Gilpin observer. (Central City, Colo.) 1897-1921, 1910-05-05
A POSSIBLE SOLUTION
OF THE PROBLEM

Som cthing musL be radically wrong
with the gold extracting processes
to permit such loss as is apparent
by the concentrators making good
profits by simply running the tailings
accumulated in the creek through
their mills. A stamp mill is erected
and in connection with concentra-
tor. The concentrator is an addition.
The mill heretofore was thought re-
quisite. Results must have been sat
isfying through the operation of the
stamps and plates. Still, more might
possibly have been saved, but why
it was not was probably due to the
defective principle in lis operation.
That all the gold in the Gre was not
saved could readily be ascertained.
This suggested the addition of the
concentrator. Yet this has not proven
all that it had been hoped, for indie
pendent concentration plants can earn
considerable by taking over the waste
from the stamp-concentrator plant
and realizing handsomely where the
concentrator is of a pattern to make
the residue profitable by the process
of treatment
And, it would seem that even the
Independent concentrator is not prov
ing the success it should, for below
even these mills a man may earn a
little by sluicilg, with carpets. that
which has gone back to the creek
after having passed through the con-
ceItrator. From this the s.amp-mill
is net a success, because it does not
save all the gold, and the concentra-
tor in connection is not any better
in that it fails to catch that which
has passed over the plates.
But it is hardly just to condemn
the stamp mill. A free-milling ore Is
applicable to the process by the cop
per-quicksilver plates, and a concen-
TRAITOR is not one of the needs where
the ore is of the quality stated. I'm
questionably the gold is free in that
it is not in chemical form in the ore.
That the mineral has been thorough
ly crushed is evidenced by the guam
tity of flour-gold found in the creek
and far below where any concentra-
fore one the question arises why
do net the mills catch this free
gold? Were the operations successful
there is no question of the enormous
quantity Of gold that would go out
from this section.
With chemists and mineralogis.s as
numerous as they are and consiler-
ing the vast tonnage of ore that
could be supplied, it is a wonder that
the problem of successful treatment
has not been worked out long ago.
If all the flour-gc.d found in the creek
Is not due to the crushed ore from
the stamp mill then an enormous
quantity must be washed down from
the hillside, indicating that the
source must be such as to ever in
vite investigation an1 test, follow
ed by the working and extraction Of
the go,i from the rock containing
the same.
With all the data below one-with
the apparent successes and failures,
or the partial successes and indif
ferent results passing in review
mining, the extracting of the min
erals from the rock would still seem
to be in a primitive state of develop
ment. A limited solution Of the COM
ing successful treatment of the ores
would suggest a process of pulveriza-
tion of the ore to an impalpable
powder and catching the mineral by
specific gravity, as has been referred
20 in this paper of past issues.
This process would retain all the
minerals in bulk. That is, whatever
mineral of a specific gravity greater
than water would be the result of
the treatment Of the crude ore in this
manner. The saving of all the min
erals in the concentrates, and the
metallic substance would certainly be
great, probably special treatment
need be devised to separate each Of
of the minerals into It's metallic
form.