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Show 4 INTER-MOUNTAI- The Supply of Gold. The supporters of the single gold standard fallacy have recently sought to make much capital out of the foolish predictions of certain economic and financial students concerning the probable increase in the worlds gold supply. These senseless prophecies and a crop of newspaper syndicate articles in the same line have created an impression that a gold deluge was impending; that the world would not only be given enough of the precious metal to meet all the requirements of trade, but would actually have more than it would know what to do with. writer in the Engineering and Mining Journal now dispels this illusion, and shows that there is no foundation whatever for the expectation of a largely increased output. He says, in the course of his article: The gold production of the world is increasing (amounting in 1895 to about $200,000,000), but by no means as rapidly as the demand for gold, and in conseA MINING REVIEW. N richer ore than this will be found in the deeps, for they have not been sufficiently explored to Justify the assertion. Neither is the heavy decline in output since July, 1895, to be taken as a permanent feature, though it certainly was due only in part (in January especially) to political causes. The average profit in 1894 has been calculated at $2.67 per ton of ore, and while the cost of milling and mining has probably been reduced by the adoption of improved plant and by increasing production, still it would not take long at the past rate of decrease in grade, nor at the increasing .rates of wages, to wipe out this favorable balance. After noting the annual accumulation of gold in Europe, the article goes on to say: It appears that more than the entire worlds production of gold in 1895 ($200,000,000) was withdrawn from commercial circulation by Europe alone, and there was consequently less gold available for this use at the end of the year of the worlds greatest outquence, fine gold bullion commands a put than there was at its beginning. small premium above mint values in almost every part of the world, though Abstract of Recent Mining Decisions. the mints are the chief consumers or absorbers of the metal and their price Prepared for the Mining Review by Salt must control its value within narrow George Westervelt, attorney-at-lalimits. Those who have been preaching Lake City, Utah. Master and Servant. Indefinite Emthe sufficiency of gold alone for the ployment. Compensation While not monetary needs of mankind have Working. Where an employee engaged shown by their anxiety that they be- under a contract of indefinite hiring lieve the supply inadequate, and have seeks to recover for a period while he was not the burden is on him eagerly grasped at the figures of in- to show working, to compensation his that right as of metal the proof did not stop when he ceased to work. creasing output soon all it An agreement of an agent, without any have would that the world needs. South Africa and West Austra- authority in regard to contracts of hiring, that the compensation of an emlia, and particularly the Transvaal and ployee should continue under a conRhodesia, have been represented as tract of indefinite hiring, while not acsources from which great rivers of gold tually at work, is not binding on his Barlow & Taylor Placer would flow in vast volumes and for- principal.company, 44 Pac. Rep. 492. (Suever. This comforting view of the Mining preme Court of Oregon, April 6, 1896.) case was, of course, encouraged by the Mining Location. Adversary Proceedings. Defenses. Where the origpromoters who were booming Kaffirs, inal discovery shaft of a mining locaand consequently the opinion has tion is included within the exterior over face of the that the of a subsequent location as earth boundaries spread on failure of the first locator the Transvaal mines can and will sup- patented, commence to adversary proceedings ply infinite amounts of gold, and that within the required or to set up all anxiety concerning the sufficiency a new discovery staketime, at a new discovof our supply of the yellow metal is ery shaft on unappropriated grounds, loses all rights under the prior locawholly groundless. We wish this were he tion, not only as against the patentee, more near the truth than it is. but also as against subsequent locators. The Witwatersrand as a gold pro- In adversary proceedings defendant ducer is undoubtedly a very remarka- may defeat plaintiffs claim by showthat plaintiffs location was upon ble mining district and it will certainly ing land not subject to location, having turn out a large amount of gold, but been included in the exterior limits of we venture the prediction that it will a patent to a third person. Girard & Carson, 44 Pac. Rep. 508. (Supreme never realize the expectations of the Court of Colorado, March 16, 1896.) boomers and that its yearly incrase of gold production will be neither very Mining and Metallurgical Patents. nor ever attain the magnificent large List of patents relating to mining, isfigures that have been so generally expected. Two principal reasons lead to sued April 7, 1896. Reported for the Minthis belief: First, the amount of cheap ing Review by J. F. Corker, patent solicilabor obtainable is quite insufficient to tor, office No. 311 and 312 Atlas block, Salt City, Utah. Copies furnished for L5 very rapidly or largely increase the Lake No. 558,978. Ore Concentrator. J. W. output of ore; and second, the ore is Nesmith, Denver, Colo. as is attained, becoming poorer depth In an ore concentrator, and in comand it is said that in the deeps, as bination with the adapted to the lowest workings opened some turn with the ofbelt and to reciprocate its axis, a crank rigidmonths ago are called, its average yield longitudinally to the shaft of the said ly attached has been but $4 or $5 a ton, a figure drum, a driving-wheand a vibrating arm between the crank and driving-whee- l, which, even with cheap labor, would said arm a rigid connecscarcely pay, and which absolutely pro- tion between theforming parts in the rotation hibits the use of expensive labor. Na- thereof. In an ore concentrator and in combitive labor, which at first cost $6 per nation a crank with the month, is now not to be had at $16 fixed to the shaft of said drum, a driving-a month, the highest price yet paid, wheel, an arm pivoted to said wheel as far as our information goes. to have movement in and out only, and It is too early yet to say that no a pivoted connection between the oppo w, belt-dru- m el belt-dru- m, site end of said arm and the end of the crank. No. 558,994. Rock and Coal Drill or Auger. J. T, Snyder, Luzerne, Pa. In an auger, the combination of a blade extending core, a spirally-twiste- d around the core and terminating at one side of the front end thereof, the plate or extension located in advance of the core and extending laterally from the same from a point opposite the front end of the blade, a central cutter mounted on a plate or extension, and a side cutter mounted on the plate or extension and terminating at its rear end in advance of the adjacent portion of the blade and having its adjacent beveled face arranged substantially parallel with the blade to provide an intervening clearing-spacNo. 559.055. Stamp Stem Guide for Stamp-Mill- s. C. A. Fargo, Marysville, Mont. A stamp-steguide for stamp-milof two halves or separate composed blocks, having straight backs and tapering sides adapted to surround the stamp-stewedges and bolts to hold the wedges and draw them to place, the projecting plates on the the front faces of wedges the guides, tapering keys inserted between such plates and the said guides, and a bar fixed on the front of the frame timber and let into the back of the guide. e. m ls m, over-lappi- ng over-lappi- ng guide mdde in two sides and a clampbeveled with parts, ing and holding means, consisting of a bar fixed on the front timber of the A stamp-ste- m mill frame and let into the back of the guide, wedges and. bolts for setting up and adjusting the parts of the guides laterally against the stamp-steand keys for setting up and holding the guide against the frame timber. m, Pan and Roller Mill. Nicola Fossati, Smiths Flat, Cal. An improved crushing mill, consisting of a suitable stationary bed, a stationary annular trough having standing inner and outer rims, the inner one of which is of less height than the outer oneT the revolving pan having a closed center, a flaring outer rim prod vided with openings and having projecting flanges on the outer face thereof, above the top line and below the bottom line of said openings, and said flanges being inclined downwardly and outwardly and extending within the standing rims of the stationary trough, an upright revoluble shaft to which said pan is secured and by which it is supported, and means applied to said shaft to revolve the No. 559,170. screen-covere- mounted to rotate in said pan on opposite sides of its axis, but stationary to its position in said pan; stationary supports formed of parallel upright posts and braces and cross pan, crushing-roller- s bars uniting said uprights; and a movable carriage provided with axle boxes in line with each other to receive the roller-axleand adapted to play vertically on the said upright supporters. s, The Review has received the prospectus of the Pikes Peak Tunnel Mining Railway company, which proposes to drive about fifty miles of 14 by 18 feet tunnel under Pikes Peak and the Cripple Creek district. The capital is fifty millions, and treasury stock is offered at $10 per share. All gain and no risk is its alluring promise to investors, as it will cut all the great veins of Cripple Creek at great depth. Just what method it proposes to adopt in acquiring title to these veins, now covered by surface locations, is not made clear. The Witwatersrand gold production for the month of March was 171,310 ounces, a decrease of 13,635 ounces, as compared with March, 1895. Juneau, Alaska, was shaken up on April 15th by the explosion of 100 boxes of dynamite in the magazine of the Treadwell mine. One man was killed. . |