and three quarter
inches in length by one inch in breadth
and one-eighth inch in thickness. 1t is
indented on the upper surface with a
number of square honeycombings which
retain the powdered mineral which is
to be tested. To show the range of ap.
plication We will describe the results OBJ.
tained from four different minerals.
The first was very heavy hematite ore,
containing by assay about $4 a ton in
gold. The second was a heavy black
sulphide mineral gray copper the third
was a yellow, waxy looking crystal; the
fourth was gneiss rock containing q
number Of garnet like specks of mineral.
In not one of these could the mineral
contents be satisfactorily determined by
purely physical tests. The constitution
Of the ores had, however, been deter
mined chemically, thus affording reli-
able check on the tests made with the
tabloids.
About one-half assay ton of tho first
ore-hematite-was sprinkled over two
of the tabloids, and the latter were ignit-
ed. These tabloids burn like the old
fashioned fusee. The ignited fusees were
then placed in small agate mortar and
washed with water. The fusees instant.
ly disintegrated and by few motions of
the pestle and washing under water the
gold was left in the bottom of the mortar
in the shape Of two "colors." This, with
an ore that the pan failed to show any
gold. Parenthetically it might be stated
hat telluride ore shows "colors" just as
readily as the hematite. The second
mineral-the heavy black sulphide-we
obtained in a period of less than five
minutes the characteristic copper span
giles in the bottom of the mortar. Tie
third mineral-the waxy looking crys.
tals-gave in about the same time met
allie globules of lead, showing that it was
lead mineral. The gneiss rock with
garnet.like mineral and hich contained
four per cent of tin, gave a number OF
tin-white beads of metal which answer.
ed to all the physical tests of tin. The
garnet like specks of mineral were cas-.
siterite.
1t will be obvious, especially to those
prospectors who have had the unfortu.
nate experience of overlooking valuable
mineral deposits by failing to recognize
the nature Of the mineral, how valuable
this little deyice can be TO the prospector
in his every day work. Many deposits,
like carbonate Of lead, can be readily
overlooked unless subjected to chemical
tests. This little deyice, however, will
hardly fail to disclose whether mineral
has metallic contents or not. 1t is ex-
tremely portable and has the additional
merit OF being very cheap, being sold In
small tin boxes containing thirty tabloids
for 81.