Elk City mining news. (Elk City, Idaho) 1903-1913, 1912-07-25
FOR PRESIDENT,
WILLIAM HOWARD TAFT,
Niece, sity of Frequent Assays.

NeSC. stLy Oh Frequent f1oouyo.
In this day and age, a day and age
in which mining has been reduced to
almost a perfect system, nearly every
mining company whose property is on
a producing and shipping basis, main
tains an assay Office at or near its
mine, and the mineral value of every
shipment is approximately known be-
fore it is consigned to the market or
the smelter. In addition to this, a
close tab is kept on the ore-bodies in
every portion of the property, and the
country rock, as we'll as what is known
to be ore, is frequently assayed, so
that the management, at all times, is
in close touch with the possibilities OF
the mine oyer which he exercises sup
ervisiOn.
In the development of a prospect
conditions are different, and it may be
that sometime will elapse before the
value of ore being broken down or eX-
tracted is determined, the result being
that loss is often entailed and money
expended uselessly for the only reason
that those in charge had no facilities
to prove the metallic value of the vein
in course of development. 1t is often
that the poorest-looking ore is the
richest, and that the product being
piled on the dump, or sacked because
of supposed value, would not pay ship
ping expenses, or even the cost of min
ing. Sometimes very highgrade ore is
thrown over the dump because it did
not look gcod'' to the superintendent
or to the owner of the claim; and this
very ore, had its true worth been
known might have placed the property
on a paying basis.
1t often looks like throwing away
money to make frequent assays in the
development of prospect, but such a
course will pay well in the end, as a
correct knowledge of values, of the
character of rock which carries the
values, will determine the course to be
pursued in exploratory work, and save
what might prove to be wasteful ex-
penditure and eventual loss.
Not long ago, in the development of
prospect, big ledge had been neg
lected because Of the belief that it was
of very low grade. One of those ir-
terested in the property, on visit to
the mine, determined to make an ex-
animation of this lode, and few inches
below the accumulated debris, broue hit
to light quartz that looked as if it
might run $40 to SIS to the ton in its
gold contents. 1t was thought that it
was hardly necessary to make an assay
on the rock, but the test was finally
made and it was found that the ore ran
over $24O in the yellow metal. With
free milling gold ore an estimate Of
value is frequently made by panning,
but this test is often misleading, as 8
vast amount of experience is necessary
to be able to make paintings and thar
make an approximate guess of any.
thing like true value. A little golc
will make a long string of colors in the
pan, and the elated and enthusiastic
operator of the pan will often fix the
values up into the thousands when, il
reality, the ore will only assay few
hundred. Basing future operations OF
''panning values" work is often carried
on which would not be thought of haC
the true value been known, and thi.
line of argument might be carried OF
indefinitely.
In the development of prospect fire.
quent assays should be made, and es
pecially so if the ore is believed to be
rather low in grade. The leanest-look
ing rock may often be the best to be
found in the mine, and the ore that i:
being thrown over the dump may gC
way UP into the thousands in the preci
GUS meta $. Salt Lake Mining Review
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