Show SWEEPINGS the present high prices of the metals have resulted in the recovery of a a great amount of values from dumps and tailings which heretofore have been regarded as too low grade to be worth handling perhaps the most unique case of this kind is the gathering of sweepings from tailings ponds which has grown into quite an industry in several camps of the west the first record of developments along this line dates iback back about three years A young man employed in a mill in arizona one morning discovered an old desert rat with a broom busily engaged in sweeping the surface of a nearby tailings pond and carefully saving the product of his labors it happened that he was a young man of wisdom and instead of publishing his suspicions broadcast over the land he cogitated awhile and then boarded a train for los angeles there he held converse with ren ben loose loisea a mining man mail of experience who is particularly well acquainted around tono tah jah nevada mr loose secured the sweep privileges on several large ponds at that camp and his subsequent endeavors returned him currency in good sized bundles before the min ing cc companies began to pay attention to the new way of making money they at first gave the privilege without royalty but since metal prices began to climb the they are asking a share of the returns the in dumitry has grown to considerable broor eions in several camps and now at least ot company the tonopah belmont is build ing a plant for the treatment of the sweeps an authority in tonopah states that th solution carrying the values which are in gold and silver is brought to the surface by the rays of the sun As fast as the tailings are swept they are flooded with water and within a few days the solution again comes to the surface forming a white coating the values are greater than those of the crude ore but the substance is of course very light it is subjected to cyanide s section 0 U and the gold and silver contents are precipitated on aluminum |