The Wallace miner. [volume] (Wallace, Idaho) 1907-current, 1915-06-10

Ievenly. The texture IS even through
out. The specific gravity Is about 2
is easily carved, takes a high pollsi
and absorbs fluids rapidly.
Due to the contour of the country M
shaft sinking to any great depth hal
been necessary to keep the factor.
upplied with ore The main workings
have been in tunneling aud stdpina
from the south side of Saplllo noun
tain. The portal is located in a deer
canyon cut through breccia. The adj
has been driven about 1900 feet 1rth
land stopping to the surface of the
mountain has been done by hand. M
numbering Is required other than for
|chutes, ladderways, etc. A raise las
been made from the tunnel to tie ser
face, and preparations We're under way
by the late management to sink to a
depth of 100 feet from the tunnel level
land drift north and south along the
strike Of the vein. Thus In 4 short
time large tonnage could have been
blocked out. Numerous small shafts,
drifts and open cuts in many places On
the properly, consisting or 400 lcres.
have proved the existence Of MANY
commercially valuable meerschaum
veins.
Milling Processes Were Experiments.
While choice meerschaum, that can
be carved and polished into beautiful
smoking articles, is encountered in the
mines, the bulk Of the mineral reuuirns
concentrating treatment to eliminate
the particles of rock and foreign mat
ter that In many places have become
associated with it. The frs, meer-
sehaum mill in the United States was
erecfed about mile from tie mines
OF Sapillo creek, where there IS a large
water supply the year round. In our
Ward appearance 1t was the same as
any other small treatment plant, but
inwardly 1t was the hive of nm nm
known and heretofore unth aght-of
meerschaum- separating process. The
most recent flow sheer OF the mill was
las follows, From mine to grizzlies to
Samson crusher to Blake crrsher: the
material is then inches or under; ele-
Vator to automatic drier to sizing
trommel' oversize to coffee mIlls, I'M
dersize to fine ore bins; part of fine
ore to Krom concentrator, other as
sized to Whitley table; all tailings
from Krom concentration treated over
Whitley table with a 80 per cent re-
covery. The meerschaum being ligh,
er than its gangue, reversed the pro-
cess Of wet concentration Of copper.
lead, zinc, etc, The meerschaum was
washed over the table and recovered in
watts at the side Of the machine. while
the waste material was carried to the
head and discharged The concen-
trate was then dried and shipped, be-
ing practically pure.
Factory.
krom concentrators were installed
at the factory and all material shipped
from the mill Of low percentage was
reconcentrated. All meerschaum then
passed through a washing machine.
where foreign matter that may have
In transit was floated off 1t
vas next pulverlzed to pass 115 mesh
n an ink-pulp machine The fine pro-
luct was placed in a mixing machine
nd thoroughly agitated, being drawn
IT in liquid form into molds The
frying process took from so to 90 days
# even temperature to solldfy the
locks of pure meerschaum ready FOR
he lathes and pipe making machinery
nd waxing process. r
AS yet no commercial use other than a
1r the purpose herewith stated has c
cen found for this American meer- n
shaum or sepiolte. It could possibly h
Q substituted for asbestos. bur the o
Isl OF mining, milling and Transport o
.tion limits its usefulness. Doubtless q
Iture experimental work will reveal tC
her commercial uses for the mineral Il
1t is estimated that since the discov- 81
y OF the meerschaum deposits IN 81
ew Mexico about 100000 pounds of cs
e material has been mined and turn d
into manufactured products. At,il
riods, two to three cars month IN
IRE shipped east to the factory. Re-
Mt investigations have been made nv ~
ench capitalists and others relative m
shipping the meerschaum abroad
manufacturing into pipes and for or
1er purposes to which it appears nj
aptable.
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MARSHALL LAKE MINES. at