THE MINING AND QUARRY INDUSTRY I909 19 



The two samples of sand submitted to us on February I, 1910, 

 marked respectively " A " and " B," and sealed with paper bands, 

 bearing the signature of B. J. Hatmaker, have been assayed bv the 

 usual fire assay method, yielding: 



"A" — Gold = 0.0025 oz - P er ton = $0.05 per ton 



' B " — Gold = 0.005 oz - P er ton --$0.10 per ton 



This work was very carefully done, using large assay charges. 

 In view of the statement that these sands are said to contain gold 

 combined with some element, or elements, causing the gold to vola- 

 tilize during the fire assay process, and that this method is not capa- 

 ble of detecting gold in these sands, we have repeated the assays 

 by a wet method which involves digestion of the finely ground sands 

 with aqua rcgia at a low temperature for a long time, filtering off 

 the acid liquid, evaporating it to small bulk and examining the 

 concentrated solution for gold. By this method we obtained: 



In sample " A " — gold, trace 



In sample " B " — gold 0.003 oz - P er ton— -$0.06 per ton. 



Supplementing these tests, a portion of each sample was con- 

 centrated by panning and the concentrates were examined both 

 with a hand glass and also microscopically. Neither sample showed 

 the presence of any visible gold or of any usual mineral or sub- 

 stance which might possibly carry gold. The concentrates are prin- 

 cipally magnetic iron particles mixed with some complex silicates 

 of the garnet family. 



Portions of each sample contained in closed tubes of hard glass 

 were heated in a blast lamp flame to the melting point of the glass. 

 A quantity of combined water condensed on the cool parts of each 

 tube but neither sample yielded any sublimate of volatile matter 

 whatever. 



From the above tests we conclude that these samples are ordinary 

 silicious sands and that they contain only traces of gold as are 

 usually found in such sands. Traces of gold are frequently pres- 

 ent in many rocks and sands, and it is not unusual to find gold 

 values equivalent to a few cents per ton in ordinary rocks, such for 

 instance, as granite paving blocks. These samples do not contain 

 any extraordinary or' unusual element or any substance which could 

 cause the gold to volatilize in the ordinary process of assaying. 

 nor in fact do they contain any volatile substance except combined 

 water. 



These results are certainly concrete and illuminative. Regarding 

 the methods by which they were obtained, it seems sufficient to 

 say that they are accepted and employed generally in chem- 

 ical laboratories and that they have stood the test of long prac- 

 tice in all the mining regions of the world. 



Without indulging in criticism of the good faith of those who 

 have been at work on the Adirondack sands, \vc are unable to find 

 in the notices of the press or in any literature which has been circu- 



