Tonopah bonanza. [volume] (Butler City [i.e. Butler], Nev.) 1901-1909, 1904-09-10
TON0PAH BONANZA.
SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 10, 1904
sAMPLING ORE SHIPMENTS.
How Tests Are Made by Owner
of MIne--It is Very Simple.
CONTINUED from last week.

IhlhS uHS SdChS lake every HIJn or
third shovel and proceed as directions
were given in last weeks issue under
the above heading; but, as they are
ground uniformly fine, a very accu.
rate sample can be conveniently taken
after sacking.
Fill the sacks and sew them ready
for shipment, Then, after laying
horizontally, open the two corners
very slightly, till a '%'trier" can be
introduced. Shove this ~diagonally
through the sack from each corner
till the bottom is reached, and quarter
down the sulphurets withdrawn.
Given a piece of gas pipe one quarter
to one half inch diameter, any black.
smith a make a 'trier.n Split off
M half the pipe for six inches to
a foot, then round and sharpen the
lower end, and bend over the upper
end for a handle.
AS the trier is inserted it is twisted
around like an auger; and, in fact, if
no trier a be procured, a small
ships auger will answer the purpose,
but it is harder to clean off the sample
after each boring
So far everything written above
has been to the benefit Of the reduc-
tion works as against the shipper,
but it a be stated that some re-
duction works also are faulty in their
work, where they follow out the
nearly obsolete custom of taking
every fifth or tenth sack from a ship
ment. sampling them only and basing
the values Of the entire lot on these
returns. That style Of sampling is
only guess-work, no more, no less,
and should under no circumstances
be countenanced.
There are some points hardly in
the province OF sampling, but they
should be included in this article,
where the reduction works cling to
some old customs by which the ship
pers are unjustly treated and do not
get the full value that Is due them,
considering tue small losses incurred
in modern metallurgical works.
Granted that the sampling is fair
TO both sides and the actual value of
the metallic contents determined, the
smelters ask a stated sum for work
ing charges, which is also fair to
both sides.
Now, il addition to this, on copper
ores there is arbitrarily subtracted
one-third per cent Of the copper, be-
cause in years gone by there was
that difference between the assay
and smelter returns, owing to loss in
Stag, etc. At the present time there
IS never a loss greater than three
per cent or the furnace manager is
discharged, but the shipper is still
taxed with a loss Of n per cent, or
twenty pounds OF copper to the ton,
without any recompense. To still
further discourage him, he is also
given a price per pound for the re-
naming copper contents which is
five cents less than the current mar.
ket quotations, and with copper at
ten cents per pound only gets fifty
per cent Of its value. Yet he pays
Il working charge that alone gives a
profit, and would not grumble at an
increase If he received the full value
which the ore calls for. This five
cents is supposed to be for refining
charges, and is also based on the cost
OF expensive methods now obsolete.
Suppose it is lead ore. The smell
tiers pay on the returns from a fire
assay, which has been proven time
and again TO be lower than the actual
output Of the ore, so that the returns
should be made on the wet assay.
Suppose il is gold and silver. Such
assays are made which give an ex-
cessive loss. Nitre is used in the
erucibles, and gold with silver volatil-
lied. Cupellations are carried out
IN mutlles at such high heat that the
cupels absorb an excess of the silver;
in addition to this, whether the ore