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Show Interesting Article On : Silver in New District Siberia, east of Lake Baikal. I spoke of these mountains in my lead article several weeks ago, in this paper. The Mexican silver mines, which are amongst the richest in the world, occur in Argillaceous and Chloritic shales in the district of Guanaxuato, Zacatcns, Fresnillo, Sombrerete, Catorce, Oaxaca, Pachuca, Real del Monte, Batopilas and Tasco, under similar conditions geologically and physically. In the matter of silver production or possibilities, Utah today ranks amongst the premier silver producers produc-ers of the world, and to add another silver producing district, is to add to the wealth of Utah's mineral wealth. . .A tragic bit of early mining history his-tory in Utah, I believe, is worthy ot being repeated here, and as the incident in-cident occurred not far from this district, .it may perhaps help some to realize the great obstacles the early silver developments of Utah had to contend with. Some years prior to the mining of the now famous Silver Reef Mine in Southern Utah, an assayer had a small . assay office near where this famous silver producer now stands, and he assayed for the many prospectors pros-pectors then abounding in these districts, dis-tricts, in the early days. In all his assays it showed always silver values val-ues consistently, from the most common of rocks to the best ores brought to him, until one day some prospectors gave him a piece of local sandstone that had been used for an emery wheel for sharpening knives and tools and in this assay he also showed silver values. This was more than the prospectors could stand, the idea of assaying silver out of a common piece of sandstone used as an emery wheel, was too much imposition upon their credulity, credul-ity, and they then promptly lynched and killed him. Now under ordinary ordin-ary circumstances such an incident in those hectic days, .it might have passed unnoticed, but the consistent silver values in his assays had attracted at-tracted the officials of the U. S. Mint then, and a Government assayer as-sayer was -dispatched to verify the old assayer's records. After a complete com-plete recheek of the old assayer's records and assays, the Government assayer proved the old assayer's records and assays to be absolutely correct even unto the common sandstone-emery wheel, and as a matter of record, it was from these same dentical common sandstones that the millions of dollars in silver were later taken out of the Silver Reef Mine, and out of these chaotic conditions con-ditions grew one of the world's strangest operations at the time, the mining of silver in common sandr stone with fossils "in it, and every sedimentary condition possible present pres-ent in the formations then mined. From this then was built up the famous Silver Reef mine of South-3rn South-3rn Utah, and its millions of silver .hen taken out, so that another mile-;tone mile-;tone had been reached in the min-ng min-ng of this precious metal, and that ivas mining silver out of sandstone n North America. - This occurred almost al-most at your doors in this state, less than eighty years ago, I believe, md today the old Silver Reef is being be-ing conditioned to be operated by one of the world's great mining in color it shows silver-white shining, shin-ing, often dhlack externally from sulphur sul-phur tarnish. It is sectile and malleable, mal-leable, with a hardness of 2.5 to 3, and specific gravity of 10.1 to 11.1. Native silver dissolves in nitric acid, from which it precipitates itself to a white chloride, and if a clean copper plate is used and immersed in the nitric solution, it will coat itself then with the silver. Sulphur reduces silver to a sulphide, so that this shows its strong alloy qualities, quali-ties, which plays an important part in its deposition and affiliations in ores. That silver is not purely a secondary second-ary mineral, is proven in the fact that sea-water contains 1. part in 100 million, and silver present in one ocean were to be mined, it could produce about two million tons of silver if it were treated to be saved as a mineral. Sea water contains native bromides that are within the field of- points of origin in silver-making silver-making qualities, and ancient seas have surely washed the shores of these ancient plateaus in Southern Utah, so that historically the deposition deposi-tion of silver in these areas, have something of this tyne of origin. The vast salt deposits of the Great Western Salt Co. contacting the Sa-lina Sa-lina Lead Zinc Co.'s property has had some relative history in the dim past, in the making of silver present in the area, as both are of Jurassic age and marine deposited, and the analogy there is worthy of note, in the matter of sedimentary deposition. deposi-tion. - Following native silver, in matter of physical properties, we note Argentite, Ar-gentite, as present in the area, its physical properties carry modified forms of dodecahedrons in crystals, with somewhat apparent parallel cleavage, and appears sometime reticulated re-ticulated and massive, has a metallic lustre with blackish lead gray streaks shining in the ores. It is very sectile, and has a hardness of 2 to 2.5 and specific gravity of 7.19 to 7.4. It has a higher specific gravity than copper, this important element of the silver occurs in many parts of the world under the same conditions found in this area. Then we have Pyrargyrite, ruby silver, with Rhombohedral crystalli-zst'on crystalli-zst'on find showing of blackish to cochineal reddish colors, with a u-rd'ess of 2 to 2.5 and specific gravity of 5.7 to 5.9. Its chemical reactions are strongly similar to antimony. an-timony. (In point of origins this type of silver has some relation to the antimony deposits near Antimony, Anti-mony, south of this area.) Next we have Cerargyrite, Silver Chloride, this important silver element ele-ment has Isometric cubic crystals with no distinct cleavage, for its physical distinction, in color it passes from gray to green and blue. Resembles wax when cut with knife. SILVER IN SEVIER VALLEY. (By E. F. B.DAUDE, M. E.) A Notation. Any mineral that has a value per an ounce, is precious in its elemen-, tary value, and silver stands second ! to gold amongst the monetary metals I of the world, so that its appearance ! in this district is worthy of serious thought in any effort made to get it. From the earliest times at the very dawn of civilization silver has served serv-ed as a monetary metal and a symbol sym-bol of wealth even unto this day. Its consumption in times past has been in the uses made of it as money. mon-ey. Silver pieces appeau in the money mon-ey marts of the world, in periods antedating biblical times. Its use in ornaments and works of art, has been and is widespread, even in the times of Confucious in the Orient, and India has from times remote, been the world's greatest consumer of silver. The United States sells to India millions of dollars of bar sil-ver sil-ver yearly that never comes back, but is worked into ornaments there, and hoarded. It would be almost impossible to arrive at a conclusion as to an exact ex-act classification of the possible silver sil-ver commercial ores in this area, even with the silver now evidenced, as silver occurs in all rocks of all ages, under many forms, from Ar-chean Ar-chean to Tertiary times, and I will try to illustrate how silver might occur in this area from evidence of silver as now found here. Elementary Divisions of Silver in this Area. Native Silver occurs native or alloyed al-loyed with gold and combines with Sulphur, Selenium, Tellurium. Arsenic, Ar-senic, Antimony, Bismuth, Cloride, Iodine, but never occurs as an oxide, ct-i ooit.ite, sulphate or phosphate. In this instance the Chlorides will i play an important part in the da-! position of silver in this district, I with bromides and iodides next. It is doubtful that native silver commercially will be found in the area, but it is certain to bs found; 'in important quantities, in combination combina-tion with other minerals and ele-1 raents in the ores of the district, so let us study some of the divisions it ! could occur in and under Pyrargyrite, a Sulphadsenate of silver, appears in the ores of the area, as a ruby silver form, containing con-taining 17.7 per cent sulphur, 22.5 per cent antimony, 59.8 per cent silver. sil-ver. Cerargyrite, a silver chloride, contains con-tains 24.7 per cent chlorine, 75.3 per cent silver, also appears in this area. An important factor present in the area, is the fact that galenite ores appear in the district, as already al-ready advised of, in my lead article, and this type of ore is also common to areas of this type geologically in carrying silver-lead with sulphides of iron, zinc, copper and baryte as part of the ore gangue, so that this district has conditions in that direction direc-tion worthy of note, for the making of silver-lead ores. The Sulphides and arsenical silvers sil-vers appearing in the area will appear ap-pear with lead-carbonates and sulphates, sul-phates, as these types are of secondary, second-ary, origin chiefly. Carbonic acid, phosphoric acid, oxygen ox-ygen and chlorine, derived from depths have been responsible for ecu rying the silver to the top, in this instance. In order to arrive at some comparisons com-parisons in the classification sought of silver-in this area, it might ba well to note here, that the chief eruptive rocks that are capable of producing silver, are Andesite, Rhy-olite, Rhy-olite, Dacytes, Basalts, but seldom Trachytes. The chief eruptive rocks of the area, is in the main Dacytes, but of doubtful origin, in having any importance im-portance in the making of the silver present here, so that we are forced to look somewhere beyond that for points of origin of the silver present. Silver Chlorides are common to lead '. carbonate ores, and limestone areas offer good depositories for silver, due to the fact that it is easily eas-ily eroded by acid solutions and vapors, va-pors, so. that if intersected by a fissure fis-sure upon which such vapors or solutions so-lutions are ascending, cavities or chambers will be made in the limestone, lime-stone, and passageways along the joints and seams occur for the reception re-ception of the ore deposition in progress pro-gress then. This type of deposition is common to deep contacts, fissures such as found in the Tintil and Park City areas, and lenses as found in the Tri-State fields, wherever deep limestone areas oscur. Hie possible silver minerals that should likely occur in this area, are about as follows: 1- Native Silver, in small quantities quanti-ties only. 2- Argentite, Silver glance appears ap-pears in all ores of the area. 8-erargyrite, Silver Chloride, will appear in commercial quantities in area. It is translucent to near opaque with resinous lustre and sometimes contains mercury. (Cinnabar stains appear in the silica sands found in the Salina Lead Zinc Co.'s drifts, the sand being an ancient quicksand having been possibly deposited in a deep marine canyon then existing, so that in point of origin these physical phys-ical conditions have strong analogies. ana-logies. In the matter of origin of Cerargyrite Cerar-gyrite there is a strong relationship to the saline deposits within the area, as chlorine of the silver-chlorides comes from superficial saline waters whose waters carry excess of sodium chloride. (Great Salt Lake carries enough chlorine and sodium to recreate many deposits of silver chloride.) The Carbonic acid released from recreative action of lime, and the sulphur from decomposition of sulphides, sul-phides, as evidenced in Galenite ores of the area, with the pyrites present, and arsenics, antimonides, all come with sulphur from ascending ascend-ing vapors, so that in theory, as well as in practice, these silver ores have strong elementary points with-:n with-:n the area from great depths in j lime, in matter of origins, as to its j physical properties that make up the character of the silver elements present in the ores of the area. And in final the chemical changes making silver are undoubtedly still active in the world, as possibly within the lines of thought described. describ-ed. ' In point of origin and in conclusion conclu-sion geologically in the matter oi silver present in this area, it offers a new type of study in ore deposition, deposi-tion, and in points of origin, and these points compare with some of the South American mines I have seen, and believe at depth, it will likely be proven, I I Descriptive and ! Historical Comparisons. I have had occasion to examine some of the mines of the Huasco valley in Chili, and in there is found lome strong similarities in the matter mat-ter of silver elements in points of origins. Also in the low deserts and hills, in the Huantaya valley, near the port of Yquique, in Peru. The Potosi Mines in Bolivia oc- jompanies. They, as well as all the geological world, had benefited from the old assayer's unconscious assays as-says of the silver in the emery sandstone, and so it is with all new -areas, especially where strange conditions con-ditions are encountered. So give thought , to the old assayer whose rrave lies near the famous Silver Seef. He was an unconscious pion-ier pion-ier of the silver industry in Utah, and a trail blazer in the working of I sandstone formations for silver in ;he North American continent. I Throughout the ages silver has been valuable, always will be, as long as our present economic sys-em sys-em stands, so that no one should e discouraged in its possible lower "alue than when it was being bought it $1.00 per ounce in the money narts of the world, and when mined vith other minerals it has a good alue to the operator. With' more narkets than in the immediate past, md our purchasing value with the dollar has changed considerably in Khe last ten years, so that even were '.t being bought at $1.00 per ounce, It is doubtful it could retrieve our 'jurchasing value with it, as our economic conditions have changed since the war, and money has by 'orce of these great economic hanges, naturally lowered in val-le, val-le, until we are able to again recreate rec-reate new wealth, and upon which mr industrial world depends, so that ;he value per an ounce of silver -.hould not worry the producer, as-long as-long as has as well other minerals to market. Silver values throughout histori-p1 histori-p1 times, are about as follows: In Herodotus times its ratio was 1.13; ;n Plato's time, it was 1.12; in Caesar's time it was 1.9; in 1500 A. D., it was 1.11; in 1600 A. D., it ,vas 1.12; in 1700 A. D., it was 1.15; n 1800 A. D., it was 1.15, and its ratio in value has steadily climbed jpwards, so that even in a space of time its ratio through all kinds of great economic disturbances have held steadily upwards, and more so now with its increased use in Arts and in the multitudes of chemical alloys al-loys of the great chemical industries. indus-tries. My next article will be "On the problem of finding Gold in the Sevier Fault area of Utah." 4-Pyrargyrite, Conditional S u 1-phide. 1-phide. of Silver, appears in ores of area, likely in commercial quantities. So that with that in view, it is easily seen that silver will occur in the district in forms of ore combinations combina-tions with lead and zinc, and that it has important points of origin in the deep limes evidenced in the area. bilver is an element as yet -demanding intense metalu r gi c a 1 study as to its definite origins, in order to determine that many condi-tiMis condi-tiMis under wliich it occurs geologi-pally, geologi-pally, in point of ecpnomic importance, impor-tance, so let us make a comparative study of the silver elements occur-ing occur-ing in this district, and how similar silver elements occur in other parts of the world. y' Physical Properties- Governing Sil ver Elements and Comparitivc Notations No-tations of Other Areas. Native Silver, in its physical properties, pro-perties, shows no apparent cleavage, and occurs pft In !iliirni urd ijv tipresveit shapes', thti UYvtsUas having hav-ing crystilline ' character, ' also appears ap-pears in laminae forms and massive. curs in Argillaceous shales not un-similar un-similar to some of the formations of this area, In matter of histori- cal interest the Potosi Mines are i perhaps the oldest silver mines in ! the world, if not the highest, they being located about 17,000 feet above sea-level the ores there are ruby silver and argentite. It has been worked without stop for many thousands of years, as they were being worked in the days of the Incas civilization, and stijl being mined. Silver in Europe under similar conditions occur at Kongsberg, Norway, Nor-way, in calcito gangue, identical to those found in this area. In Hungary, at Schemnitz and Kremnitz, the silver also occurs in calcite gangue w:ith barium sulphates sul-phates -present, their ore in silfe'r beng Argentite. In France, silver is produced from Galenite ores, that are identis,l geologically and ;ihy.sitaiy 'this area, t HuelgOet, ' in Brittany, and : at the mines of Pontgibaud, Puy-de- Dome. The Galenite ores carrying silver , n-ciir in the. Daouria Mountains in |