The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1907-04-06
SUCCESS Of MAY
DAY MILL TRAVELS
London Specialist Comes to
Utah Expressly to Visit In
teresting Plant,
LOOKS LIKE DRY
PROCESS is A GO
Very Satisfactory Test Run Is
Made at Suggestion of
the Visitor.

Perhaps few departures, and radical
departures, from the ordinary lines of
ore concentration have created so small
a stir in Salt Lake mining and milling
circles as the May bay plant at Tintic
which has been in operation for somo
time past by the Cactus Orc Separat-
ing company. There arc not over
dozen people interested in such mat
ters generally that have even gone to
the trouble of visiting the plant to see
for themselves just what is being ac-
complished, but the fame of the plant,
by reason of the dry process being en-
ployed there, has already reached min
ing circles Of London, England, and
one of the most prominent metalur-
gists of the old world has made visit
TO the plant to see for himself just
what is being done.
This distinguished visitor was Theo.
dore j. Hoover, chief metallurgist of
the noted firm known as the Mineral
Separator company, Ltd, of London.
Mr.. Hoover was on his way to Mexico
in the interest of his company, and
his visit to the May Day was quiet
one, Mr.. Hoover departing as quietly
as he came. II is stated upon undoubt-
ed authority that he first heard about
the May Day mill from Samuel New
house. who has been in Europe for
several weeks. Mr. Hoover came
through Salt Lake, therefore, for the
sole purpose of investigating the pro
cess employed in the plant.
1t is understood that Mr. Hoover was
very much impressed with the success
of the dry process being used, and at
his suggestion several new tests were
made while he was present The mill
management had been running an aver
age of about four tons per hour over
the screens. making saving Of % per
cent of the lead heads and 50 per cent
of the silver contents of the heads. By
q series Of attempts with hand screens,
Mr. Hoover secured practically the
same results.
Mr., Hoover then suggested that run.
nlng greater tonnage per hour over
the screens, with a smaller percentage
of saving, would result better financial
~ for the plant IN the long run. and
he advised crowdIng the small mill TO
a limit never before attempted. Ten
tons per hour were then run through
the plant, with the result that the eff.
cheney secured was rs per cent of the
lead values and something like 5S or
so per cent with the silver, 1t is
thought from these developments that
Samuel Newhouse ls the main power
behind the Cactus Ore Separating com
pany, and that the mill has gone tre-
mendous distance toward covering
many of the defects heretofore exist
ing in wringing from the rocks their
precious mineral contents. The sue"
cess of dry process means that an
unlimited influence will be cxerted
upon mining and milling the world
over, for in countries where water is
scarce the ore concentrating question
mas served TO keep back progress as
nothing else.
The Tribune has no authority to in
vitc metallurgists out to the May Day
plant to witness for themselves the sue
cess of this process, but any one inter
csted in such matters should secure the
permission from those able TO grant
the same, thereby keeping as closely
III touch with so important a matter
as folks in England.