Show RECENT correspondent IS TOLD OF U OF U RESEARCH N A RECENT ISSUE of the mining review a colorado IN correspondent was disposed to criticize the work of the department of mining and metallurgical research of the university of utah and of the united states bureau of mines with whom the university is is cooperating cooperation 6 1 because he felt that better service ought to be rendered to prospectors pec tors while the mining review was satisfied that the correspondent was laboring under a misconception as to the work ainis aims and purposes of the affiliated efforts of great university and of the bureau of mines it wished to stand back of its promise to give every reader a chance chalice to be heard on oil any subject that related to the welfare of the mining industry of this region it was not expected that the faculty of the university nor those directing the cooperative efforts of the bureau of mines and the department of metallurgical research could or would make official personal reply to the complaint and criticism of the colorado subscriber so it was deemed worth while and of sufficient public interest to secure a sta statement that would not only amplify the information given our correspondent at the time he sought his mentioned service to the prospector but which would also serve to Z give ive a clear understanding of certain phases of the road broad field that is contained in the scope of the tasks and their significant value to the mining industry which find promulgation through the departments of the university it is therefore a pleasure to present tile the following resume of the statements secured and to explain to our well meaning correspondent that they embody just what would be and evidently was told to him by those he had consulted when visiting the university among other things your correspondent asks just why does your state spend so much money on oil such schools and uncle sam am employ such able men to run his part of it if it is useless to the poor prospector he complains that he brought pounds of samples from western utah near gold hill and had promised the miners he would send thern them a full report of the test and opinion as to treatment etc of their ores from the university but that no 0 o tests he only a short statement were made and that was given very as to what might be done with such properties the work of the bureau as likewise that of the department ot of mining and metallurgical research is for the purpose of securing fundamental data needed by the industry and not for the purpose of working out processes for individuals or companies for the treatment of ores such work is done by the commercial assayers chemists and engineers therefore for the bureau and university to do such work would not be fair as they would be doing that which aich properly belongs to the commercial assayer chemist or engineer this case is of interest since it typifies the character of criticisms so often voiced by well meaning people who fail apparently to appreciate on the one hand the value of the type of service rendered and on oil the other the limitations with which such service is beset the pounds of samples to which the correspondent refers consisted of miscellaneous specimens varying from iron stained quartz to milky white and bluish gray varieties consisting chiefly of the same mineral quartz associated with calcite a little copper tain stain and other accessories no minerals of econ economic ornic importance were were apparent if the ore had any value at all it would have to be in its precious metal content this could be determined only by fire assays essays of carefully sampled material quantitative assays essays of this character cannot be made by the bureau of mines without coming in competition with commercial assayers who rightly object to this sort of service by a Z government agency obviously any advice concerning treatment must be tentative pending a careful determination of the character and extent of the ore body this was explained to the visitor and various possibilities were gone one into by our nonferrous non ferrous metallurgist more than three hours were devoted to we the visitor and his samples were carefully examined by a mineralogist advice was oven given concerning the most economical methods of development and treatment of a silver ore such as this one purported to be for reasons stated above no attempt was made to verify the accuracy of assays essays which the owners of the property were supposed to have had made the note lot e in the mining Z review states that the prospectors had quite a lot of ore out this according to the visitors statement to us consisted of five pits ten tell to fifteen feet deep he was furnished with the names and addresses of the various local smelters shelters sm elters and commercial testing houses for this he thanked us and departed apparently pleased with the information we had given I 1 hirn him in order to have carefully analyzed his ore and made adequate tests concerning its milling properties upon which we could have given scientific advice concerning methods of treatment involved tests and extended experimentation would w have been necessary amounting to an all expense account running into three place figures Fur furthermore therill ore we would have been in direct competition with local concerns who are established for this very purpose |