The Wallace miner. [volume] (Wallace, Idaho) 1907-current, 1916-09-28

A We were asker Uy fTfchuS NaAASt M
Dermott and Hennen Jennings, who
had heard little of what we had
Ia hand, to let them see the process
| lin operation. AS result of their per-
sonal inspection of the working plant
we were invited to allow them to
make thorough investigation by G,
NJ. Rolker both of the mine and the
process, and subject to his favorable
report to join us in future development.
In the end the mine was turned down
al the price asked but McDermott,
Jennings and Wernher Belt & Co. be-
came financially interested in the pro-
cess
This then Is short account of the
Legitimate birth of what has turned out
t, be an epoch making invention which
has conferred a benefit of millions Of
pounds on the mining and metallur-
gical industries all over the world.
The inventors having thus associat-
ed themselves with men Of high re-
pute both from the technical, financial
and commercial side, naturally enough
congratulated themselves and We're
modest enough to believe that stability
would be added to the business. pro-
gress be more rapid, and any tendency
to 'sWelled head or demands for ex-
cessive royalties by enthusiastic in
ventors be kept better in check than it
would t they had gone on entirely by
themselves.
Now let US see how this invention
SO well conceived, so excellently sup
ported, and with such bright prospects,
remunerated the inventors and capt.
talists for the investment of their
energies, enterprise and money.
First let us understand what Frank
Gilmore had In fact invented. let ms
see in what main outstanding way
what he did differed from those who
are now said by a certain class of 'ex-
perts' to have anticipated him.
He accomplished by what, it is no
eXaggeration to say. was a stroke OF
genius:
(a) A continuous working process.
CD The treatment of the ordinary
product of the almost universally en-
ployed wet crushing plants.
(c) A practical form of apparatus
mechanically perfect and capable oil
successful operation by ordinary I'M
skilled labor.
Not one of these things. had beer
accomplished by any of his predeces-
sors who had made suggestions fol-
the treatment of ores with oil.
1t is easy to see why Frank Gilmore
was able to achieve so much in sc
short a space of time--to materializt
all that is conveyed in the three simple
statements Ia, (b) and (c) above-tt
command commercial success where
only failure. complete and unequivocal
had preceded his work.
1t is quite obvious to those who
bring an unprecedented mind to the in
vestigation that Frank Gilmore was the
first to appreciate the real fundamen-
tails required as basis upon which
to build.
1t fell to his lot to make the great
discovery-sim in itself-that the
essential element of success was the
introduction of the oil to the ore in
the presence of a large quantity OF
water; in other words, to give to the
oil free choice as between the wet
mineral particles and the wet rocky
particles. This fact, of cardinal i'm
pOrtance have never been recognized
appreciated, or understood before
had never been limited at in any one
OF the earlier adumbrations. In sober
fact Frank Gilmore did exactly the
reverse of what had been attempted
before-he did what he was warned not
to do; he succeeded where those is
suing the warning failed Yet there
are still to be found those who will
for fees paid say that what he did
was the same as what had been at
tempted by the earlier workers who
had specifically rejected the very thing
which gave Frank Gilmore complete
success.
! The following few lines from one of
the claims in Frank Elmore's first pat
ent is ample justification for what
have said on this point.
| He describes his process as mixing
the pulverized ore first with water in
considerable quantity, then adding to
the mixture an oil of the kind describ-
ed, which adheres to the metallic con-
stituents but does not to the wet rocky
constituents"
say THAI in those words is to be
found the whole substance of the
science, art and practice of the fl0ta-
tion process as known today
Here for the first time one is told
in plain words the three essential
elements for success a. pulverized ore
CD a large quantity of water go the
addition of oil of kind which win adj
here to the wet metallic particles but
not to the wet rocky particles.
Everyone knows that prior to Frank
Elmore's patent the oil was to be mix
ed or ground together with the dry or
substantially dry ore. The oil was
thus effectually forced into contact |
with both the metallic and the rocky
particles-no free choice was given to
the oil-no opportunity to select its