The Nome nugget., 1904-01-30
Questions.
 and AnsWers

un this column questions Of general interest will be answered. Address all communications to J. Potter Whittren, care of THE NUGGET)
 Ques.-Will you kindly answer the following: lst. What is the proper way to anneal crucible? 2d. What Aux and in what proportion should same be used in smelling placer gold? 3d. Is there any way to treat slag in order to have same separate readily from brick? 4th. How would you re- cover a copper matte from brick? 5th. How do you determine the proper heat for your mould? You will observe that l would like to know just how to "melt" and "mould placer gold"
 COUNCIL CITY.
 Ans.-I take it for granted you mean black lead crucible in question No. l, and to anneal the same it should be placed near the hot furnace for several days, rim downward, and turned occa- sionally. If needed at once, the follow ing method is generally employed: Place the crucible on the grate of the melting furnace bottom side up and build a slow fire around it until the vessel is dark red. On cooling. it will be found to have lost it's black color and to be of grayish tint. After it has once been heated to red heat all danger of it flying to pieces is passed. 2d. Borax, and in the proportion of 'experience. When the crucible has attained full red heat, one or two spoonfuls of borax, wrapped in paper, are placed in it, using the cupel tongs. When the borax has melted, a small quantity of the placer gold also wrapped in paper, is placed in the crucible in the same manner. Several portions may be added, according to the size of the crucible. When the bullion has melted down. more is added in the same manner, until the crucible has received all that is to constitute the bar. 3d. Not that know of, other 
 should be sufficient to cover the bottom to the depth of at least one-fourth of an inch. The mould should be turned in such manner as to allow the oil to flow to all parts of it's interior, and then placed in level position for cast ing. 4tb. Hammer it off the bar and inc al ,atr PulveriZe the matte, roast and fuse down with litharge and huxes, and cupel the button obtained. 9th. The mould should be placed on the edge of the furnace during the process of melt ing in such 8 position that it may be- come quite hot; not so hot, however. as to approach redness nor to cause the oil to burn. The best answers to ques- tions of this kind are gained through experience, and knowing the nature of the placer gold you have to cast into ingOts. for the base materials vary in the gold taken from different creeks.
 Cues. you please answer the following: lst. How many feet of lum Der in the newly purchased city hall? I'd. Can claim be represented or held by just cutting the moss off. or willows?
 OBSERVER.
 Ans.-1st. In the neighbOrhoOd of 2S,O 900 feet, board measure, that is in. cluding shed and partitions. The fig ures may seem little high, but l am indebted to the firm of Boynton x Nicholson. the parties who had the contract for cutting the building in two so as it could be moved, for the number of feet.
 2d. Yes if the work performed is the amount required by law: which is at least $1O0. Cutting off moss and willows in many instances has to be done the year before, from an eco- nomical point of view, in order that the ground may thaw out early in the following spring. The moss and will lows act as a blanket to keep the suns rays from thawing the ground under heath.
 Dues. posed for the picture in Richard Harding, Davis book, "sol- diers of FOrtune?" w. k.
 Ans.--Mr. Howard c. Christy, illus trated the book, and tEe picture, you refer to. as we'll as all other illustra- tratiOns in the book were created by MT. Christy. As rule eminent men like Gibson, Christy, and dozen others I could mention draw their illustrations from the picture as por- trayed by ths author.
 J. POTTER WHITTREN.