Tonopah daily bonanza. [volume] (Tonopah, Nev.) 1906-1929, 1915-07-30
TRACHYTE IN ITS
SPECIFICATION
AFTERMATH OF THE IN
JUNCTION CASE
MR.. KIRcHEN's EXPLANATION OF
ONE OF NATURES INTEREST
ING PROCESSES

In the recent trial of the injunction
matter before Judge Ayeril Of the
Tonopah Extension VS.. the West End
Consolidated there came to the sur
face several exceedingly interesting
things aside from the real issue of the
case itself. as to whom the ledge in
question really belongs. The skill of
the West End attorney on cross ex-
animation in dragging from adverse
witnesses facts for his own side which
the attorney deemed of value to show
the merit of his clients position was
not by any means the smallest item of
interest for the observer of legal
finesse. His patience and infinite
keenness in Analysing the value of the
points made by his opponents and the
alertness with which he sought to
break down the testimony or lessen
its weight with the court bespoke the
reason all too plainly of the reputation
he bears and the heed his advice
commands from his employers.
During the course of the examina-
ton OF the Tonopah Extensions wit
nesses there occurred one of those oc-
casions when an expert on a subject
is called upon in the answer to a ques-
ton or in order to explain his answer
in detail to delve into the very bowels
of the fundamental principles of the
subject and to hold, as ii were, the
glass up to nature, in order that his
less fortunate listeners may grasp to
an extent. the scientific reasons which
TO his mind have gone to formulate
the conclusions he utters and which
have convinced him that the theories
ne puts forth are the true ones of the
processes used by nature in reaching
certain results.
Ii appeared that the rock mass lying
between the vein which seems to be
conceded belonging to the West End
and the other vein which is not so con.
ceded, was called by one side purely
trachyte and by the other trachyte in
which quartz continued in such a way
that the vein could be easily identi
fled in its course downward to the
north. Here came the moment when
the fine distinction between quartz
which is silica, and the altered ira
chyte, which was found to be in a
high degree of silieifcation. was taken
up and explained by John G. Kirchen
who was on the stand, i'll way which
for its lucidity and absolute earnest
ness, convinced the hearers that the
gentleman was master of the sub
ject and so full of the details of the
intricate processes of dissolution ant
deposition that one entranced hearel
remarked that he was surely Their,
when the action took place Mr. Kir
chen explained that the silieificatioI
of the trachyte was not due to the ad
dition of silica to the mass but to tn,
dissolving ont of the rock mass o
magma some of the constituent part
of the trachyte itself by the solution
which traversed it, To illustrate thi
point he marked on the blackboar,
the chemical symbols of the mineral
composing the famous Tonopah ira
chyte, the mother formation OF tn
wealth of the veins of many of TIL
mines here, and suggested the hypoth
esis for the moment that pure trachyt
contained 60 per cent silica, Is pc
cent alumnia, per cent lime, pc
cent iron, manganese, etc; ) per cen
potash, 4 per cent soda, / per cen
magnesia, of which it could be readil,
observed that the content of silica wa
60 per cent of the mass in its nat
ural unaltered state or as was stated
the original magma which flowed owe
the area and before any solutions al