Mohave County miner., 1914-06-27
Tho Edison Process.

vile, Colo, Herald Democrat. This is always welcome news in the mining districts, because there is so much material lying around waiting for the process man to come along and handle. The promoters of the new method of treating low grade ore conJured with the name of Thomas Edison, and it was stated with great emphasis that it had reached beyond the experim ental stage; that as soon as a plant could be erected it would revolutionze mining in the West.
 The promoters of the enterprise were evidently sanguine enough, for they located small plant at Silver Plume, work being completed last April. Some small runs were made, but the place is now shut down and the man in charge has returned to the East. In this connection General Frank Hall says in the Post.
 One mine operator who had intend- ed to use the Edison process in mill of hls own. provided the initial tests were satisfactory, has given up the idea, not from lack of confidence in the mill, but owing to delays, and will proceed to install other machinery which has been testing his ore with acceptable results, leaving the Edison process to be worked out whenever its promoters shall have put it on fair working basis.
 It is also stated that the mill wa set up in the wrong place, the supply of ore not being large enough to keep the plant going.
 It is always well to take new pro. cesses for treating low grades with a considerable amount of salt. It is undoubtfully true that the last word has not been said in metallurgy. The ores of the Rocky mountains, no mat ter how low grade they may be, will yield their contents when by slow and patient investigation commercially practicable methods are found. And these are gradually becoming perfect. ed. Those who understand these mat lers do not expect some new and daz- zling metallurgical discovery involv- ing new principles and new methods. They look for results along the familiar lines of treatment, applying here and there some economical meth- cd for the separation of the values from the waste.
 The Edison process probably has merit. It is unfortunate that It was not given it's initial tryout Tn Lead vile, where no complaint could have arisen on the score of lack of material.
 There is a suggestion in this Edison process which might be taken up by the local mining organization. We learn from General Hall that there is very positive opinion by Colorado mining men who have visited Silver Plume that the mill; however valuable as value saver, was set up in the wrong place, and it will be difficult to get ore into it from neigh boring mines. "However this may be-" says Mr. Hall, "Mr. Ballantine thinks that it is capable of reducing from 60) 10 800 tons day and should be handling that tonnage instead of POO or 300 tons daily. Acting on this idea, it is said he has closed the mil and gone east to confer with parties there who are in- terested in the enterprise. with view of arranging plans for handling 600 to 800 tons each 24 hours.
 Could not this Mr. Ballantne be in. duced to locate a plant here? Lead vile will do two important things for him. First, it will find him site for his plant; and second it will find him a thousand tons day of low grade sul phide.
 If the Edison method for handling low grades is really all that is claimed for it, the tests should not be allowed to fail because of shortage of ore. If the smaller camps cannot furnish the material Leadvllle has an unlimited supply, and down hill pull all the way.
 Leadville is not in position to in- vite canning factories or knitting mi Ills to come here, but it is the greatest I lt