The Wallace miner. [volume] (Wallace, Idaho) 1907-current, 1920-09-16
LOSS IN ORE SHIPMENTS
LOADING AND SELLING
ERRORS POINTED OUT WHICH
ARE SAID TO COST MIN
ERS MUCH MONEY.

Errors in loading ore and in con-
signing shipments of mineral to the
smelling points are costing miners
considerable money each year, ac-
cording to Henry NJ. Atkinson, gem
eral manager of the R. H. officer &
Co., assayers Salt Lake City. In
regard to errors made in shipping
ore to smelling points, Mr. Atkinson
said in recent issue of the Salt
Lake Tribune:
There is a widespread and often
erroneous impression in the minds of
ore shippers that a high grade ore
must necessarily be mixed at the
time of shipment with low grade
ore in order to make an average
grade of ore which will pay to ship.
The miner does not appreciate that
the mixture of ores can be as we'll
made on paper as in actually in the
railroad cars. Recently l was the
unwilling witness of a metallurgical
crime of this character. and in order
to prevent other shippers from vast
ing time and money, l propose to set
out the details.
Two Grades of Ore.
I'm the case in point the shipper
had two grades of ore. One was
high grade silver-lead ore, assaying
not less than 60 per cent lead, and
wholly free from zinc; the other was
a low grade lead-zinc ore, carrying
about 80 per cent lead and Is per cent
zinc 1t was obvious 10 the most cas-
ual inspection that the smelter would
pay a handsome bonus for the first
mentioned ore, and exact a penalty
both in treatment charges and in zinc
penalty for the second grade of ore.
In order to produce an average grade
of product to lessen this penalty the
shipper gave orders to his loader to
spread the high grade ore over the
floor of the railroad car and then
spread the poorer ore over it in a
layer so that on reaching destination
both grades would be inextricably |
mixed
Ship Separate Lots.
THE shipper was not within reach /
but 1 took it upon myself to labor
with the loader and try to induce him
to load the two grades of ore in sep |
arate lots so that they could be sam
pied separately at the smelter. point
ed out to him that if the analysis |
made on each of the lots showed that |
a more favorable purchase price
would be received if these ores were
mixed, this mixing could be as well
done on paper by the calculation of
the metallic contents of the two lots /
as if both were mixed physically, ac-
cOrding to his orders, and sampled as
one lot. On the other hand, if the
analyses of the two lots showed that
the bonus payment on the high grade
ore more than offset the penalty of
the low grade, then it would mani
testify be much more profitable to
ship and sell the ore as two distinct
lots. BY loading them in the two
ends of the car this separation would
be complete and the better sale price
would be received, whereas, if both
lots were physically mingled. as under
the instructions from the shipper, this
sale at the higher price would not be
possible.
Watching the Samping.
Again. a few days ago a certain
shipper came to Salt Lake from a
far distant point in Nevada to sup
ervise the sampling and settlement
on carload of ore. He was referred
to our house for his assays. and in a
long conversation with him we learn
ed that he had not only come himself
on this errand. but had also brought
with him two of his men to assist in
the business of watching the sam
ping. His calculation was that in
actual travelling expense and lost
time at the mine for all three men it
had cost him more than 800 in mar I
keting expense to sell this carload of
ore His regret was great when he
found that Salt Lake companies have
representatives at the sampling works c
of all the ore buyers in Salt Lake, !
and that for a small watching fee on
each lot of ore he could have had the \
sampling supervised even better than
he could do it, by men who are expert
at this service" >