The Wallace miner. [volume] (Wallace, Idaho) 1907-current, 1917-10-04

! depressing effect upon mining
development in this district has
become about the most serious
problem with which the miners
have to contend. The feeling is gen.
eral that the periodical advances In
the price are arbitrary and have no
connection whatever with the cost of
production. OF course there are other
high costs in connection with mining
which are very burdensome to the
small development companies, but
there is some justification for these
The high wage scale adopted by the
producing mines is of course a just
recognition of the rights of the wage
Garner to share in the war profits Of
the mines, and naturally men employ
ed in the productive properties
demand the same wages for practic-
ally the same class Of work, otherwise
they would seek employment in the
productive mines. The prices of all
other supplies that enter into mining
operations are also high, but as a rule
lleie Is SODlc td1BlDl6 ItdSoH W JUS
tify them. other than the arbitrary ac-
ton of the producers for the purpose
of increasing their profits at the eX-
pense of the consumers.
Makes His Own Explosive.
The powder situation has brought
out the suggestion from George Hus-
ba N paplnpiSt nf Mlllan
that small users of powder could COM
bine and make their own explosives,
and he encloses a letter published in
Ores and Metals Of Denver in which
Thomas Withers, mining engineer Of
Goldfeld, New, makes nitro glycerne
!, for his own use and finds it much more
F economical and convenient than the
, powder in commercial use Accom-
panying the letter Mr.. Huston makes
this comment:
"In these days of extortionate prices
of powder. some such dope" as this
might be useful. They used nitro -gly-
cerine in railroad construction on the
Canadian Pacific railway long before
the Duponts learned to combine it
with half cheap kisselghem at the
price of nitro
"Using nitro pure and as a liquid,
allows it's use in. places where stick
of dynamite can't be used. If a host
of small users go after the raw ma
terials used in powder making, the
powder people, in order to protect
themselves, will have to bring the
price down to get sale. Anyway
the price today is merely scheme to
force the non producing miner who
has no contract. to curtail his opera
tions so as to allow reaping a greater
profit from the war-torn countries of
Europe, and this from a greedy con-
cern that pays higher dividends on
watered capital than any corporation
in the United States"
Making Nitro GIycerine.
Mr.. Wither's description of his
, method of making and using nitro
glycerne is interesting and is here re-
T produced:
' f. "As the writer has made his own
nitro -glycerine, used it, and never
killed himself nor anybody else. he
may perhaps throw some light on its
, freakishness Besides, it gives him
> pleasure to be able to say something
, in defense of his old friend, nitro gly-
r cerine.
my method of making it was as fol-
lows: Have 10 2-gallon, glazed earthen
q jars; set them in about 8 inches OF
I nitric acid in each jar, filling the Jars
q about one third full. Use glass roc
for stirring. Have the glycerne In 8
| can with spout Begin at first jal
\ and pour in little glycerine and stir
Chemical action of boiling and giving
4 off heavy fumes of sulfurous acid viii
}, result; too much glycerine must moi
+ be added at once or the mixture vii
blaze; If it does, stir all the more un
q til the blaze stops, and do not add 81
a much glycerine next time. Continue
, in this manner to add glycerine to eacl
q jar in rotation, being careful to sti
II each jar and to add just enough Il
: keep up the action. but not to caus'
a blaze. In about an hour, with tn
q constant adding action will stop. Thel
4 the nitro glycerine is made. yer,
q simple operation If carefully perform
q ed. The materials used should be yer,
h pure; be sure that they are.
q Upon pouring off the upper part o
Al % nnI, Ia hn two
n glycerine will be seen as a heavy