The silver state. [volume] (Winnemucca, Nev.) 1909-1925, 1918-01-12

full authority in my hands and / was
not long in deciding to take along
only men who were in sympathy with
mywork.
The company proceeded to overhaul
the mill, which was of twenty-stamp
capacity. When this mill was ready
for crushing we were confronted with
the fact that all machinery purchased
and built was of no value to us with
the exception of two dynamos and
switchboard which / had designed
and built completely. l at that time
being an expert in the design and
construction of dynamos and motors.
The mill proper was ready to run
about March, 1896 At this time Mr.
Switzer had been supplanted as su-
perintendent by an old experienced
mill man who, while he did not openly
show it, was not in sympathy with my
work
The night before the mill was to be
run to try out the crushing plant, etc,
and get rid of some thirty-nine tons
of ore that was in the ore bin, Me-
Murtry stated to me that he expected
to leave for the city on the next stage
and asked me If | could do anything
in regard to some kind of a test, as
he would be more than pleased TO
have something to report on his re-
turn to San Francisco. / told him /
regretted to state that, not having the
proper machinery, it was next to i'm
possible to make any kind of a run
other than a short test, as / had no
amalgamators of any kind suitable
for the purpose other than converting
one of the electrolytic disintegratocs
into an amalgamator for this test;
and while il was possible for me to
get some results, ii would be impos-
sible to operate the mill under this
condition, owing to the labor and at
tention required which made this
method prohibitive. He requested that
| do the best / could. which | did.
The mill was started and the super
intendent was attempting TO save all
the values by battery-plate amalgama
ton After the mill had run for sew
eral hours | started to divert the tall
ings from the battery-plates to dis
integrator. The superintendent came
up and wanted to know what | was
trying to do. | replied that / was
going to make test as best / coulc
under the conditions. He laughed Al
me and said:
"All you can get there you can put
IN GrA he
/ have got it all on these plates"
said, MAY be so. Wait and see"
I proceeded to fill this disintegrator
tank. tried to have 1000 pounds, but
800 pounds was all could handle. so
proceeded to treat this amount after
diverting tailings again to the failing
pond
After treating this pulp for four
hours / proceeded to clean up. On
looking up, saw this superintendent
and his assistant looking on smilingly
with an expression of disgust. | had
not proceeded far before they came
down and took hand in the cleaning.
They were experts in the art of hand
ling amalgam and were somewhat
curious as to what / had that resem-
bled amalgam. They took little balls
of amalgam in their hands aud
pinched and squeezed it next to their
ears to hear it squeak, with not an
other word.
The amalgam from this cleanup
was retorted by them. The button
contained considerable silver, which
was not claimed by me. as it was my
opinion that a great part of 1t came
from the newly silver-plated plates.
This button of gold and silver was
taken by Mr.. McMurtry to San Fran
cisco, where he had it parted by a
metallurgist and the button of pure
gold was valued at s4.S5. AS l was
conditions mentioned, l made no rec
ord of the silver.
The ore in the bin was estimated to
contain an average of $12 gold and
about So silver. An average of $1.20
per ton was recovered from the bat
pounds of ore equals a recovery of
$l0.IS per ton or 1000 pounds. Mr..
McMurtry carried this $4.S5 button for
years. and / am not aware of what
became of it. He may have it yet.
This demonstration was never given
publicity, owing to the fact that the
New Era company owned no mines of
any value, and the mines from which
they expected to extract their imme-
diate ore were bonded and the bonds
had expired December 81, 1895. and
they had hope of renewing same be-
fore this became known.
This $4.S5 button was the death
knell for the New Era Gold Mining
and Milling Company. for at this time
MeMurtry discovered he was sur
rounded by a bunch of avaricious
men who had banded themselves to
gether to freeze him out McMurtly
a. H..