The Wallace miner. [volume] (Wallace, Idaho) 1907-current, 1922-01-26


( where the waste was sorted from tn
ore. Mr.. Berg said he knew the struc
ture of Star ore, but admitted that n
mad made no microscopic examination
Of the ore or other tests to determine
= 1t; could not tell whether the lead an,
zinc in the ore were mechanically o.
chemically combined, but thought il ;
mechanical mixture. a combination o
fine particles of lead and zinc II,
couldn't give the fineness Of lead ane
zinc crystals, but thought the ore
would have to be crushed to 100 mesh
His examination of the ore was Will
the eye only. He referred to the slider
lite or iron carbOnates in the vein be
low and said it was Objectionable on
account of making the ore difficult to
mill. Asked to describe selective 10
tation, he said he could not; that other
people had told him of the difficulty.
Asked if this would affect the com
mercial value of the ore he didn't
know but said that it would be OBJ
/ iectiOnable in flotation. Asked if he
knew the effect of siderite in smelting
ore, he didn't know. Having said the
Star ore is not of commercial value.
Mr.. Gray asked him what commercial
ore is. but he didn't know: would have
to know the number of tons of partic-
ular ore.
Regarding his inspection of the Star
above No 3, Mr.. Berg said he accom-
plished it in seven hours and esti-
mated that he covered between $500
and 1000 feet of drifts. crosscuts and
raises. Again stating that he found no
commercial ore he said commercial
would depend upon conditions that
the ore did not look like commercial to
him Mr. Berg said the ore shoots
were small and gave length and as
says adding that they might go deep
er than his estimate Asked if he had
ever been in the Hercules tunnel No
l. he said he had been in No. but not
in No. /; and didn't know that the ore
shoot in No. was short. Mr.. Gray
asked for calculations on the value Of
ore in Star tunnel through which he
found the ore not commercial. Asked
to state what grade of ore would be
commercial Mr. Berg said he could
not determine the dividing line be-
tween commercial ore and non COM
mercial ore, but said that commercial
ore would be higher grade than the
best shown by assays of Star ore. He
said commercial ore would be deter
mined by profits after all costs were
paid: also that commercial value could
be determined by metallurgical tests.
by gravity concentration and flotation.
He had not made these tests. but had
been informed of results by Thomas
Owens, but had not received Owens
figures at the time the map showing
ore values was made; got the figures
a week or ten days ago. Mr.. Berg
said in arriving at value of ore he
used average metal prices for past 20
years. Asked what else he consd
cred. he said he considered the total
to operate the Star.
On redirect examination a map was
introduced showing the slopes opened
in operating the Morning mine, which
Mr.. Berg said was taken from the
maps of the Federal company, and Z.
F. Wethered was called for the pur
pose of Identifying the map. Mr..
Wethered is engineer for the Federal
A. w. Lawson.
Questioned by Mr.. Higgins, A. w.
Lawson. a geologist employed by the
Days. discussed the map and reports
on the Star prepared by Oscar Her
shev. most Of his testimony being OBJ
iected to by Mr. Gray on the ground /
hat it was merely a criticism of the !
work of one geologist by another Mr..
Lawson contended that the assays he
from ore bodies designated by
Mr. Hershey were far below the re-
suits shown in the Hershey report.
Star Witness for Plaintiffs.
j. L. Bruce, formerly manager of
he Butte & Superior and now mana
ger of the Davis Daily mine, of Butte
Questioned by Mr. Higgins said he
lad examined various levels of the
star mine west of the Morning end
inc. first last October and last about
en- days ago; had observed the tex
ures of the ore and general character
If the vein. the ore being lead and zinc
With gangue of siderite. quartz and
luartzite. He said only a small
mount of ore could be separated and
hat it would require such fine grind
ng that it would be Improbable.
)nly spots here and there could be
reated by gravity concentration. He !
aid the lead and zinc were chemically !
associated and could not be ground !
efficiently fine to make a good sepa- I
alton. Mr. Gray objected to his opin- I
On based solely upon an eye examina- {
ion. Mr.. Bruce also said the presence {
f siderite would prevent treating the 8
re successfully by 1otation. In dis 6
ussing the ore from a milling stand {
oint. Mr.. Bruce mentioned other
matters to be considered, including
netal prices. cost of grinding and the r
enalty imposed by smelters for zinc G