The Wallace miner. [volume] (Wallace, Idaho) 1907-current, 1913-09-04

Mr.. French, originator of new
process for separating zinc when in
combination with lead in ore, which
was referred to in the last issue OF
The Miner arrived In the city by ap-
pointment last Friday for confer
ence with the directors of the Douglas
Mining company, with the view to in
stalling plant for treatment of ore
from the Douglas mine. A 200-pound
lot of Douglas ore had been sent to
Mr.. French at Nelson, British Column
bia, where he has an experimental
plant, and his success in treating this
ore led the directors of the Douglas
to invite him here to obtain further
information regarding his process. The
conference was highly satisfactory and
convinced the directors that at last a
process had been found that would
successfully handle this complicated
ore. Mr.. French brought with him a
sample of the zinc actually extracted
from the ore tested, as tangible proof
of the success of his process, also a
sample of the residue containing the
silver, lead, iron and other elements
in the ore
Practically Pure Zinc After Treatment
The French process extracts SO per
cent of the zinc in the ore and the
product Is 80 and a fraction pure. II
Is, therefore, ready for the market
without further treatment except run
ming 1t into bars of convenient size.
This is decided advantage over 9TH
er methods of separation, which re-
quire the product to pass through the
process of smelling and refining be-
fore reaching the commercial stage
The cost of this additional treatment,
is tax which the miner would escape
with the French process, and he wuold
also escape the heavy transportation
charges, for while the freight rate on
spelter would be higher than that on
zinc ore or concentrates, the difference
in bulk would result in substantial
saving.
Royalty Depends on Metal Extracted.
After going over the situation thor
oughly and obtaining full information
regarding local conditions which
would enter into the cost of installing
plant, Mr.. French returned Satur-
day with the understanding that he
would at once prepare in detail esti-
mates of the cost of plants of differ
ent capacities and submit them for
the consideration of the Douglas di-
rectors AS evidence of the faith Mr.. |
French has In the success of his pro-
cess. 1t should be stated that he has
no interest whatever in any of the
material or machinery that enters in
to the construction of the plant. His
pay will come solely from fixed roy
atty on the zinc extracted from the
ore.
Vastly Important.
If the French method proves as l
successful in practical operation as Il
appears from the experimental tests
and the claims of the discoverer, 1t
will revolutionize the entire system Of
AiAiS SSPdiotioH anu MAKE pOSSlOle the
profitable treatment of much zinc ore
that can not be successfully handled
under present methods. Perhaps the
strongest proof of the merits of the
French process is that the Trail smell
ter in British Columbia is erecting n
plant for the treatment of zinc ores
by this process and holds an option on
the patent rights to use the French
process in the dominion of Canada.
The result of the negotiations Of the
Douglas company will be watched
with much interest. II successful
plant is placed in operation 1t will give {
a tremendous impetus to zinc mining
in the Coeur d'Alene district.