Show TANTALUM IN IDAHO statesman boise idaho victor C hikes of the geological survey who has been making examinations of placer gravels through the west with the view of determining if rare metals were likely to be f found aund in them was in the city between trains yesterday he brought the interesting information that tantalum has been found in sands from snake river and in some secured from the pierce district this metal is coming into extensive use in electrical work mr hikes is making arrangements for the shipment of several large samples of snake river gravel to the government testing plant at the portland exposition these will be of several tons each some will come from the eastern part of the state and some from this locality in speaking of the work of the plant mr hikes said it had been of much value to oregon miners representatives of the government ern ment in looking for sands sand s or concen had frequently been told to take whatever they wished of black sand dumps material that had been concentrated and put through the process of amalgamation for the extraction of the gold taking such sand to the plant the government operators had found much free gold remaining in many instances and in some cases nice bricks had bad been sent the miners from whom the sands had been secured in addition in a number of instances valuable metals had been found in such sands the presence of which had not been suspected by the claims claim owners |