| Show THE tur the operations of the mint al at though commonly spoken of and indeed apparently tan filiar to most persons in the community are understood by but very few perhaps not bot by one hundred the following deschi description ti n of the various processes to which gold is subjected in the course of assaying is so concise and yet so perfect that we take pleasure in transferring I 1 jt it to our columns it is taken from ane albany knickerbocker and ard refers to the operations of the new york assay office but the process precess is the game same as in all the U S mints the gold is taken laken in the weigh meigh room where it ia is weighed and placed to the credit of the de then to the mel mei melting deltino tino and granulating room where tivo two parts of silver are mixed with one of gold in order to purify the gold more perfectly melted and dropped into cold water forming drops similar in form and color to those produced by dropping lead into water this composition is then taken to the separating room where aher e I 1 t undergoes two operations separating the mhd gold from the silver which is done by on an acid and tile the acid from the oily silver r by this time the individuality of twe the metals as metals becomes lost being heidin held heid in solution by acid which solution when caught in a glass has the appearance of very iery clear water this is is put in in large tubs and filtered into a solution of cominos salt and water which causes the gold or silver to settle in in the bottom the gold is now as pure as can be and it only remains to form it into bare bar but one thing more is is necessary the met metal metai at as it comes from the salt and water w hew hem placed over the fire would fly and snap thereby causino causing causing considerable stid said sid erable lass this is s obviated by subject subjecting subjects i no the gold to the pressure of a hydraulic press of 20 tons bobs power thus condensing it into a cheese or r cake about fourteen inches indies in in diameter and four or five inches thick the tile rigid discipline af 0 tite lite lle lie press destroys its ambition so that when broken by a coal chisel it melts as quiet as dould could be wis wit wished hed after abtey i melting elting n it is run into bars of diffident sizes tile tiie largest 5 or 0 inches long about 3 inches M u imp ic and I 1 or 1 I 1 33 33 inches thick is valued at the other range from these bars are taken into tile the As sayo bayors s office weighed and sealed when ill til they ey are ready readdy for lor the mint these various p processes roc sie are so perfectly arranged that not a i particle of metat metal is lost I 1 |
