114 
Journal of the Mitchell Society [. November 
When the mines yield rich ore in narrow streaks, it should 
be hand-picked before going- to the mill. For this purpose 
the Miami Mining Company have installed at the Phoenix 
Mine, near Concord, Cabarrus County, an ore picker. The ore 
is sorted into coarse and medium material by passing through a 
trommel, where it is also washed by a spray pipe. It then 
passes over a couple of belts 30 inches wide and 30 feet long. 
A number of boys sit along these belts and pick out the waste, 
which is removed by another belt, while the good ore passes 
direct to a Dodge crusher. The dirt and fine ore removed by 
the water is raised by a sand pump directly to the battery. 
These machines would not pay at a small mine where an 
arrangement like that at the Hercules Mine at Cid, Davidson 
County, is better. Here the ore is dumped from the skip on 
to a slightly elevated platform, where it is washed by a 
stream of water from a hose and the waste thrown into a car 
standing near, as the good ore is shovelled into a car for tak- 
ing it to the mill. 
Since the publication of Bulletins Nos. 3 and 10 of the 
North Carolina Geological Survey, there have been a number 
of changes in mining practiced in the State, which, given in 
the order of their probable importance, are: 
1. The application of machines of the old log washer type 
to separate gold from saprolites as is now being practiced at 
the Shuford, Empire, Beaver Dam, Troy, Sawyer and other 
mines. 
2. The introduction of square set timbering in the extrac- 
tion of soft, deep ore bodies, which is now being practiced at 
the Union Copper Mine at Gold Hill. 
3. The introduction of the cyanide process for treating 
certain sulphuret ores, which has been practiced on the 
tailings trom the lola, Montgomery and Howie mines. 
4. The introduction of self-dumping skips, picking belts etc. 
