The Wallace miner. [volume] (Wallace, Idaho) 1907-current, 1923-07-26

There is clearly no platinum present
in sufficient quantity in any of the
samples assayed to justify mining oD-
erations and there is some doubt wbe-
ther any Of the rock contains even a
trace of the metal. OF course it is
possible to find traces Of the precious
metals in many rocks when large sam
pies are assayed, but such minute
quantities are of no economic signih-
canoe whatever"
Ledoux & Co. of New York, made
this comment along with their re-
turn, also explaining how the tests
We're made: I'VE are quite sure that
none of the samples contain platinum
group metals. even to the extent of
trace, which we would place at about
'OOO1 ounces per ton. In fact there is
no visible indication of platinum
group metals, when working on large
initial weights of pulp"
Dozier Methods Exposed.
Taking up r. A. Dozier. who seems
to be chiefly responsible for this plat
mum fiasco, the report says:
'As an essential part of this report,
lit seems necessary to point out that
this platinum boom in common with
many others appears to have had its
beginning in results obtained from
assayers at Grants Pass. Oregon; par
lticularly. in this case. with results re-
turned by r. A. Dozier to whom, ap-
.parently, all three of the companies
concerned had sent samples of their
material and received most flattering
assays.
Inquiry of the Oregon bureau of
mines and geology has elected the in
formation that Mr. Dozier has been
known in the state of Oregon for some
years as maintaining a laboratory at
Grants Pass, from which flattering re-
turns in platinum. iridium and other
metals of the platinum group, have
been received upon a very great var
iety of materials and from most wide
spread sources. Mr.. Dozier also
claims to be producing platinum in
commercial amounts. although the
statistics of platinum production for
the state of Oregon fail to record any
lnNiGdot Qut ~ Ills ODtAdllOl
an numerous instances, and from
different parts of the state of Idaho /
identical samples have been sent to |
the laboratory. which Mr.. Dozier has /
established at Occur d'Alene City, and .
at the same time to the Idaho bureau
of mines and geology laboratories. In 7,
every case Mr.. DOzier has reported \
high values, either in gold, or silver, /
or platinum. or iridium and some times \
in all four, upon material which, when /,
tested by standard methods and in /,
large amounts. failed to show the ,
presence of any precious metal what I
ever. 1t is Mr.. Dozier's claim that the ,
explanation of this discrepancy lies in h
the fact that his methods are superior II
to those employed by anyone else and |,
that no one is competent to determine Z
platinum or the platinum group met
ais except himself. his associates and h
his pupils.
-Four typical illustrations of such c
taken from a long list, f
are perhaps sufficient: n
Sample No. Finely crystallized
quartz with abundant pyrite from the
Mining company. R. A. Do
tiers assay: Gold 300 o.. silver 100
d., platinum 1886 o. Value $6616.4O
per ton. Idaho bureau of mines and
geology assay; Gold O.O2 o. silver
race platinum none. Value sO4O per =,
on.
Sample No. 2-Highly siliceous o
luartzite, showing under the micro h
scope, an occasional tiny crystal of a
,yrite, from st. Maries. r. A. Dozers ,.
Essay: Silver ~ o., platinum o., g
iridium so o., osmium O.O5 o., cop n
Ter per cent. Idaho bureau of mines "
nd geology assay: Silver none; plat G
mum, none; iridium. none; osmium. fl
zone; copper. none. Value, nil. q
Sample No. 3-Pulp supplied by j. II
!. Green from mill test run of $50 n
ounds, made by r. A. Dozier at II
irants Pass on material from the o.
wilson Mutual property. elsewhere 81
iscussed. r. A. Dozier's returns: A
old $50 o.. silver 275O o., platinum 2,
SO o.. iridium 2.S6 OF. Value stated 81
1880 per ton. Idaho bureau of n,
lines and geology assay: Gold, none; ic
liver, none; platinum, none; iridium. ia
one. Value nil. I'M
Sample No. Typical iron stained
Elm quartz from Boundary county. r.
Dozier. assay: Platinum Sc on. per
IN. Idaho bureau of mines and geol-
" assay: platinum none. " m
Sailed the Samples.
Another angle of the situation with
spect to Mr.. Dozier, and his methods, Of
presented by the results sent to the W;
ate bureau by Mr. Green as having I'M
zen recovered from half assay-ton dii
iarges of the samples j. and X from of
s property. These results consisted Sc
each case of various fragments in a qu
nall bottle. The bottle containing err
e purported results of sample j. in of
lded one piece of platinum weighing ga
IS milligrams. and the bottle from col