390 WALL STREET AND THE WILDS 



assay office. My only anxiety was about the 

 fuel, but from my first charcoal pit came twenty- 

 five bushels of as good charcoal as I could have 

 asked for. When the work had been done, the 

 furnace set up, and I was ready to test a sample 

 of ore from the Black Giant mine I was nervous 

 as a witch, more than I remembered having been 

 when dealing in big sums on the Gold Exchange. 

 I knew the theory of the assaying I was to at- 

 tempt, had books to help me and in my own lab- 

 oratory had done the same thing but this seemed 

 real and my previous work a dream. 



The ore was pulverized, averaged, and twelve 

 grains of the pulp carefully weighed out to be 

 mixed with lead and borax for fusion in the scori- 

 fier. When the slag had been separated from 

 the cooled button of lead and silver the latter 

 was placed on a red-hot cupel in the muffle. The 

 alloy melted, greasy-looking drops of litharge 

 formed on its surface, and over it light clouds 

 played as the oxide of lead vaporized while other 

 portions were absorbed by the cupel. Soon iri- 

 descent colors played over the tiny globule 



