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About The Sumpter miner. (Sumpter, Or.) 1899-1905 | View Entire Issue (Sept. 17, 1902)
Wednesday, September 17, 190a THE SUMPTER MINER TELLURIDE OF GOLD. Some Facts About This Rare Combination. Ah it !m claimed to be mi abnoluto fact that tellurium Iibh been dicovered in Malheur county, awl there is no reason to doubt that thitt rare metal oxiatu in other xeetioiiH of the etute of Oregon, Tiik MiSKit uivea the following facts con eeruing thin yiihxtiiure which may he of nee to rn8ectur ami other. Tellurium was first discovered oyMul ler von KeieheiiNteiu in 1"K2. It Id nail ver-whilo resplendent metal of markedly oryHtallitie structure, the crystals lielng rhnmbohedra. From the date of its rtrat discovery until about the year 187(1, tellurium was considered a rare metal. Tn the year mentioned a number of de jiosits were found in Itoulder county, Colorado, or, to put it more clearly, it waa in that year when science deter mined that a peculiar ore found by pros pectors in the section named -a as in reality tellurium. Its discovery came nlioiit in a cruliar manner. For a long time it puzzled an sayern and others, and for a while even the territorial geologist was in a iUan dary how to determine what it was. It had long lieen the custom of prospectors, while traveling from the plains to the Snowy range, near the summit ot the Kockics, to camp on what was after wards known us the lloulder county tellttride belt. Often their camp fires would bo kindled alongside the outcrop of a telluride vein. Frequently It would be noticed that gold blistered out of the rock, occasioned by the heat of the fire. Samples of this rock when tested by an issayer failed to show a trace of gold. Neither could the territorial geologist at Hrst secure any results, but, occupying the position he did, it was necessary for him to solve the problem. The result was that a hitherto uncommon com pound was found to exist telluride of gold. Previous to this time it was presumed that in nature, sold, no matter what metals or minerals it may have been associated with, was always there in metallic form, and to this day gold is not known to exist as a compound with any other metal or mineral except tellurium. When this fact was demonstrated, other problems arose. Telluride ores could not be assayed by the fire process like ordinary ores. Kxperiments finally demonstrated that tellurium was a very volatile metal; when combined with gold, in the process of assaying it would volatilize and carry the noble metal with it. The assayer may have had a sample very rich in gold, but his cupel would not show a trace. These obstacles v ere finally overcome, however, and any us eayer should be able to make as accurate a test for gold combined with tellurium as he would of any ordinary ore, where the yellow metal is associated with other metals or minerals. During the. telluride excitement in Itoulder county, over a quarter of a cen tury ago, the writer has seen many prosiectors lay a small piece of telluride ore on a stove, with buta moderate heat, and in a few moments the gold would blister out on the surface of the rock. Should any of our readers desire to make this hi m pie test, it is well tor them to remember not to use an excessive heat, as that may evaporate tlie tellurium too rapidly and thus curry away the gold. In smelting such ores greut care must Ite exercised or the same loss will occur from the smelter furnace that did from the assayer's crucible when little was known of this element. There are three kinds of telluride ores sylvanite, alavanite and petiito; the latter generally carries silver na well aa gold. New Machinery (or the Belcher. President George W. Dainea, of tho Datnes Mining and Milling company, ot Stiokane, who has just left here for that city, Btnted to a reporter that his com pany would this fall erect new machin ery on their property in the Greenhorn district, known aa the Ilelcher. A stamp mill of sufficient capacity to take care of the ore will be installed. It has been the policy of the company to develop its property mid block out plenty of ore for running through the mill before putting up machinery. Seventeen hundred feet of tunnel work has been done on the Ilelcher and some very tine ore shoots opened up. The value of the ore is suf ficient to justify the Iiojhj of reasonable I profit, and for this reason the machin ery will now be installed. Tho Ilelcher is owned by a close corHiration coniKsed of the members of the Dailies Mining and Milling company, and Mr. Dailies will return here early in October to look after affairs. Democrat. rockers or over sluices in the old fashion ed way. While this la a primeval meth od of doing thinge, it is about aa far along as most of that section has got, and those who are in there and at work are making money. A postofHce has been established at the Greenback mine, and will be known aa Greenback. The new mill being built at this mine will bo ready for work in about six weeks. Suttcea Pounds of Gold. Charles Aklns, manager of the Hunt ington Mining company, accompanied by his son, John, came up from the mine last weok, bringing with him about six teen pounds of nuggets to ship to the United States assay otllce, lielng the re sult of their quarterly cleanup. This reliable old mine has been a steady pro ducer for nearly thirty years, and prom ises to remain so for thirty or forty mom. It is located lielow the famous Connor Creek quart, mine, from which it re ceives Its supply of gold. Maker City Herald. Southern Oregon Mining Notes. KcMrts come of a uumlcr of import ant gold discoveries being made on Mule creek and in the lower Itoguo river country. This section is highly mineral led and has never lieen prosieeted to any extent. A better field in this re spect is not offered the prosjiector any where. The river bars and banks nre Wing washed down and cradled through "Now b the Appointed Time." The O. It. N. Co. has just issued a handsomely illustrated pamphlet en titled, "Oregon, Washington and Idaho and their resources." People in the east are anxious for information uboul the Pacific northwest. If you will give the O. It. & N. company agent at Maker City n list of names of eastern people, who nre likely to be interested, the Itooklet will lie mailed free to such per sons. Yours truly, A. I.. Craig, General Passenger Agent. F BLUE BIRD MINING COMPANY J Write for tpcll price i A nJ nrotptctut Capital $200,000 FULL PAID AND NON-ASSESSABLE MINES LOCATED IN GRANITE MINING DISTRICT, EASTERN OREGON 50.000 SHARES OFFERED WHEELER & CO., lutars I BROADWAY, NEW YORK Mention No. 6o anJ the North American Miner will be raalltJ you am months Iret GRIZZLY STOCK... 33,111 Shares at less than ground Hour price. You can have it for '2k cents in one lump, or ,'i cents in broken Iota, EST BUY IN EASTERN OREGON Write for particulars to BERNARD FLYNN sumpter,. ore. IF YOU WISH TO a INVEST IN MINING-? Either to buy Gilt Edge Stocks, a Prospect that is "the Making of a Mine," or one that is already made, write me what you want and permit me to submit a proposition. ADDRESS E.SANDERs6n SMITH SUMPTER, MINES AND MINING STOCKS OREGON A NEW GOLD MINE THE STOCK OF THE NEW GOLD MINE THE CRACKER OREGON Located in the same dis trict with the famous North Pole, the Eureka and Excelsior, Golconda and Columbia mines in the Sumpter District in Eastern Oregon, is now being offered, to provide money to do the neces sary development work, such as run tunnels, build mill, etc. f This mine shows an ore ledge which extends for a distance of 3,000 feet on the prop erty, showing a clearly defined vein of from 10 to do feet in width. It will undoubtedly prove to be as great a producer as its rich neighbors. The price of the stock is 50 CENTS A SHARE Par value 1.00, Non forfeitable, Non-assessable, and no personal liability. TI11 Mist8uraliiRlivittittiii Is Askri for This PnpisitiM WIIITK Oil CAM, WON THE OREGON DEVELOPMENT CO. LEES.OVITT.Agt. Third Floor Merrill lltiihling M1I.VVAUKKK, WISCONSIN