Gilpin observer., 1910-12-08
MUCH TO LEARN.

i Inc laugh would seem to be on the
mining expert. And 1t was a little
4 matter of zinc carbonates that did
1t. The question arises whether, in
a remarkable mining district, even
like that surrounding Central, there
are not a number of good things
thrown on the dump or left stand
iing in the mine either on the foot
For hanging wall of vein as
valuable or more SO than the mater
lial sought and mined. The text books
are quite replete with information.
The sulphidee, the carbonates the
eilicates, the oxides and all the rest
'pf the non-me.allifer'o substances
That need treatment to reconvert
Them may be more numerous than
determined. That IS, there may be
metals in other forms than generally
guessed. Nature has way of dis
&u,s.ng things and only the best and
Aore tireless of expermenta.ists may
&etermine values where the unlearr ed
would pass them, rot knowing they
I.
ssIn this connection it is timely to
call attention to the confines of a
tein. Both the foot and hanging wall
Should be pene rated and their con-
4ituents determ, ne Especially should
4is be done in mines with ore of the
centact class; where the confines of
t&e ore are dissimiiar. Many a miner
Can relate the experience of having
been attracted by changes in the ap-
pbarance of the wall or confines OF
the vein. Quite often tie rock in
qoes;ion is submitted to an assayer.
He is pretty familiar with the ap-
pearance of rocks and he tells the
minsr, that from it's locks it is CO.
and-so. The matter goes no farther.
That was mis- axe. 1t should have
been analyzed.B But even here an errcr
may be made. The chem'st thinks it
such andsuch and tries it for that.
He may get some scrt of result but
quite often his determination may be
wrong, because the particular rock is
really unknown to him and he does
not rightly know the proper reagent
with which to treat it.
The original rock may have como
out Of the water; of if the water had
its origin from the r7cks then the
first or primary subs.anc may have
been a s.licate. II it was, the miner
swfn understand what -wonderfuf rifem'
ical changes have occurred since. He
is mystified at the number Of names
given rocks and they merely differ
slightly chemical Me'aliic sub
stances may have originally been Or
dinary rock substances or the metals
changed to the earthen. This is mere
ly mentioned to explain what the
property that he's seemingly many
fferent appearing rlcks. Most cr-
dinary miners are able to quickly tell
the GRANTEES from quartz and lime
doubt whether rock IS porphyry or
lime, then he knows some hing has
changed its usual appearance. Not
being able to tel just what its con-
stituents are he should have it de-
, termined, provided he thinks it worth
while
1t has been proven that many prop
critics have been worked mistakenly
There are some that were worked for
silver but really were god mines. The
Bass.ck was such a property. And it
IS asserted no returns were made to
the owner Of the gold in the ore.
Again there was time and not 50
long ago when, ores carrying zinc
were penalized; II not that, the Eng
lish Of 1t would >mean that the zinc
took from the values in the ore and
the miner docked accordingly. The
metals that made an ore refractory
paid more for treatment, yet much
must have been saved by the emelt-
ers Of which no return was made to
the miner. The miner will! ever be at
a disadvantage til he is able to de-
termine Of what kind Of rock his mine
is composed; further. till he 6evisen
a system to get all the values he
will be at the mercy OF those who
make business CT handling his
product. 1t is time to become wise.
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