EXAMINATION OF THE SULPHURETS OF IRON FROM QUARTZ 

 CONTAINING GOLD. 



These sulphurets were taken from the tailings of mines in different parts of the 

 State, and examined, to detect any metallic gold that might be contained in them. 



The process pursued to extract the metal is one that would be practicable on 

 the large scale, and was adopted as a means of illustrating the practical results 

 obtainable by those means if fully carried out, and long since suggested. 



A detail of the process may not be amiss, though containing nothing that is 

 new. 



The sulphurets were separated from the sand by washing, and dried. After 

 being thoroughly dried, they were introduced into a shallow porcelain capsule 

 and roasted at a clear red heat, being constantly stirred, and the heat continued 

 until all fumes of sulphur were dissipated. The mass at this time has the appear 

 ance of a coarse brownish-black powder, which, on being reduced to a fine pow 

 der, presented all the appearances of being entirely peroxydized, and in this state 

 was of an red iron-rust color. 



It is to this condition that it is necessary to bring this mineral in order to 

 extract any gold by amalgamation that it may contain. 



After thus reducing to a powder the calcined sulphuret, it was washed and 

 amalgamated, and from the amalgam the following results were obtained : 



The quantity used being one ounce avordupois in each case. 



Spring Hill Mine gave 6-Sths grain, equal to $270 per ton. 



Mt. Washington Mine, " 3-16ths ' 135 



Osborn Hill Mine, " 5-16ths * 225 ' " 



Empire Mine, " l-8th ' 90 " 



Eureka Mine, " 3-16ths * 135 " 



Badger Mine, " l-9th ' 80 " 



Lafayette and Helvetia Mine, 1-8 th " 90 u 



The grain of gold in these cases is estimated at the value of three cents, its 

 fractional value being omitted. 



The results are what may be expected in mill work, if properly conducted, and 

 do not represent the absolute amount of gold contained in these minerals. Chem 

 ical analysis will show a much greater amount of metal, and would have been 

 presented in connection with the above had it been completed in sufficient time 

 for this report. 



I am well persuaded that if the above process had been conducted with that 

 strict care pursued in close and rigid investigations, that at least twenty-five per 

 cent,, would have been added to the above figures. My object was to present the 

 probable amount of gold that might be expected, from the reduction of those 

 minerals by a similar process on a large scale, and which are now rejected and 

 thrown away. 



It would be difficult to estimate the amount of gold that is thus thrown away 

 each year from these mines, but a comparison of the average yield of the ores of 

 the mines of the State generally, will show that the amount is certainly very 

 large. 



The yield of these sulphurets is about seven times greater than the produce in 

 the first instance in the majority of the cases, and they compose about twenty 

 per cent, of the ores as they come from the mine. This being the case, we cer- 



