The Washington herald., 1913-09-07
MICROSCOPE USED FOR MINING.

From the IndanspoRs News
The miner you see in the moving pic.
ture shows swings a pick. The mineI
you are gong TO see on the nIms OF the
future Will point a microscope. Instead
Of being an uncouth species OF the ami
NAL kingdom. crawling around with a
drill and pick in his hand within the
bowels OF the earth. the miner Of the
future will be a gentleman, a scientist,
Photographer.
In fact, the scientific value OF the Mi
croscope in mining is hard to overestI-
mate. though its general adoption by
leaders IN tnat INDUSTRY IS only recent
4he puonc Knows nothing ABOUT II
One of the main advantages in mining
with the microscope is that you can de-
termIne wneGner you are deanng onIy
with local enrichment or with the out
crop OF large deposit; IN other words
whether only short-lived operations are
TO be expected or whether the invest
ment or considerable capital is justitied
Prof. r. Beck, who is rector OF the
Royal School Of Mines at t'reioerg. Sax
ony, makes the following valuable OBJ
seryations:
In an entirely different kind of prac-
teal geology, the application of the mi
croscope enables one to pass an opinion
ing stones, as decorative material, or as
works of art 1t has been shown that
especially in the investigation of resist
ance TO weathering. the microscope per-
forms important services. which cannot
be performed by the other methods Gus
tomarlly used in testing building mate
rial.
In the tracing out OF old ore deposits,
forgotten III the course or time, our in
strument also can perform good service
For example, it was successfully applied
to determine what sort of ores were
worked in an ancient stamp mill in re-
gard to which no records were procur-
able. The fragments OF lean ore par
;icles found in the gross-covered slime
dump revealed such characteristic-struc-
lures that the investigator was at once
orIenIed as 10 the nature or the DE-
posits worked; whereas the assayer could
nave proved only the occurrence of GER
tain metals. In another case the identity
OF certain rich specimens in an old col
lection with the meager remnants of an
old dump could be established micro
scopicaIly, and thereby the authenticity
OF certain records.
Dishonest manipulations also can be
detected through the microscope, and in
that way business losses prevented. Once
with which a swindler had saIted a
prospect betrayed his scheme. Another
time minute hammer marks were dis
covered on artiticially rattened. finely
granulated brass with which a con-
sclenceless owner OF a claim had i'm
proved" placer showing the sailing of
which with real gold alone would have
been too expensive
Our knowledge of the nonmetallic de-
posits also has been advanced in many
ways through the use OF the microscope.
The theory OF the origin or the South
African diamonds. for example, has been
strongly confirmed by thorough struc.
ture studies of the blue ground" Tho
senetic relations between that remark
able country rock OF the South African
precious stones and other known types
Of eruptive rocks were disclosed only by
this means. Various rocks have been
considered "blue ground" which the mi-
croscope recognizes as not genuine.