Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1908-07-29

uN THE westward miSratoH VI
1860. were many men in search
OF fortune. Prospectors also came
N back from California. Their ad-
ventures have furnished materials for
many true stories as romantic as tales
of fiction.
They did not build homes. but lived
in tents or cabins, procuring their sup
plies from the settlements and farms.
But for the permanent homes made
by the bulk of the people, mining
would not have been possible. AT
first, the difficulty was in getting sup
plies to the mines or prospects. Pack
mules were used, and prospector's
outfit was an interesting collection of
food, clothing. pick, shovel and gold
pan, and horn spoon. Water also was
often hard to get; ana privatlon and
death we're not uncommon.
THE FIRST MINING.
MANY of the pioneers had mined IN
California, and had brought gold tlIat
was made into those early 50, $40.
and $40 pieces, that for years circu-
lated in Utah. But wnen IN 1853
Gen Conner came with small army
to settle Indian troubles, he encour-
aged his men TO prospect while pur-
suing the Indians. They discovered
the ore in Bingham. which became an
active camp IN 1868. In three years
100 mines or prospects were opened;
silver, lead, gold veins began TO pro-
duce an output limited chiefly by the
supply of water.
AS early AS the ffties, lead ore was
discovered in Beaver county and the
people made bullets from 1t, not know
ing that It contained high values in
silver. In those days lead could not
be shipped to eastern markets It had
almost no commercial value on ac-
count of the cost of transporting it.
Not tin 1867, when Mining Com
missioner Browns report appeared
| was the public generally informed
| that precious metals were to
| be found in Utah. Active work at
| Ophlr and Cottonwood began in
| 1870. Within 10 years mining was
begun at Tlntic, American Fork, Camp
| Flovd. Dry Canyon Silver Reef, Fris-
| co. Deep Creek, Park city, and Marys-
| vale.
THE CYANIDE PROCESS.
In early days at Mercur by the usual
| "amalgamation process of extraction,
| from 40 to GO per cent OF the gold was
| left In the tailings, or refuse ore. The
| ore was crushed and passed over cop
| per plates covered with quicksilver,
| which collected the free gold as the
| pulyerized ore was washed over the
plates In water. This quicksilver
| amalgam was then heated in retorts,
| and the mercury was distilled off and
| collected for future use. The gold
| left behind was made into bricks. The
| cyanide process extracts as much as 10
to 90 pei. cent OF the gold. AS a result
| claims formerly abandoned may yet
be alive with industry the old ore
| dumps being worked over. AT the great
cyanide mill Of Mercur, which treats
about 500 tons OF ore and uses 500
| pounds of cyanide each day, this dead
! ~ stun is simply shoveled into tanks
Of water and dissolved. The ore, a
soft, yellowish rock, Is ground fine and
soaked for "a hours IN the cyanide
solution which dissolves the gold,
The next thing is To get the gold from
the solution, which Is done by passing
the liquid through u series OF com
partments illled with zinc shayings, or
into tank containing zinc dust and
stirred by n Jet OF air. The dissolved
gold now deserts the solution and
clings TO the zinc. Tho water IS drawn
of. more cyanide IS shoyeled into 1t,
and II Is again ready for use Weak
sulphuTic acid is added TO the zinc
dust and shayings and they are dis
solved; the zinc solution Is drawn off,
leaving the gold behind In the fine
| slime. This mud Is then alter pressed,
| dried, ground, mixed with reagents.
and melted. The gold sinks to the
bottom and Is finally run of into
| moulds, forming real gold bricks
I worth frprp 31O ono to RgU OUO ouI.ga