PREFACE

Some six years ago the author published a small book entitled “Practical Mining,” designed specially for the use of those engaged in the always fascinating, though not as invariably profitable, pursuit of “Getting Gold.”  Of this ten thousand copies were sold, nearly all in Australasia, and the work is now out of print.  The London Mining Journal of September 9th, 1891, said of it:  “We have seldom seen a book in which so much interesting matter combined with useful information is given in so small a space.”

The gold-mining industry has grown considerably since 1891, and it appeared to the writer that the present would be a propitious time to bring out a similar work, but with a considerably enlarged scope.  What has been aimed at is to make “Getting Gold” a compendium, in specially concrete form, of useful information respecting the processes of winning from the soil and the after-treatment of gold and gold ores, including some original practical discoveries by the author.  Practical information, original and selected, is given to mining company directors, mine managers, quartz mill operators, and prospectors.  In “Rules of Thumb,” chapters XI. and XII., will be found a large number of useful hints on subjects directly and indirectly connected with gold-mining.

The author’s mining experience extends back thirty years and he therefore ventures to believe with some degree of confidence that the information, original or compiled, which the book contains, will be found both useful and profitable to those who are in any capacity interested in the gold-mining industry.

J. C. F. J.

London, November, 1896.

GETTING GOLD

CHAPTER I

INTRODUCTORY

Gold is a name to charm by.  It is desired by all nations, and is the one metal the supply of which never exceeds the demand.  Some one has aptly said, “Gold is the most potent substance on the surface of our planet.”  Tom Hood sings: 

     Gold, gold, gold, gold! 
     Bright and yellow, hard and cold;
     Molten, graven, hammered, rolled,
     Heavy to get, and light to hold;
     Stolen, borrowed, squandered, doled.

That this much appreciated metal is heavy to get is proved by the high value which has been placed on it from times remote to date, and that it is light to hold most of us know to our cost.

We read no farther than the second chapter in the Bible when we find mention of gold.  There Moses speaks of “the land of Havilah, where there is gold”; and in Genesis, chapter xxiv., we read that Abraham’s servant gave Rebekah an earring of half a shekel weight, say 5 dwt. 13 grs., and “two bracelets of ten shekels weight,” or about 4 1/2 ozs.  Then throughout the Scriptures, and, indeed, in all historic writings, we find frequent mention of the king of metals, and always it is spoken of as a commodity highly prized.