STATE AGRICULTURAL SOCIETY. 171 



ASSOCIATION OF MINERS AND MILL MEN IN CALIFORNIA AND 



NEVADA. 



BY DE. OXLAND, 



METALLURGIST TO THE BOARD. 



"When the silver mines of Washoe were first started, the peculiar 

 circumstances of the locations rendered it necessary to emplo}' oth'er 

 than the ordinarj^^ metallurgical processes for the extraction of the silver. 

 Many mills were started in entire ignorance of what had been done else- 

 where, and even the best informed operators had to acquire experience 

 in the peculiar qualities of the ores. Considering the very great disad- 

 vantages labored under, really wonderful results have been obtained. 

 The most experienced metallurgist now visiting the mills of Washoe may 

 find that the pan process is capable of producing results far exceeding, 

 in a practical point of view, what he could have expected; but there still 

 remains great room for improvement. 



The comparative values of the patio, the Freyberg, the smelting, and 

 the pan processes, are undetermined, because few of the superintendents 

 or managers of mills understand the nature of the processes adopted by 

 them. They often deceive themselves as to the results of their workings, 

 sometimes rejecting advantageous offers of ores for custom work, at 

 other times laying hold of with avidit}^ other ores which work greatly to 

 their disadvantage. The assay value of the ores is rarely known, and at 

 least' one mill superintendent may be found gravely asserting at one time 

 that his superior skill has been eliminating one hundred and fifty per 

 cent of the assay value; and when the result of assays made were in 

 opposition to his theory, then declaring his utter want of faith in 

 assaying. 



The most common practice is, in ascertaining the value of ores, simply 

 to depend upon the reported results of competing mills, and to accept 

 the terms offered by mines, which are certain to be at a minimum of 

 profit to the miller, if indeed there be any at all, at times when compe- 

 tition for ores is brisk. Very few mill men know how or take the trouble 

 to sample their ores, or how to arrive at definite, clear, working results, 

 with full particulars showing the assay value of the ore, the bullion pro- 



