The Wallace miner. [volume] (Wallace, Idaho) 1907-current, 1913-05-08
THE CYANIDE PROCESS
TO Be USED IN BUTTE
A DISCOVERY THAT HAS REV.
oLuTlONlzED GOLD
MINING.

An important feature of the Butte
Central mill process is the introduce
ton of the famous cyanide process to
Butte, says the Treasure State. When
the silver mining industry languished
in the latter '90s, following the de-
monetization of the white metal, at
tention turned to the cyanide gold or
wet-chemical process as a means of
developing our gold production. The
cyanide process is undoubtedly the
sole cause Of the present agitation
over the overproducton of gold with
it's consequent tendency to increase
prices.
Cyanide Patented in Late '70s.
The cyanide process was not pat
ented In England until 1887 and in
this country two years later 1t has
not been in use in the United States
for quarter of century yet, but,
thanks to it, the United States is now
producing about three times as much
gold as in 1889, the year the process
was patented in this country. our
domestic production Of gold did not
pass the 1000. 000-fne ounces mark
until 1895. Due largely to the decad-
ence of the silver mining industry, the
production of gold increased rapidly
In the latter '90s and in 1898 the out
put was 3,11S,39S ounces. In 1905, due
to the opening up of the Goldtield and
Tonopah camps, we passed the 1000
O0O-fine ounces mark and production
has ranged well above 100000 ounces
ever since. The gold production of
the United States in 1911 was valued
at $96,233,528. This compared with
$S2 1857 900 in 1889.
Compared With t849.
It will surprise some people who are
fond of quoting the refrain. "The days
Of 40 that i'm 1S49 the worlds gold
production was only 1927, 100, 900 where
as in 1911 it was $466,oo0,O00. 1t is
said that there were at least $4,000
900 lost in the crude metallurgy of the
days Of the Comstock lode discovery
The cyanide process, recovering on an
average Of IS per cent of gold values
from the ores the world over, has re-
placed the losses in gold production
sustained by the depletion of the de-
posits of California and Comstock
Gold Production.
"To properly appreciate the steadily
increasing output of gold, 1t Is per-
haps advisable to briefly glance over
the last half century's production. The
worlds gold production from 1850 to
1857 remained nearly constant at
about 1874, 100000; then decreased ir-
regularly till 1888. reaching a mini
mum Of $97 100000; then increased ir-
regularly to 1889. when the product
was 100000, 900 A further glance
over the period including the last
three decades will, however more
readily enable us to reach independ-
ent conclusions regarding this import
ant question. The worlds gold pro-
duction for the year 1887 was $1O6-
100000: for 1897. $23S,719755, for
1907, say $40O,0o0000 The output last
year was $4O7,65S,920, according to
Mineral Industry, about 80 per cent of
which came from South Africa alone
Over $100,0oo,oo by Cyanide.
If we allow $70,000.00O for gold re-
covered from placers. by smelling and
other processes, it is fair to assume
that one-third of the remainder has
been recovered by cyanidation. a mat
ter of $112. 100000. We will, however,
call it $1O6.OOO.OO0 produced directly
by the cyanide process; and if we es-
innate the direct and indirect influ-
ence of cyanidation on the gold output
of the world, we must place the figure
at not less than $170,000,O0O, which APP
proximates the worlds total produce
ton of gold and silver so years ago,
while the $106.OOO.O00 estimated as the
direct production of the cyanide pro-
cess in 1906 equals the worlds entire
production of gold when the process
was introduced by Macarthur.
Accident in the Beginning.
Thus the accidental discovery of
Prince Bagration. GA years ago, that
a solution of cyanide of potassium
would dissolve gold. was the fact from
which eventuated a process that has
been mainly instrumental in increas-
ing by nearly four fold the annual sup
ply of gold, and accomplishing this in
the short span Of 20 years