Gilpin observer., 1912-01-04
THE YELLOW OF GOLD.

An experienced mining man was
recently given free gold specimen
from one of the working mines ol
this district. The inspection he gave
that piece Of rock would have been
credit to minerallogist or geolo-
gist. He never saw cleaner gold. 1t
looked Furnished, SO bright was 1t, a.
most reflecting light. He also noticed
that the rock was-.lean, characteris-
tic Of some Of the ore found in
these hills. That is, it was not stain
ed by minerals, being almost pure
white. Further, some OF this rock
was of 81 crystalline nature as though
formed in cave by deposition. The
rest appeared to be a felspar of the
potash sort. This is not all. Here
and there were irregular pieces Of
pyrites and few in cubical form.
The irregular pyrites looked very
much like the gold. The experienced
eye though could detect the differ
ence. AS he studied the specimen,
he wondered how that gold and py-
rites could have secured lodgment in
the rock. knowing that it came from
several hundred feet under ground.
He knew that many mines had simi-
liar rock. In fact he compared 1t
with a specimen taken from a prop
erty a mile distant. His eye could
detect no difference. Elsewhere, out
OF the district he could find similar
rock but containing no metallic val
ues. AS he studied the specimen he
two metals. The pyrites seemed to
have developed into gold. Both were
yellow. Had the color of the two
anything in common? The yellow Of
the pyrites was due to sulphur. Elm
mate that and iron would remain.
What was the yellow Of the gold?
Knowing what could he done with
gold. in so far IS science has demon
stc1tc'. le couiu change 4 to a
brown powder and back again, but it
would retain that yellow color He
could net eliminate any of it's quail
ties.
The yellow of both, their almost
similar appearance in close proximity
in a piece OF rock that seemed,
cheated" made by nature, whether
by deposition or growth, like the fill
trations and formation in a cave. all
this beneath many different rocks.
Chemically different), has never
ceased to interest him. Gold can be
found almost anywhere, but it is
quantity that makes a district valu-
able. He could reason how the rock
was formed and why it lay in that
seemingly immaculate state SO far
beneath the surface. He would ven
tire theory of the presence OF the
gold. But the appearance of the met
ais was what made him speculate.
Did the gold originate from the py-
rites? Is the pyrites a form of gold
lacking something chemically? Of
course he had no answer. He thought
the transition slight. Might not the
Aa'0 hou 40 oi l6iu tEt
gold or vice versa? They were too
much alike not to have been noticed
by less observing person. He wish
ed he We're a chemist enough to ex-
pertinent. Not with the hope of trans
mitting the pyrites, but to prove what
the color had to do with the two
dissimilar metals. He wondered
whether little more of the yellow
in the pyrites might not be convert
ed into the more precious metal. Pos
sibly. the yellow gold were a metal
lie sulphur! There. he paused. His
speculation led him that far. Could
he only prove it. Metallic sulphur
was new to his vocabulary. How to
accomplish the feat OF rendering the
combustible into a solid metal taxed
his thinking powers and he left the
thought whcre he found it. Possibly
there is metallic sulphur. He had
read much but lacks knowledge on
this.