252 REPORT OF NATIONAL MUSEUM, 1884. 



Saint Louis, Mo., by Mr. Gazzam. This collection represents the various 

 ores available to these works; the fuels and fluxes used ; the pig-lead pro- 

 duced in the blast-furnace, together with the matte, flue dust, and slag; the 

 first skimmings taken from the softening furnace ; the second skimmings 

 from the same ; the softened bullion ready for desilverizing; the zinc used 

 in desilverizing; the zinc scum, containing the silver, taken from the de- 

 silverizing kettle ; the zinc resulting from the smelting of the zinc skim- 

 mings; the litharge obtained in refining the silver; the fine silver; and 

 the market lead. The same process, but on different characters of ores, 

 is illustrated from the Argentine Works, Kansas City, Mo., collected by 

 Mr. Zukoski, and from the Germania Works, Salt Lake City, collected 

 by Messrs. Reckhart and Pearis. Refining of base bullion is illustrated 

 from the works of E. Balbach & Son, Newark, N. J., collected by Mr. 

 Mcintosh. The smelting of argentiferous lead (base bullion) is illus- 

 trated from the Horn Silver Smelter, Francklyn, Utah, collected by Mr. 

 Reckhart. This base bullion is refined at Chicago, but the process is 

 not represented. 



No collections were made representing the application of silver, but 

 it is very desirable to do so as soon as possible. 



Tin. — It has been generally supposed that tin was a rare metal in 

 this country. This, however, is only partially true, the occurrence of 

 cassiterite, thebinoxide of tin, in small quantities, being known to min- 

 eralogists from a large extent of territory for many years; but it is only 

 in very rare instances that this occurrence gave even the slightest evi- 

 dence of there being a deposit which would prove of any commercial 

 value. The first discovery that was at all favorable was made by Pro- 

 fessor Jackson in New Hampshire in 1840. Specimens of this ore, to- 

 gether with a bar of tin produced, have been in the Museum many 

 years. 



A small amount of cassiterite from two localities, together with a bar of 

 the tin produced, from Montana, was exhibited at the Centennial. An 

 ore of a different character, being a stanniferous wolfram, has been 

 known in California for many years, and at one time quite extensive 

 operations were commenced upon the deposit. The ore, however, is 

 somewhat difficult of treatment, and this, with litigation, soon closed up 

 the mine and the works. There are in the Museum several specimens 

 of this ore, together with two full-sized pigs of tin produced and several 

 sheets of tin-plate. Isolated specimens of cassiterite have been found at 

 various times from several localities in Maine, and the next discovery of 

 any importance was at Winslow, in that State, where a more definite vein 

 carrying cassiterite was discovered in 1807. The vein here, however, was 

 exceedingly small, and nothing has been accomplished. Following close 

 upon each other, in 1882-'83, there were discoveries of tin in three widely 

 separated localities, which have given promise of ultimately producing 

 more or less tin. These localities are at the Broad Arrow mines, in Ala- 

 bama, a collection from which was sent to the Museum soon after its dis- 

 covery; the Cash mines, in Rockbridge County, Virginia, and the depos- 



