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Show 1MII8 FINDS B' j GUN PlOEf! TEST Methods of Prospectors in Locating Leads and Testing Test-ing Ores Described. That the minine engineer can sometimes some-times learn soinei King from the grizzled and weather-bronzed prospector, and the novice who is going to take the trail on a ffold hunting trip will save much time a nd trouble by learning nil he can from an old -tinier be lore making the start, is the opinion of Dennis M. Stovnil In the Mining and ICuglnperiiiK "W'oild. For Instance, there is the one important impor-tant thin of "followlnp a lead" after a trace la struck; of knowing how to calculate cal-culate a course, the following of which will take the gold hunter to the parent treasure. The method the old-timer follows fol-lows is very simple. After lie pans the dirt of a prom I si I-8T stream of diepinss, he makes a careful inspection of the "colors" that, remain on the bottom of the pen. For all colors are not alike to him. He can segregate and separate those minute particles, placing each grnde or sort In a group by itself, and in this manner he selects those which belong to the particular lead he is follow ing. To do thia he trtkes all the colors and places them on his palm, or holds the pan close beneath his eyes. Seldom does he need to use his g!a:-s. This close Inspection In-spection brines out the slight shade of difference that exlstw between the various vari-ous grades that a sin trie pan may contain. con-tain. Ry following that course In which the colors of a certain shade or sort fCrow better with each p:i n. he Is on a "lead." Once on such a lead there Is no stopping lilm. No two "pockets, " veins or lodes are aliko. and this accounts for the various "shades" of gold some very bright, i some very dull, some alniof-t black and others of an old-ro.-e color. That is why each lead presents problems peculiar to itself, and which has to be figured out entirely independent of all previous ones. Of course, luck plays a hand now and then, as luck will In anything; but ti"--" successful prospector does pot trust 'o luck. He has found t hat gold hunting 1b mostly work hard, patient, persistent work. Still another thing cf importance in , prospecting !s the ability lo prove the worth, or lack of wnrth. of a strike. VViih placer ground this is f-ny, as the colnrp and the gold Use If will m.n ke l his 1 1 ur h manifest. But with quartz it hecomps a problem not eapy of solution if the nearest near-est ass- y office i H'O miles away and the prospector bun no other means of Identifying or determining the values. The method followed by many of the old-timers, with very fair success. Is that of applying what they call the "gmi-powde-r test." To do this the prospector becomes at one his own assayer. Ha flru pulverizes thu quartz into a dust, using the flat side of his hand-pick hand-pick as a pestle and a hollow stone for a mortar, and sele.-ting tint part of the or which he believes carries the hst value--. Tie then adds one-third as mud. cu:i powder as there Is pulverizer.! o:". T.' e mixture in then madi- i:io a pasre. n-trs dear ntiter. an-t m .is t ered hjs'. enouch to leave it of tli" on it cnv .if ffit ciouk'h. This Is s:.Jtp"r nilo il e f-ir:n of a cone and st on a t'..-t m-k In i'-e sun to dry. WI.en thrr--i:phb,- ciry tie point of the com is fir-il Willi cjt :b and the gunpiwder rnni .-nt :i nsc-? u (. after and b;i:-ii auay mudi hi:i h If coiiipl't'' ilrv. anil t'e rul-ii'- h;i -b'.'n ctiriectlv P : opor t ;n : I . i: ulli bi,:: down until nantni h1 l -'t but r lil.uk a-d charred metal in- bu".':i. Thl": butt n corresponds, tn a rocii ivay. in the a.--Silver's button. Tt will not be ery hlg or cle?n button, but a lit"'1 i-ripi'-c tir.d poll.-lunsr will rrov'' idrntl'v. In fad. not vry much mtnl nr., be sc. cured in such n crude v;iy to lvvp airp'' etdepco nf ennrerable .P,. lo t 1 ' uuarl7., though tl:e g'Id, II '-r aid i-op-per will hII be ulloy.-d. and th I'mrnir-tlons I'mrnir-tlons of thev; can or.iv be de' "rnnned 1 ,m.j, The gunpow der t-v-f, how c cr gives nbsobit proof of ti e r--v! o or ponpr'-" nee of forr.e kind. |