Collection: Books and Periodicals

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Title: A Memorial and Biographical History of Northern California (1891) Collection Type: Books and Periodicals Publisher: Lewis Publishing Company Published: 1891 Copyright: In the public domain or published before 1925 Source(s): Google Books # of Pages: 713 Download PDF: User Login Required Download OCR Text: User Login Required

Date Scanned: 2024-07-22 00:25:09 Item Sourced From: PDF First Created: 2025-03-17 03:11:29 Last Updated: 2025-03-17 06:30:36

Original Held At: Searls Historical Library Location: 161 Nevada City Hwy, Nevada City, CA 95959

Page: of 713  

HISTORY OF NORTHERN CALIFORNIA 449 being to purchase the concentrates from the mines. The process of extracting the gold from the sulphurets is interesting but some what difficult to explain without practical illustration. The concentrates are first roasted. In the Pioneer Works there are two roasting furnaces sixty feet in length, and of the kind known as the long reverberatory. The first hearth in each is sixteen feet long by twelve feet in width, the others being ten feet in width. Together the furnaces have a capacity fur roasting five tons in twenty-four hours. Pine and cedar, both of which grow abundantly in this section, are mostly used for fuel, and the consumption is about three-eighths of a cord to a ton of ore. When the works are ron to their full capacity nine men are employed. The roasting is done in a separate building, and the ore is afterward transferred to the leaching house over a tramway in iron cars. There are nine gassing tubs, each five feet six inches in diameter by four feet four inchea in depth, the average capacity of each being for 3,500 pounds of ore. The precipitating vats for gold are four in number, eight feet in diameter and thirty inches deep. From the first hearth of a furnace a charge is drawn every seventh hoar, thus allowing the ore upwards of twenty-four hours’ roasting. After roasting it is in chlorine for thirty six hours before leaching begins. The gold is precipitated from the leach by a solution of sulphate of iron. For the extraction of silver there are nine leaching vats, to which the ore containing that metal is transferred after the gold leaching, and is treated by the “kiss” process for silver. There are also two precipitating tubs for silver, similar to those used for gold. The ground on which the buildings are situated consists of five acres; the buildings are large and fitted with everything necessary for carrying on every department of a metallurgical business, such as Mr. Maltman is engaged in: he has made several improvements in the process of working rebellions ores, and is an authority on all questions relating to their a9 value. The present facilities represent a capacity of about fourteen tons per week, the establishment being the most extensive of its kind in the State. His son Clarence manages the businese for his father, and is an able and accomplished young man. Mr. Maltinan was born August 3, 1828, in New York city. He came to California in 1850 via Panama, reaching San Francisco September 24 of that year, and went to work at his trade as a bricklayer and mason. In March, 1851, he came up to the mines, working at Rich Bar,on Feather River, at first, and later on in the saine year to Nevada City, where he mined with success. In 1853 he returned to New York, and remained for five yeara, when the superior attractions of California induced hii to return in 1858, when he established the reduction works, proceeding by a course of experimentation that could but lead to success. He was married in 1866, to Miss Senner. They have two sous and three daughters. Albert, the eldest, is now conducting the pioneer chlorination works of Sunora, while Clarence is assisting his father. His daughters, Ida and Maud Louise, are now pursuing their studies in New York city, the former as a singer and the latter as an elucutionist. Mr. Maltman has always taken an active interest in forwarding matters of public importance, and is a publicspirited and liberal-minded man. He is the owner of the Constitution Mine near Nevada City, which he is now developing, with every promise of reaping a large reward, as it has a large and rich vein. C. ROBBINS is one of the prosperous farmers of Butte County, and is well ? worthy of mention in this connection. His parents, D. P. and Janette (Munsil) Robbins, were natives of Vermont and New York respectively. The father came to California in 1854, and located in the southern part of the State, where he was engaged in sheep-raising