The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1903-11-08

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Interesting objects at this Mining E-peri-
mental Plant will be given here as any
thing like detailed description OF the an
ferent processes being tried Tor the saw
ing Of the gold would make q respecta-
bic volume in itself. A lively interest BY
most visitors Is taken In a machine that
blows away the lighter portion OF the
finely pulvertzed ore as It passes through.
and saves the heavier and valuable part.
Another interesting and most complicated
piece Of mach merry somewhat resemoles
child's cradle. elevated at one end SUM
GENTLY to permit the nnely pulyerlzed orc
to pass slowly over Its length. long
wooden arm-a masterpiece Of workman
ship In Understanding the full length
OF the cradle, moves back and torsll ana
tie hundreds Of 1ne wires that thiokly
stud its under side Ike the brist!es OF
brush are electro-ua gnetized SO that as
they sweep Just above the surface OF the
cradle every particle OF metal IN the hnely
pulverized ore is attracted BY this electro
magnetic brush and IS carried 1uss past
the edge OF the cradle, when the current
of the electricity Is automatically shut of
for an instant and the brush drops ITS
precious freight into trough and swings
across the cradle to trough on the op'
poslte side. These are ore crushers OF dlr-
ferent sizes and patterns. some OF al.
most unlimited capacity and capable OF
reducing tho ore to any degree OF tneness.
There Is q roa.ster with a capacity OF ntty
tons per day. dryer with capacity OF
thirty tons per day. and for the "cyan-
lde process" which will be tried shortly
on large scale, there are six large tanEs,
each one about as large as the average
swimming pool OF the summer resorts. J.
Each day except Sunday fifty tons OF
roasted and finely pulverlzed ore - placed
In one OF these tanks with the requisite
amount Of cyanide. Allied with water and
allowed to macerate seven days. when the
liquid portion containing the cyanide OF
gold is drawn Oft into another tank from
which 1t flows steadily In small streaAa
through bed Of t1ne zinc shavings that
catch the cyanide OF gold,
Every precaution is taken against ire.
The roofs are painted with wash OF lime.
salt and alum. an example that m!ght
be we'll followed by others. One NTH az
much alum as lime IS used and the wash
eticks better on old and dangerous shin
gle roofs than new ones huge tank
Of water with a walkway Is on the COMB
OF the roof, while hose with suitable con-
rection tor turning on the water are found
in all part. OF tho mill house. There are
two dynamos for electric lighting and
other purposes. One Is small. lnexPen-
sive and simple In the management. Just
what every farmer In the State OF Vtr.
sinia ought to own.
AN EXPERIMENT.
| After Ave years Of testing. planning and
| preparing, MIR. r. H. Duckett. the mana
ger and part owner, expects to make tr
a few days trial run on large scale
| OF the cyan de process" mentioned above
the most promising Of the many pro
The failures In gold mining In tho pas
in virginia have been due, Mr.. DucAel
asserts, not to lack OF gold In tn
| ground, but to a lack Of sufficient capl
tai to develop the industry. He says tina
in almost all the ore that no has exam
ined In this State he hnds the gold 10 y
very small particles and IN such clos
combination with sulphur. selen1um an
tellurium that the processes that ara sue
cessful in other places will not enswe
here. To prove 1t ha anely pulver!ze
some ore, divided it into two equal por
tons, one OF which he put into a Elas
lar with certain chemicals, allied " VII
water and left 1t 10 stand while he pre-
ceeded to pan out" the other by tn
well.known method. a very a!lght tTas
Of gold was seen IN the pan, FROM W
pO!Il0N placed III Luc 6bcLrS JSt " ~ Saw
intricate process no extracted BODY {
cold about as large as shirt button. II
exhibited a sample OF ore from his po
sessions here that will assay $40 to II
ton and In which the free GOLD W.
plainly visible under powerful magn!t.
Ing glass. -,
4 large room on the second floor. vii
| an enormous quantity OF glass on '!
eide, facing south to let tho lsht ", Is q
/ domain Of Mr.. Kicker. an inventor and
l clever worker In wood ana iron. TO PEI
In this room Allied with lnnumerable too
\ OF all MAKES and patterns, the walls co
cred with diagrams and plans. tables q!
benches covered with patterns and hl
prints, while new and strange-locK!'
pieces of mechanism In various degre
OF construction are seen IN all parts
the room. is like 81 mpse into a wor
| shop in fairyland. He showed an ene
| wheel worked By a foot pedal that VIII
| twice as much execution and do It easl
than the ordinary gr!ndstone and the G
/ TIE rig only costs about fve do!lars.
Another interesting spot Is the labor
tory nled with florence tasks, funne
retorth, test tubes, mortars. cupels. CT
cibes. furnaces, stands, baths. ITS ma
bottles, Jars, kegs and boxes OF chsmlca
where Capt Collins works with ma
STANCE smelling compounds trying to p
I
| es of saving the gold. C!tentimes he '
| make a hundred tests 10 prove one po,
Besides being fine chemist, gif
orator and widely Travelled man. Ca
Collins seems TO have at his fingers 9.
the history OF almost every known mi
present or past. Interested with Mr..
II. Ducks,t In this mining venture Is
Mr.. Stevens, OF New York city, who
repu,ed TO be enormously wealthy.
Il Mr.. r. II. Duckett, the individual v
watches over and guides this vast pla
is a stirring. breezy Western man, VIII
very hendclasp speaks OF pluck. per
yerencs and sincerity. whose every mo
men, indicates great energy and deter
nation. Plain and unaffected IN man
and dress. he despises the idle and So
plant. Besides the technical knowled
practical experience and capital that h
beer used hero. a larger amount OF Il
and hope have been invested In the en-,
l n,aeo ~, Mr. Fp n I1nckAff This OrAs