roughing it-第35章

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have　reached！　　The　Board　were　living　on　the　〃assessments。〃　　＇N。B。This
hint　comes　too　late　for　the　enlightenment　of　New　York　silver　miners；　they
have　already　learned　all　about　this　neat　trick　by　experience。＇　　The　Board
had　no　desire　to　strike　the　ledge；　knowing　that　it　was　as　barren　of
silver　as　a　curbstone。　　This　reminiscence　calls　to　mind　Jim　Townsend's
tunnel。　　He　had　paid　assessments　on　a　mine　called　the　〃Daley〃　till　he　was
well…nigh　penniless。　　Finally　an　assessment　was　levied　to　run　a　tunnel
two　hundred　and　fifty　feet　on　the　Daley；　and　Townsend　went　up　on　the　hill
to　look　into　matters。

He　found　the　Daley　cropping　out　of　the　apex　of　an　exceedingly　sharp…
pointed　peak；　and　a　couple　of　men　up　there　〃facing〃　the　proposed　tunnel。
Townsend　made　a　calculation。　　Then　he　said　to　the　men：

〃So　you　have　taken　a　contract　to　run　a　tunnel　into　this　hill　two　hundred
and　fifty　feet　to　strike　this　ledge？〃

〃Yes；　sir。〃

〃Well；　do　you　know　that　you　have　got　one　of　the　most　expensive　and
arduous　undertakings　before　you　that　was　ever　conceived　by　man？〃

〃Why　nohow　is　that？〃

〃Because　this　hill　is　only　twenty…five　feet　through　from　side　to　side；
and　so　you　have　got　to　build　two　hundred　and　twenty…five　feet　of　your
tunnel　on　trestle…work！〃

The　ways　of　silver　mining　Boards　are　exceedingly　dark　and　sinuous。

We　took　up　various　claims；　and　commenced　shafts　and　tunnels　on　them；　but
never　finished　any　of　them。　　We　had　to　do　a　certain　amount　of　work　on
each　to　〃hold〃　it；　else　other　parties　could　seize　our　property　after　the
expiration　of　ten　days。　　We　were　always　hunting　up　new　claims　and　doing　a
little　work　on　them　and　then　waiting　for　a　buyerwho　never　came。　　We
never　found　any　ore　that　would　yield　more　than　fifty　dollars　a　ton；　and
as　the　mills　charged　fifty　dollars　a　ton　for　working　ore　and　extracting
the　silver；　our　pocket…money　melted　steadily　away　and　none　returned　to
take　its　place。　　We　lived　in　a　little　cabin　and　cooked　for　ourselves；　and
altogether　it　was　a　hard　life；　though　a　hopeful　onefor　we　never　ceased
to　expect　fortune　and　a　customer　to　burst　upon　us　some　day。

At　last；　when　flour　reached　a　dollar　a　pound；　and　money　could　not　be
borrowed　on　the　best　security　at　less　than　eight　per　cent　a　month　（I
being　without　the　security；　too）；　I　abandoned　mining　and　went　to　milling。
That　is　to　say；　I　went　to　work　as　a　common　laborer　in　a　quartz　mill；　at
ten　dollars　a　week　and　board。




CHAPTER　XXXVI。

I　had　already　learned　how　hard　and　long　and　dismal　a　task　it　is　to　burrow
down　into　the　bowels　of　the　earth　and　get　out　the　coveted　ore；　and　now　I
learned　that　the　burrowing　was　only　half　the　work；　and　that　to　get　the
silver　out　of　the　ore　was　the　dreary　and　laborious　other　half　of　it。
We　had　to　turn　out　at　six　in　the　morning　and　keep　at　it　till　dark。
This　mill　was　a　six…stamp　affair；　driven　by　steam。　　Six　tall；　upright
rods　of　iron；　as　large　as　a　man's　ankle；　and　heavily　shod　with　a　mass　of
iron　and　steel　at　their　lower　ends；　were　framed　together　like　a　gate；　and
these　rose　and　fell；　one　after　the　other；　in　a　ponderous　dance；　in　an
iron　box　called　a　〃battery。〃　　Each　of　these　rods　or　stamps　weighed　six
hundred　pounds。　　One　of　us　stood　by　the　battery　all　day　long；　breaking　up
masses　of　silver…bearing　rock　with　a　sledge　and　shoveling　it　into　the
battery。　　The　ceaseless　dance　of　the　stamps　pulverized　the　rock　to
powder；　and　a　stream　of　water　that　trickled　into　the　battery　turned　it　to
a　creamy　paste。　　The　minutest　particles　were　driven　through　a　fine　wire
screen　which　fitted　close　around　the　battery；　and　were　washed　into　great
tubs　warmed　by　super…heated　steamamalgamating　pans；　they　are　called。
The　mass　of　pulp　in　the　pans　was　kept　constantly　stirred　up　by　revolving
〃mullers。〃　　A　quantity　of　quicksilver　was　kept　always　in　the　battery；　and
this　seized　some　of　the　liberated　gold　and　silver　particles　and　held　on
to　them；　quicksilver　was　shaken　in　a　fine　shower　into　the　pans；　also；
about　every　half　hour；　through　a　buckskin　sack。　　Quantities　of　coarse
salt　and　sulphate　of　copper　were　added；　from　time　to　time　to　assist　the
amalgamation　by　destroying　base　metals　which　coated　the　gold　and　silver
and　would　not　let　it　unite　with　the　quicksilver。

All　these　tiresome　things　we　had　to　attend　to　constantly。　　Streams　of
dirty　water　flowed　always　from　the　pans　and　were　carried　off　in　broad
wooden　troughs　to　the　ravine。　　One　would　not　suppose　that　atoms　of　gold
and　silver　would　float　on　top　of　six　inches　of　water；　but　they　did；　and
in　order　to　catch　them；　coarse　blankets　were　laid　in　the　troughs；　and
little　obstructing　〃riffles〃　charged　with　quicksilver　were　placed　here
and　there　across　the　troughs　also。　　These　riffles　had　to　be　cleaned　and
the　blankets　washed　out　every　evening；　to　get　their　precious
accumulationsand　after　all　this　eternity　of　trouble　one　third　of　the
silver　and　gold　in　a　ton　of　rock　would　find　its　way　to　the　end　of　the
troughs　in　the　ravine　at　last　and　have　to　be　worked　over　again　some　day。
There　is　nothing　so　aggravating　as　silver　milling。　　There　never　was　any
idle　time　in　that　mill。　　There　was　always　something　to　do。　　It　is　a　pity
that　Adam　could　not　have　gone　straight　out　of　Eden　into　a　quartz　mill；　in
order　to　understand　the　full　force　of　his　doom　to　〃earn　his　bread　by　the
sweat　of　his　brow。〃　　Every　now　and　then；　during　the　day；　we　had　to　scoop
some　pulp　out　of　the　pans；　and　tediously　〃wash〃　it　in　a　horn　spoonwash
it　little　by　little　over　the　edge　till　at　last　nothing　was　left　but　some
little　dull　globules　of　quicksilver　in　the　bottom。　　If　they　were　soft　and
yielding；　the　pan　needed　some　salt　or　some　sulphate　of　copper　or　some
other　chemical　rubbish　to　assist　digestion；　if　they　were　crisp　to　the
touch　and　would　retain　a　dint；　they　were　freighted　with　all　the　silver
and　gold　they　could　seize　and　hold；　and　consequently　the　pan　needed　a
fresh　charge　of　quicksilver。　　When　there　was　nothing　else　to　do；　one
could　always　〃screen　tailings。〃　　That　is　to　say；　he　could　shovel　up　the
dried　sand　that　had　washed　down　to　the　ravine　through　the　troughs　and
dash　it　against　an　upright　wire　screen　to　free　it　from　pebbles　and
prepare　it　for　working　over。

The　process　of　amalgamation　differed　in　the　various　mills；　and　this
included　changes　in　style　of　pans　and　other　machinery；　and　a　great
diversity　of　opinion　existed　as　to　the　best　in　use；　but　none　of　the
methods　employed；　involved　the　principle　of　milling　ore　without
〃screening　the　tailings。〃　　Of　all　recreations　in　the　world；　screening
tailings　on　a　hot　day；　with　a　long…handled　shovel；　is　the　most
undesirable。

At　the　end　of　the　week　the　machinery　was　stopped　and　we　〃cleaned　up。〃
That　is　to　say；　we　got　the　pulp　out　of　the　pans　and　batteries；　and　washed
the　mud　patiently　away　till　nothing　was　left　but　the　long　accumulating
mass　of　quicksilver；　with　its　imprisoned　treasures。　　This　we　made　into
heavy；　compact　snow…balls；　and　piled　them　up　in　a　bright；　luxurious　heap
for　inspection。　　Making　these　snow…balls　cost　me　a　fine　gold　ringthat
and　ignorance　together；　for　the　quicksilver　invaded　the　ring　with　the
same　facility　with　which　water　saturates　a　spongeseparated　its
particles　and　the　ring　crumbled　to　pieces。

We　put　our　pile　of　quicksilver　balls　into　an　iron　retort　that　had　a　pipe
leading　from　it　to　a　pail　of　water；　and　then　applied　a　roasting　heat。
The　quicksilver　turned　to　vapor；　escaped　through　the　pipe　into　the　pail；
and　the　water　turned　it　into　good　wholesome　quicksilver　again。
Quicksilver　is　very　costly；　and　they　never　waste　it。　　On　opening　the
retort；　there　was　our　week's　worka　lump　of　pure　white；　frosty　looking
silver；　twice　as　large　as　a　man's　head。　　Perhaps　a　fifth　of　the　mass　was
gold；　but　the　color　of　it　did　not　showwould　not　have　shown　if　two
thirds　of　it　had　been　gold。　　We　melted　it　up　and　made　a　solid　brick　of　it
by　pouring　it　into　an　iron　brick…mould。

By　such　a　tedious　and　laborious　process　were　silver　bricks　obtained。
This　mill　was　but　one　of　many　others　in　operation　at　the　time。　　The　first
one　in　Nevada　was　built　at　Egan　Canyon　and　was　a　small　insignificant
affair　and　compared　most　unfavorably　with　some　of　the　immense
establishments　afterwards　located　at　Virginia　City　and　elsewhere。

From　our　bricks　a　little　corner　was　chipped　off　for　the　〃fire…assay〃a
method　used　to　determine　the　proportions　of　gold；　silver　and　base　metals
in　the　mass。　　This　is　an　interesting　process。　　The　chip　is　hammered　out
as　thin　as　paper　and　weighed　on　scales　so　fine　and　sensitive　that　if　you
weigh　a　two…inch　scrap　of　paper　on　them　and　then　write　your　name　on　the
paper　with　a　course；　soft　pencil　and　weigh　it　again；　the　scales　will　take
marked　notice　of　the　addition。

Then　a　little　lead　（also　weighed）　is　rolled　up　with　the　flake　of　silver
and　the　two　are　melted　at　a　great　heat　in　a　small　vessel　called　a　cupel；
made　by　compressing　bone　ashes　into　a　cup…shape　in　a　steel　mold。　　The
base　metals　oxydize　and　are　absorbed　with　the　lead　into　the　pores　of　the
cupel。　　A　button　or　globule　of　perfectly　pure　gold　and　silver　is　left
behind；　and　by　weighing　it　and　noting　the　loss；　the　assayer　knows　the
proportion　of　base　metal　the　brick　contains。　　He　has　to　separate　the　gold
from　the　silver　now。　　The　button　is　hammered　out　flat　and　thin；　put　in
the　furnace　and　kept　some　time　at　a　red　heat；　after　cooling　it　off　it　is
rolled　up　like　a　quill　and　heated　in　a　glass　vessel　containing　nitric
acid；　the　acid　dissolves　the　silver　and　leaves　the　gold　pure　and　ready　to
be　weighed　on　its　own　merits。　　Then　salt　water　is　poured　into　the　vessel
containing　the　dissolved　silver　and　the　silver　returns　to　palpable　form
again　and　sinks　to　the　bottom。　　Nothing　now　remains　but　to　weigh　it；　then
the　proportions　of　the　several　metals　contained　in　the　brick　are　known；
and　the　assayer　stamps　the　value　of　the　brick　upon　its　surface。

The　sagacious　reader　will　know　now；　without　being　told；　that　the
speculative　miner；　in　getting　a　〃fire…assay〃　made　of　a　piece　of　rock　from
his　mine　（to　help　him　sell　the　same）；　was　not　in　the　habit　of　picking　out
the　least　valuable　fragment　of　rock　on　his　dump…pile；　but　quite　the
contrary。　　I　have　seen　men　hunt　over　a　pile　of　nearly　worthless　quartz
for　an　hour；　and　at　last　find　a　little　piece　as　large　as　a　filbert；　which
was　rich　in　gold　and　silverand　this　was　reserved　for　a　fire…assay！　　Of
course　the　fire…assay　would　demonstrate　that　a　ton　of　such　rock　would
yield　hundreds　of　dollarsand　on　such　assays　many　an　utterly　worthless
mine　was　sold。

Assaying　was　a　good　business；　and　so　some　men　engaged　in　it；
occasionally；　who　were　not　strictly　scientific　and　capable。　　One　assayer
got　such　rich　results　out　of　all　specimens　brought　to　him　that　in　time　he
acquired　almost　a　monopoly　of　the　business。　　But　like　all　men　who　achieve
success；　he　became　an　object　of　envy　and　suspicion。　　The　other　assayers
entered　into　a　conspiracy　against　him；　and　let　some　prominent　citizens
into　the　secret　in　order　to　show　that　they　meant　fairly。　　Then　they　broke
a　little　fragment　off　a　carpenter's　grindstone　and　got　a　stranger　to　take
it　to　the　popular　scientist　and　get　it　assayed。　　In　the　course　of　an　hour
the　result　camewhereby　it　appeared　that　a　ton　of　that　rock　would　yield
1；184。40　in　silver　and　366