Gilpin observer., 1905-07-27
The Sailing Of Mines.


The ingenuity of the rogue fire.
quetnly outwits the studied precau-
tions of the conscientious man. This
will be true in any business or profess
sion, and it will scarcely be contro-
verted that one factor contributing
largely to the Success of an honorable
man will be his knowledge of the un-
scrupulous methods pursued by the ex-
ponents of what is sometimes called
SHARP practice" In the mining in
dustry the Sailing" of mines has
evolved class of rogues as clever as
will be encountered anywhere, and fail
ure to recognize their schemes and in
genious devices for raising the values
of ore samples has cost the reputation
of capable men and the money of con-
fiding investors. Without, therefore,
attempting to prove the ethical truth
of the proposition, it may almost be set
down as automatic that, in addition to
ability and responsibility, 1t is highly
desirable that an honorable man have
a fair knowledge of the evil ways OF
scheming degenerates-for self-defense
Is nothing more.
In lather extended consideration
of mine sampling and ore valuation re-
Gently contributed to the Kolar Gold
lSluo 1NSWS ny al ~, plOlSoooi
of mining geology in Otago University,
New Zealand, the subject of mine
Sailing" receives it's share of atten-
tion. Professor Park has evidently
had some experience with the Sailing"
of mines, and his observations are well
worthy of reproduction for the benefit
| of those less experienced.
| Professor Park observes that the
mine examiner should be familiar with
the methods adopted by unscrupulous
| persons, SO as to be able to protect
| the interests of his principals.
A common method is to tamper with
the examiners samples, and for this
| reason the samples should always be
| in safe custody until the assay results
are known.
| Cases are known where the sample
bags have been enriched before the
samples were put into them. 1t is
therefore wise precaution to keep
| the sample bags in lookup sack un-
til they are required. And'even then 1t
lis advisable to turn each back inside
! out and shake vigorously before use.
In the case of gold mines, soft ore
has been artificially enriched to a
depth of foot or more with strong
solution of chloride of gold.
Fraud is practiced on mine examin-
ers by stretches of rich ore having
been skillfully built into the wall of
/ level at different intervals and at
the working face, the joints being OBJ
scured by liberal splashes of mud. In
| the same way artificial outcrops have
been prepared.
/ Dumps of ore have been stacked
with rich ore on the sides and top sur
face. An imposture of this kind is at
once disclosed by the process Of
trenching when procuring samples for
| assay.
Samples of gold wash intended for
examination by panning have been en-
riched. either before or during the
washing. by the agency OF gold-bearing
tobacco-ash, pellets of clay and gold
bearing finger nails. The gold obtained
from the panning of gold-wash or tail
ings should be examined under the mi
croscope.
Bulk samples of ore have been salted
during the process of treatment in the
battery, either by the addition of gold
| or amalgam.
The examiners samples may be un-
lawfully enriched at any stage from the
breaking of the material in the mine to
the assaying in the laboratory. Strong
solutions Of gold chloride have been
injected into the bags with a syringe
and gold dust added to the litharge and
fiuxes. Fraud is SO easily practiced in
this stage that the examiner should
either supply his own assay materials
or test those placed at his disposal.
In these days of mine valuation by
systematic sampling. cases Of stacking
or sailing of the ore in the mine are
rare and easily circumvented by the
watchful examiner. But, besides covert
acts intended to beguile, the examiner
may be misled by the suppression Of
important developments or by the
blocking up of workings where unfav-
orable results might be obtained.
On his part the mine examiner must
take care not to assume an attitude Of
restraint and distrust towards those
connected with the management. In
the writer's experience, miners are as
honest as most men; and IL they some
times put the best side before you 1t
| is more from a feeling of loyalty to
their employers than a deliberate de-
sire to deceive. Probably not more
than one in hundred would wilfully
mislead you or use unlawful means to
enrich your samples. But the hun
dredth man is generally clever rogue.
and needs very close watching. and be-
cause of this one man you must take no
risks. either In the mine or in the lab