Volume 12 (1866) (428 pages)

— ales sel ee —— completely changed into oxides, as by the ordinury roasting without the «pplicativn of steunl. ‘There are, however, ores so dense that they du not beeuine porons by heat, us, for instance, is the case with muynetic nid ologestic iron ore; or, if the ure is treuted in lurge pieces, the sugeess will uot be so favorable us de-ired. -Atthough wood nod gas from shaft furnuces, or inflaninutle gas, specially generated, ure best adapted for u jiroper roasting, since they yield no fulizinous thane, yet vecasionully good conl may be serviceably employed. At irun works whiere the sl:uft turnaces nre . worked with ctrarcoal, producing a large amount of very fine coal dust, the latter is utilized in rousting furnaces us fuel for the ordinacy roasting, by stratalyiny it with the ore. It is also sometimes used in shnft furnaces arranged for flame firing, besides the baruing fuei, when ut the sume time steam is admitted . to the ore chamber. Whou, also, by tlris . wean it is proposed to maintain the ore ota . high temperature, thnt object will be gained in part. but ut the expense of the following mnischief, viz: ‘he coul dust tills up the interstices in the layers ot ore, not only interrapting the . draft, but the coul will decompose one part of the steam, forming thereby, besides u sinall . quuntity of carboule uctd gas, a considerable quantity of carbonic oxide, und ulso a still #reater quantity of hydrogen; of wlrich guses the first und second Have uo inttuence, nnd the tutter only a teeble julluence on the sulphoret. . ‘The steam, which las alreudy ittermingted ex. teriorly with the yascuus products of the fuel, being again dilated with other gases, penetrutus the pores of the ore very lvebly. AA simitar result would tappen when Kohlen eisenstein (an ore found in cout tormution), witich sometimes contains thirteen per cent, of carbon, is submitted in roasting to the actiou of steau. In the inountains of Altai, cupriferous sulpharcts nnd copper matt, holding about tortytive per eent. of copper, ure roasted in sliult furnaces with steum, whereby u saving is miade on the ordinary roasting iu stalls, especiatly if the mutt reqnires much flume, not ouly in time, but also in tuel, and afterwards Ly smelting the roasted matt, crude copper is obtuined Ireer, especially from untimony, than wlien the roasting is done in stulls. From Our Regular Correspondent. TUE VOLCANO DISTRICT. The morning of the 29th found me at Volcano, enjoying the good cheer of the St. George, in company with my friends Fenton of Enterprise City, and Perkins of Amndor, with whom Ttrad come np trom Amador City ou the day before. The village of Voleano lies in n deep vulley formed by the junction of three branches of Sutter Creek, which, united, flow through a narrow gorge to the westwurd, a wall being built across which would make the finest reservoir in the world; ns a wall 500 feet in length could be made to give an nverage depth of 100 fect to the water covering a thousand acres! The placer mines of Volcano, like most of those of California, bave seen their palmy duys ; still, however, an active business is done in the way of derrick-inining—lifting the gravel Irom hasius which nre too low to he washed in the ordinary way,in tubs suspended to derricks worked by borse or steam power, to boxes placed nt a convenient hight for washing. I spent the day, after breakfast, in visiting the quartz mines of the district, which are now beginning to attract great interest. I pnid my first visit to the mill of S. C. Fogus & Co. ssituated on Sutter Creek, one nnd a balf miles helow Volcauo. The will, of ten stamps, is well built; but ns the site is subject to overflow from the creek, it is the intention of Mr. Fogus to moveit higher up on the bank, should the further development of fhe mines justify the erection of more machinery. ‘I'he mill is driven hy water, which is abundant the year round. ‘The company own four ledges, tbe principal of which is the WHITMORE AND MONDAY, Of which they claim 4,200 feet. It has been opened at various places, within tbese limits, but to no great depth nt any given point, the deepest shaft heing eighty feet. A tunnel is driven in on the ledge near the north eud of the claim,» distauce of 200 feet. It is inteuded to connect this with the principal shaft, which . will require it to he run 700 feet further, and the shaft to be sunk to a depth of between pra] claim is being opened on the same ledge by) and three hundred feet. ‘The present workinys show a bold, weil defined ledge, running north and south, wittr a dip of forty-five degrees to the westward, and from four to six leet wide. ‘The rock worked ot the will has thus fur paid from ten to thirty dollurs per ton. On leaving the mill, Mr. Fogus rode out with me to visit TNR CONFIDENCE, Lotely porchnsed from tle discoverers, by Sun Franeisco enpitulists, for, 1 believe, $20,000. It is being managed for the owuers hy Mr. Tulloch, one of the oldest prospectors of Volcuno. ‘I'he courso of the ledge is north and south, nnd its dip nearly vertical. One shalt has heen sunk to ndepth of ninety feet without striking water, developing a ledge with on uverage width of two and a lmaltfeet. Since it came tito the present lands none of the best rock las been worked, but of the * reluse,” as it is eulled by the miners, n few tons luve been crushed ut Mugus & Co.'s will, and yielded nbout ten dollars per tou. THE GOLDEN OATE MINE AND MILL, are locuted tliree miles uhove Volcano, on tho North Branch of Sutter Creek. ‘The vein has been prospveted only to a depth of thirty-lour feet, but hus thus lar proved very rich. It is located inn Slate formation, and hes in a north uud south direction, with n dip of lurty degrees to the eastward. ‘The mitlis of ten stumps, very well built, and with wheel for winter, aud steam engine lor summer use. ‘Iwo of Baux & Guiod’s, and two of Kuox’s pans ore used. ‘The quartz has heretofore paid ubout forty dollars per ton. rom the Golden Gote I rode to THE PIONEER, Situated about four miles above Volenno, on nuvther hraneh of Sutter Creek. As it was now too late to return to Volcano over the breakneck pnth hy which I had come, I aecepted the generous hospitality of the superintendest, Mr. Ainbler, and spent the night. After an eorly breukfast . went with Mr. A. to look at the mine. ‘The ledge is in n granite formation, its strike being nearly northwest and southeast, and its dip uearly verticul. ‘I'he rock is the richest in sulphurets that I ever saw. The tuunel throngh which the ledge has been worked heretofore wns obstructed by water frum the recent rains, 30 thut we could not pass through the miue, but the large amount of ore lying outside the mouth of the tunnel.showed conclosively the clmracter of the vein. Its width is from sixteen to twenty inehes, and sueh of the quartz us bas been tested by processes capable of separating the gold lrom the sulpburets, has yielded trom $50 to $10U per ton. Since the purchase of the property hy the present owners, ( Messrs Meader & Ainbler), measures have been taken to open it in excellent style. A shnlt, eight by ten feet in the clear, with four compuartments, expected to connect with the tunnel at a depth of 108 feet, has been sunk to a depth of eighty feet, and is still being carried on with vigor, A fine boarding house is in course of erection, and a 5-stamp water-mill with ainalgamators and concentrators, was nlmost rendy to start. I was accompanied back to Volcano by Mr. Ambler, who wason his way to Pine Grove. Passing through Volcano I came on to TUE SORACCO MINE, Located two miles helow Volcano, on n branch of Sutter Creek. This mine, which 1 noticed more ut length in my letter from Rich Gulch, last April, has been more thoroughly explored and promises to be one of the best in Amador couuty. It is now said to be owned hy Col. Rogers, who is nt presentin New York. It was purcnased Irom the original owners, the Soracco Bros., nnd McLane, by Mr, A. H. Rose, former owner of the Keystone mine at Amador City, it is said, Tor $56,000. It has heen opened toa depth of 225 teet, and hy tuonels horizoutally a distance of 800 feet, showiug an nverage width of thirty inches. The quartz is said to hnve yielded an average of $25 per ton, though the will, of ten stamps, driven hy water power, is rather a poor thing. Here I tellin with my friend Fenton, whom I bud left in Volcano on the previous nflernoon, and in bis company visited the Harvey nnd Aorta ledges, atter which we returned to Amador City, arriving late, tired and hungry, but on the whole well pleased with our trip. THE HARVEY Is owned by Messrs. Grundy and Harvey, and has only heen opened to n depth of about lorty feet, the owners having been embarrassed by wantof capital. ‘I'he ledgeis Irom three to five feet wide, and I was informed by Mr. Grundy that 100 tons, whicb had beeu worked, had paid from sixteen to eighteen dollars per tou. ‘Ibe owners are erecting steam hoisting works, which they expected to start in about o week, which would enable them to develop their mine to better advantage. Another The Mining and Srientifie Press. the former owoers of the Soracco, with encouraging prospects of suceess. THE AONTA is situated near Pine Grove, nnd is claimed by Messrs. Barron, Ames und Fike. It has beon opened by u siiutt to o depth of sixty fect, and drifts huve beeu run ench n distanec of 150 feet. I was ioforimed hy Mr. Borron that some 200 tons hud been worked with an average yicld of $35 per ton. The ledgo is from one to two feet in width, its generat course being nearly north nnd south. Alter leaving the Aorta we made n flying call at the ‘tellurium milt, whero we saw some very fine roek, but were prevented frour moking very extended observations for wout of time. Yours ete. Dd. eee ie (Written for the Mining aad Scientific Presa.) “Gold Bearing Sulphurets and their Reduction.” Messrs. Epirors :—I have noticed in your Inte issucs an ndvertisement signed * J, Mosheiiner, in which he offers the mining comoiunitya “ New Patent Roasting Process,” for for ronsting oro or couventroted snlphurets (of iron ?). Ishould not take nny notice of the ndvertisement in question, were it not that the process advertised is a portion of an invention of my own ; at least, I honestly believe that Lnu the iuventor of it. It was matured hy me in the year 1858, and a full description ol it lodged in the secret archives of the Patent Office, in the early pnrt of 1859. The portion ol it “ ndopted ” hy “J. Mosheimer “ was confided to him by me in the month of April of the sume year (1859); and was described in my communication to your jourunl of December 9th Inst. Mr. M. has applied for, and lately obtained, n patent for it from the United Stotcs Government. As my invention has now become public property, and is not patentable, I will proceed to Iny before your readers, and the public in general, a description of the tohole of the process, as follows: I take the sulphurets, seleniurets, arseniurets, tellurets of iron, etc., mixed or not with other inineral substances or contponuds, and expose them alone, or combined with carbon, liguine, or their equivalents, in tubes or retorts of fire-clay or other approprinte material (arranged vertically, horizontuily, or inclined, in a furnace,) to a red heat ; atmospheric air being excluded, till the greater portion of tbe arsenic aod tellurium,and all the sulphur and selenium, in excess of a single equivalent, are expelled, either in a free state or in combiuation with carbon. leaving the gold and silver in combination with the resulting proto-sylphurets, none being lost or volatilized in the operation. ‘The carbon or its equivalents is used to form bisulphuret of carbon with the excess of sulphur, and thereby avoid loss of gold; snd also to act mechanically by iucreasing the porosity of the mass and its permeability by vapors, and to diminish the liubility to fusion nnd coalescence of the proto-sulphurets. Ithen take these proto-sulphurets and mix them with chlorides, iodides, bromides or fuo rides, of the fixed alkalies or alkaline earths, or other neutral salts, fusible and irreducible hy carbon at a red heat, in such proportions ag to form @ magma, when raised to a temperature about 1,000° Fahr., of a proper consistence for grinding. ‘lo this mnss . add sufficient pulverized metallic lead or bismuth, litharge, or ceruse, etc., to nhsorb nll the precious metals present, and also about five per cent. of carbon. I place the mixture, intimntely commingled, in a convenient apparatus, such as a revolving cylinder or cnst-iron arastra, covered with a dome for the more or less perlect exclusion of atmospheric oxygen and retention of evolved vapors, und having raised the teinperature to from 1,000 to 1,50u° Fabr., 1 cantinue mixing, stirring, grinding, or triturating the mass by means of discs, rakes, or other well-known implements, till the precious metals present shall be wholly or principally ahsorbed by, and alloyed with the lead or bismuth. I then remove the miass, separate the metallic granules hy washing or otberwise, and extract the gold and silver in combination hy cupellation or solution in acids. Seeondly—I propose passing aqueous vapor through or over the mineral compounds mientioned, mixed or not with carbou, lignine, or their equivalents, at n bright red beat in tuhes, retorts, or other appropriate vessels (closed from the air), till the sulphur, selenium, tellurium, arsenic and kiudred substances shall have been evolved, principally in combination with hydrogen—the oxygen of the water, combining with the iron, ete., present, whereby I obtain magnetic oxide of iron, containing all the gold and silver originally existing in the inineral. f then subject this compound (Fe’ 0%) for the extraction of the precious metals, either to amalgamation in any suitahle apparatus, for which I prefer the Mexicon tahona or ao Soxon barrel; or to triturntion with lend or bisiuuth, or their oxides, with carbon and fost ble snits, nt n high temperature ; or, lastl dissotve nnd extrnet the metals with well known solvents, n3 alkoline chlorides, and the hyposulphites aud hypochlorites of the alknlies and nlkaline eurths. Thirdly—\ propose, instead of the vnpor of water in the last pvocess, passing chlorhydric ucid gas over the ignited compounds, whereby by double decomposition Lobtuin sulphydric ucid (which may be utilized in prepuring sulpharic neid, bisulphite of lime, and other manutnetures) and a mixtore of tho proto und per chlorides ot iron, which partly volotilizes, and muy be condensed by eoke columns, or in other nppropriute condensing appuratus, and partly remuins mixed with the gangue and residnary matters from which it may he extracted by solution in water. I propose peroxidizing these proto-chlorides, by exposure of their solutions to the air in shallow vats, by percolation through * praduntion walls,” or other well-known niethods, and then to recover the hydrochloric acid by evuporution to dryness and distillation at a red heat, in retorts or cylinders fixed in a@ suitable turnonce. From the mass remainiug in the retort, nfter treatment with gaseous hydrochloric acid, I propose recovering the precious metals by noy of the methods previously mentioned. T do not claim the decomposition of pyritons matters ato red hent by roastiug, in contact with nir, or matters containing oxygen free to combine with tlhe sulpbur, etc., the saine having been used from time immennorial. Nor do I claim the decomposition of pyritous mutters at ared hent by nqueous vapor, with the iutention of collecting the volutile products of the decomposition, the same having been known aud practiced. Nor dol claim the treatment of bisulphurets and magnetic sulphurets, in closed vessels at a red heat alone, for the evolution nnd collection of sulphur; nor in admixture with carbon and carbonaceous substunces for the production of the alcohol of Lampadins (bisulphide of carbon), the same hnviug been known nndused. But I do cluim having discovered that all pyritous nod siinilar substances of an auriferous or argentiferoug nature, being decomposed, or partly decom posed, by the processes given, the nrsenic, sulphur, selenium, tellurium, and other elements inimical to the amalgamntion and extraction of the valuable metals, nay be partially or entirely eliminated and renioved without uoy loss of the precious metals hy volatilization or otherwise. And I claim the process of decomposition of aurilerous or atgentiferous pyritous matters in tbe manner described, and with the apparatus (or other approprinte apparatus) indicated, with reference solely to the final isolution of the precious metals ns the result songht to be obtained, irrespective of the economization af the sulphuret of carbon, sulphur, sulphydric ncid, carburetted hydrogen, elilorides nnd oxides of iron and arsenic, or other incidental products of the decomposition. And I claim, furthermore, the driving off the excess of sulphur, selenium, arsenic, tellurium, autimony, etc., previous to the treatment of the auriferous and argentiferous minerals witb lead, carbon, and fusible salts, in appropriate apparatus (preferably sealed to prevent the admission of atnfospheric oxygen), substuntinlly as set, forth and above described. ia Joun Scorr, Metallurgical Chemist. A Srranoe Animau.—The Tuolumne Courter says that Mr. John Ede, Intely caught at Chapparal Hill, in that county, a strange noimal of the cat or teline.species, which is thus described : “Tts head and tail resemble a raccoon, to which its habits also assimilnte when it wants to go to sleep. Its body sourewhat resembles a weasel, its fore feet those of a cat, having the feline faculty of withdrawing its claws, aud Instly its hind feet those of a fox. It was tolerably tame, nnd would nilow its master to hnndle it very readily. Its color was a kind of rabhit-gray, excepting the tail, which was ringed precisely like a rnccoon. Mr. Ede called it a civet cnt, nod others called it a mountain cat. Some twelve years ago, continues the Courier, we saw some similar noimuls on the Fenther river, but the miners there had no name for them hut the general one of wild cat. The Indians there called them ‘chilli-chillin,’and said they were good toeat. ‘They make excellent monsers when tamed.” ee Rarrp Travetino.—tIn n grand race of the ice-boat fleet, which recently took place on the Hudson River, near Poughkeepsie, the Minnehaha, or winning boat, made ten miles in eight minutes time. This is at the rate of seventyfive miles an hour—pretty rapid traveling.

— ales sel ee —— completely changed into oxides, as by the ordinury roasting without the «pplicativn of steunl. ‘There are, however, ores so dense that they du not beeuine porons by heat, us, for instance, is the case with muynetic nid ologestic iron ore; or, if the ure is treuted in lurge pieces, the sugeess will uot be so favorable us de-ired. -Atthough wood nod gas from shaft furnuces, or inflaninutle gas, specially generated, ure best adapted for u jiroper roasting, since they yield no fulizinous thane, yet vecasionully good conl may be serviceably employed. At irun works whiere the sl:uft turnaces nre . worked with ctrarcoal, producing a large amount of very fine coal dust, the latter is utilized in rousting furnaces us fuel for the ordinacy roasting, by stratalyiny it with the ore. It is also sometimes used in shnft furnaces arranged for flame firing, besides the baruing fuei, when ut the sume time steam is admitted . to the ore chamber. Whou, also, by tlris . wean it is proposed to maintain the ore ota . high temperature, thnt object will be gained in part. but ut the expense of the following mnischief, viz: ‘he coul dust tills up the interstices in the layers ot ore, not only interrapting the . draft, but the coul will decompose one part of the steam, forming thereby, besides u sinall . quuntity of carboule uctd gas, a considerable quantity of carbonic oxide, und ulso a still #reater quantity of hydrogen; of wlrich guses the first und second Have uo inttuence, nnd the tutter only a teeble julluence on the sulphoret. . ‘The steam, which las alreudy ittermingted ex. teriorly with the yascuus products of the fuel, being again dilated with other gases, penetrutus the pores of the ore very lvebly. AA simitar result would tappen when Kohlen eisenstein (an ore found in cout tormution), witich sometimes contains thirteen per cent, of carbon, is submitted in roasting to the actiou of steau. In the inountains of Altai, cupriferous sulpharcts nnd copper matt, holding about tortytive per eent. of copper, ure roasted in sliult furnaces with steum, whereby u saving is miade on the ordinary roasting iu stalls, especiatly if the mutt reqnires much flume, not ouly in time, but also in tuel, and afterwards Ly smelting the roasted matt, crude copper is obtuined Ireer, especially from untimony, than wlien the roasting is done in stulls. From Our Regular Correspondent. TUE VOLCANO DISTRICT. The morning of the 29th found me at Volcano, enjoying the good cheer of the St. George, in company with my friends Fenton of Enterprise City, and Perkins of Amndor, with whom Ttrad come np trom Amador City ou the day before. The village of Voleano lies in n deep vulley formed by the junction of three branches of Sutter Creek, which, united, flow through a narrow gorge to the westwurd, a wall being built across which would make the finest reservoir in the world; ns a wall 500 feet in length could be made to give an nverage depth of 100 fect to the water covering a thousand acres! The placer mines of Volcano, like most of those of California, bave seen their palmy duys ; still, however, an active business is done in the way of derrick-inining—lifting the gravel Irom hasius which nre too low to he washed in the ordinary way,in tubs suspended to derricks worked by borse or steam power, to boxes placed nt a convenient hight for washing. I spent the day, after breakfast, in visiting the quartz mines of the district, which are now beginning to attract great interest. I pnid my first visit to the mill of S. C. Fogus & Co. ssituated on Sutter Creek, one nnd a balf miles helow Volcauo. The will, of ten stamps, is well built; but ns the site is subject to overflow from the creek, it is the intention of Mr. Fogus to moveit higher up on the bank, should the further development of fhe mines justify the erection of more machinery. ‘I'he mill is driven hy water, which is abundant the year round. ‘The company own four ledges, tbe principal of which is the WHITMORE AND MONDAY, Of which they claim 4,200 feet. It has been opened at various places, within tbese limits, but to no great depth nt any given point, the deepest shaft heing eighty feet. A tunnel is driven in on the ledge near the north eud of the claim,» distauce of 200 feet. It is inteuded to connect this with the principal shaft, which . will require it to he run 700 feet further, and the shaft to be sunk to a depth of between pra] claim is being opened on the same ledge by) and three hundred feet. ‘The present workinys show a bold, weil defined ledge, running north and south, wittr a dip of forty-five degrees to the westward, and from four to six leet wide. ‘The rock worked ot the will has thus fur paid from ten to thirty dollurs per ton. On leaving the mill, Mr. Fogus rode out with me to visit TNR CONFIDENCE, Lotely porchnsed from tle discoverers, by Sun Franeisco enpitulists, for, 1 believe, $20,000. It is being managed for the owuers hy Mr. Tulloch, one of the oldest prospectors of Volcuno. ‘I'he courso of the ledge is north and south, nnd its dip nearly vertical. One shalt has heen sunk to ndepth of ninety feet without striking water, developing a ledge with on uverage width of two and a lmaltfeet. Since it came tito the present lands none of the best rock las been worked, but of the * reluse,” as it is eulled by the miners, n few tons luve been crushed ut Mugus & Co.'s will, and yielded nbout ten dollars per tou. THE GOLDEN OATE MINE AND MILL, are locuted tliree miles uhove Volcano, on tho North Branch of Sutter Creek. ‘The vein has been prospveted only to a depth of thirty-lour feet, but hus thus lar proved very rich. It is located inn Slate formation, and hes in a north uud south direction, with n dip of lurty degrees to the eastward. ‘The mitlis of ten stumps, very well built, and with wheel for winter, aud steam engine lor summer use. ‘Iwo of Baux & Guiod’s, and two of Kuox’s pans ore used. ‘The quartz has heretofore paid ubout forty dollars per ton. rom the Golden Gote I rode to THE PIONEER, Situated about four miles above Volenno, on nuvther hraneh of Sutter Creek. As it was now too late to return to Volcano over the breakneck pnth hy which I had come, I aecepted the generous hospitality of the superintendest, Mr. Ainbler, and spent the night. After an eorly breukfast . went with Mr. A. to look at the mine. ‘The ledge is in n granite formation, its strike being nearly northwest and southeast, and its dip uearly verticul. ‘I'he rock is the richest in sulphurets that I ever saw. The tuunel throngh which the ledge has been worked heretofore wns obstructed by water frum the recent rains, 30 thut we could not pass through the miue, but the large amount of ore lying outside the mouth of the tunnel.showed conclosively the clmracter of the vein. Its width is from sixteen to twenty inehes, and sueh of the quartz us bas been tested by processes capable of separating the gold lrom the sulpburets, has yielded trom $50 to $10U per ton. Since the purchase of the property hy the present owners, ( Messrs Meader & Ainbler), measures have been taken to open it in excellent style. A shnlt, eight by ten feet in the clear, with four compuartments, expected to connect with the tunnel at a depth of 108 feet, has been sunk to a depth of eighty feet, and is still being carried on with vigor, A fine boarding house is in course of erection, and a 5-stamp water-mill with ainalgamators and concentrators, was nlmost rendy to start. I was accompanied back to Volcano by Mr. Ambler, who wason his way to Pine Grove. Passing through Volcano I came on to TUE SORACCO MINE, Located two miles helow Volcano, on n branch of Sutter Creek. This mine, which 1 noticed more ut length in my letter from Rich Gulch, last April, has been more thoroughly explored and promises to be one of the best in Amador couuty. It is now said to be owned hy Col. Rogers, who is nt presentin New York. It was purcnased Irom the original owners, the Soracco Bros., nnd McLane, by Mr, A. H. Rose, former owner of the Keystone mine at Amador City, it is said, Tor $56,000. It has heen opened toa depth of 225 teet, and hy tuonels horizoutally a distance of 800 feet, showiug an nverage width of thirty inches. The quartz is said to hnve yielded an average of $25 per ton, though the will, of ten stamps, driven hy water power, is rather a poor thing. Here I tellin with my friend Fenton, whom I bud left in Volcano on the previous nflernoon, and in bis company visited the Harvey nnd Aorta ledges, atter which we returned to Amador City, arriving late, tired and hungry, but on the whole well pleased with our trip. THE HARVEY Is owned by Messrs. Grundy and Harvey, and has only heen opened to n depth of about lorty feet, the owners having been embarrassed by wantof capital. ‘I'he ledgeis Irom three to five feet wide, and I was informed by Mr. Grundy that 100 tons, whicb had beeu worked, had paid from sixteen to eighteen dollars per tou. ‘Ibe owners are erecting steam hoisting works, which they expected to start in about o week, which would enable them to develop

their mine to better advantage. Another The Mining and Srientifie Press. the former owoers of the Soracco, with encouraging prospects of suceess. THE AONTA is situated near Pine Grove, nnd is claimed by Messrs. Barron, Ames und Fike. It has beon opened by u siiutt to o depth of sixty fect, and drifts huve beeu run ench n distanec of 150 feet. I was ioforimed hy Mr. Borron that some 200 tons hud been worked with an average yicld of $35 per ton. The ledgo is from one to two feet in width, its generat course being nearly north nnd south. Alter leaving the Aorta we made n flying call at the ‘tellurium milt, whero we saw some very fine roek, but were prevented frour moking very extended observations for wout of time. Yours ete. Dd. eee ie (Written for the Mining aad Scientific Presa.) “Gold Bearing Sulphurets and their Reduction.” Messrs. Epirors :—I have noticed in your Inte issucs an ndvertisement signed * J, Mosheiiner, in which he offers the mining comoiunitya “ New Patent Roasting Process,” for for ronsting oro or couventroted snlphurets (of iron ?). Ishould not take nny notice of the ndvertisement in question, were it not that the process advertised is a portion of an invention of my own ; at least, I honestly believe that Lnu the iuventor of it. It was matured hy me in the year 1858, and a full description ol it lodged in the secret archives of the Patent Office, in the early pnrt of 1859. The portion ol it “ ndopted ” hy “J. Mosheimer “ was confided to him by me in the month of April of the sume year (1859); and was described in my communication to your jourunl of December 9th Inst. Mr. M. has applied for, and lately obtained, n patent for it from the United Stotcs Government. As my invention has now become public property, and is not patentable, I will proceed to Iny before your readers, and the public in general, a description of the tohole of the process, as follows: I take the sulphurets, seleniurets, arseniurets, tellurets of iron, etc., mixed or not with other inineral substances or contponuds, and expose them alone, or combined with carbon, liguine, or their equivalents, in tubes or retorts of fire-clay or other approprinte material (arranged vertically, horizontuily, or inclined, in a furnace,) to a red heat ; atmospheric air being excluded, till the greater portion of tbe arsenic aod tellurium,and all the sulphur and selenium, in excess of a single equivalent, are expelled, either in a free state or in combiuation with carbon. leaving the gold and silver in combination with the resulting proto-sylphurets, none being lost or volatilized in the operation. ‘The carbon or its equivalents is used to form bisulphuret of carbon with the excess of sulphur, and thereby avoid loss of gold; snd also to act mechanically by iucreasing the porosity of the mass and its permeability by vapors, and to diminish the liubility to fusion nnd coalescence of the proto-sulphurets. Ithen take these proto-sulphurets and mix them with chlorides, iodides, bromides or fuo rides, of the fixed alkalies or alkaline earths, or other neutral salts, fusible and irreducible hy carbon at a red heat, in such proportions ag to form @ magma, when raised to a temperature about 1,000° Fahr., of a proper consistence for grinding. ‘lo this mnss . add sufficient pulverized metallic lead or bismuth, litharge, or ceruse, etc., to nhsorb nll the precious metals present, and also about five per cent. of carbon. I place the mixture, intimntely commingled, in a convenient apparatus, such as a revolving cylinder or cnst-iron arastra, covered with a dome for the more or less perlect exclusion of atmospheric oxygen and retention of evolved vapors, und having raised the teinperature to from 1,000 to 1,50u° Fabr., 1 cantinue mixing, stirring, grinding, or triturating the mass by means of discs, rakes, or other well-known implements, till the precious metals present shall be wholly or principally ahsorbed by, and alloyed with the lead or bismuth. I then remove the miass, separate the metallic granules hy washing or otberwise, and extract the gold and silver in combination hy cupellation or solution in acids. Seeondly—I propose passing aqueous vapor through or over the mineral compounds mientioned, mixed or not with carbou, lignine, or their equivalents, at n bright red beat in tuhes, retorts, or other appropriate vessels (closed from the air), till the sulphur, selenium, tellurium, arsenic and kiudred substances shall have been evolved, principally in combination with hydrogen—the oxygen of the water, combining with the iron, ete., present, whereby I obtain magnetic oxide of iron, containing all the gold and silver originally existing in the inineral. f then subject this compound (Fe’ 0%) for the extraction of the precious metals, either to amalgamation in any suitahle apparatus, for which I prefer the Mexicon tahona or ao Soxon barrel; or to triturntion with lend or bisiuuth, or their oxides, with carbon and fost ble snits, nt n high temperature ; or, lastl dissotve nnd extrnet the metals with well known solvents, n3 alkoline chlorides, and the hyposulphites aud hypochlorites of the alknlies and nlkaline eurths. Thirdly—\ propose, instead of the vnpor of water in the last pvocess, passing chlorhydric ucid gas over the ignited compounds, whereby by double decomposition Lobtuin sulphydric ucid (which may be utilized in prepuring sulpharic neid, bisulphite of lime, and other manutnetures) and a mixtore of tho proto und per chlorides ot iron, which partly volotilizes, and muy be condensed by eoke columns, or in other nppropriute condensing appuratus, and partly remuins mixed with the gangue and residnary matters from which it may he extracted by solution in water. I propose peroxidizing these proto-chlorides, by exposure of their solutions to the air in shallow vats, by percolation through * praduntion walls,” or other well-known niethods, and then to recover the hydrochloric acid by evuporution to dryness and distillation at a red heat, in retorts or cylinders fixed in a@ suitable turnonce. From the mass remainiug in the retort, nfter treatment with gaseous hydrochloric acid, I propose recovering the precious metals by noy of the methods previously mentioned. T do not claim the decomposition of pyritons matters ato red hent by roastiug, in contact with nir, or matters containing oxygen free to combine with tlhe sulpbur, etc., the saine having been used from time immennorial. Nor do I claim the decomposition of pyritous mutters at ared hent by nqueous vapor, with the iutention of collecting the volutile products of the decomposition, the same having been known aud practiced. Nor dol claim the treatment of bisulphurets and magnetic sulphurets, in closed vessels at a red heat alone, for the evolution nnd collection of sulphur; nor in admixture with carbon and carbonaceous substunces for the production of the alcohol of Lampadins (bisulphide of carbon), the same hnviug been known nndused. But I do cluim having discovered that all pyritous nod siinilar substances of an auriferous or argentiferoug nature, being decomposed, or partly decom posed, by the processes given, the nrsenic, sulphur, selenium, tellurium, and other elements inimical to the amalgamntion and extraction of the valuable metals, nay be partially or entirely eliminated and renioved without uoy loss of the precious metals hy volatilization or otherwise. And I claim the process of decomposition of aurilerous or atgentiferous pyritous matters in tbe manner described, and with the apparatus (or other approprinte apparatus) indicated, with reference solely to the final isolution of the precious metals ns the result songht to be obtained, irrespective of the economization af the sulphuret of carbon, sulphur, sulphydric ncid, carburetted hydrogen, elilorides nnd oxides of iron and arsenic, or other incidental products of the decomposition. And I claim, furthermore, the driving off the excess of sulphur, selenium, arsenic, tellurium, autimony, etc., previous to the treatment of the auriferous and argentiferous minerals witb lead, carbon, and fusible salts, in appropriate apparatus (preferably sealed to prevent the admission of atnfospheric oxygen), substuntinlly as set, forth and above described. ia Joun Scorr, Metallurgical Chemist. A Srranoe Animau.—The Tuolumne Courter says that Mr. John Ede, Intely caught at Chapparal Hill, in that county, a strange noimal of the cat or teline.species, which is thus described : “Tts head and tail resemble a raccoon, to which its habits also assimilnte when it wants to go to sleep. Its body sourewhat resembles a weasel, its fore feet those of a cat, having the feline faculty of withdrawing its claws, aud Instly its hind feet those of a fox. It was tolerably tame, nnd would nilow its master to hnndle it very readily. Its color was a kind of rabhit-gray, excepting the tail, which was ringed precisely like a rnccoon. Mr. Ede called it a civet cnt, nod others called it a mountain cat. Some twelve years ago, continues the Courier, we saw some similar noimuls on the Fenther river, but the miners there had no name for them hut the general one of wild cat. The Indians there called them ‘chilli-chillin,’and said they were good toeat. ‘They make excellent monsers when tamed.” ee Rarrp Travetino.—tIn n grand race of the ice-boat fleet, which recently took place on the Hudson River, near Poughkeepsie, the Minnehaha, or winning boat, made ten miles in eight minutes time. This is at the rate of seventyfive miles an hour—pretty rapid traveling.