CASSEL GOLD EXTRACTING COMPANY (LIMITED).

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXIX, Issue 8881, 18 May 1892, Page 5

CASSEL GOLD EXTRACTING COMPANY (LIMITED).

INTERVIEW WITH MR. ALFRED

JAMES.

Mr. Alfred James has arrived in the colony as the accredited representative of the Cassel Gold Extraction Company, and has taken up premises in the Arcade Buildings, which are now being fitted up for the business of his office. Mr. James comes as one of the leading experts of the Cassel Company, and has had a large experience in South Africa, where the process has been largely adopted, and Mr. James has been mainly instrumental nob only in the introduction of the process but in popularising it by showing the extent to which ores refractory to tho ordinary process of treatment can be made amenable to scientific treatment and yield profitable results.

Mr. Alfred James is a young man, but he is evidently one of those who has a thorough grasp of the subject which ho treats, and it was a pleasure to us to have to deal with a man who had nothing to hide and everything to show. He expressed his willingness to answer any question, barring, how\ ever, the fact that lie had not had sufficient experience of New Zealand mines to be able to give opinions from personal experience. On the subject of South Africa, Mr. James is au fait. There, the process has been tried to its utmost extent, and with much satisfaction he refers to the success produced by the processes there. Their first operations at Johannesburg on tailings were from one of the largest plants, and wore such a success as to electrify the mining community of South Africa, tho treatment from one mine alone, the Robinson mine, being 000 tons of tailings per 4 day, tho saving for a month being 5000oz gold, or nearly £20,000.

THE METHODS. " Oil, as to our methods," said Mr. James, " they are virtually automatic. You have seen the process at the Crown mine. We put up tanks, larger than those in proportion, capable of holding SO tons, and each is discharged and recharged every alternate day with wet crushed ore as it comes from the mill, to which it is delivered by a tramway. Water is allowed to flow in, with a proportion of cyanide which leaches through the tanks leading the gold to the extractor boxes, from which it is cleared fortnightly." In regard to the results of the Cassel operations in South Africa, Mr. James is enthusiastic, and quotes from amongst a large lot of statistics the following items : —

Robinson has added nearly 50 per cent, to its output, and is now producing £15,000 worth of gold a month from its tailings only. Nigel has added 'JO per cent, to its output, and is actually obtaining £10,000 worth of gold per month, being more gold from its tailings than from the battery. Ferreira has added about.SO per cent, to its output, and is producing nearly £4000 worth of gold per month from its tailings. Jubilee has added 74-per cent, to its output, and is producing over £2000 worth of gold per month from its tailings, and paying five per cent, per month dividend. Salisbury added 30 per cent., and other mines in proportion.

" Well," said our reporter, " with all those brilliant prospects, what has brought you to New Zealand, where your process has been in operation for some years and where it has become an established factor

Mr. James said : " Our idea is, in coining to New Zealand, that although we have had very good results, there have been no real returns, and I have come to look into matters and decide on some definite policy how to exploit tho company's process." Reporter: "But for some time past mining people generally have been satisfied that your process is the best for saving gold, but there lias been a general complaint as to the charges which you make for the use of your process." Mr. James said that if that were so he would like to confer on this matter with those most interested.

"What?'' asked our reporter, "is your especial object now, since the system has already been started here?" " What are we doing here?" asked Mr. James; "and what do we want here? When we arrived in South Africa the yield was 20,0000z from one mine, and now it is 100,000' We are helping tho mines there to pay dividends, and now we have come to New Zealand for the same purpose. Our success in South Africa has removed the lack of enterprise after the collapse of the boom, and now Johannesburg is the premier goldfield in the world, producing 95,0000z per month, of which a large proportion is from tailings." " But," said the reporter, " is that all due to the Cassel process ?" "Well," said Mr. James, "to a considerable extent. Many of the mines had stopped paying dividends, and since the adoption of the Cassel process they they are now paying handsomely. One case in point is that of the Jubilee, which is now paying 5 per cent, per month. All the biggest mines have gone in for the process, and it has been hailed by the newspapers of South Africa as the saviour of the Cape Goldfields."

"Then you have come to accomplish a similar resurrection here. You will bo welcome.

"Yes," said Mr. James; "from data I have been able to obtain I learn that there has been a terrible amount of gold lost here, and we seek to lessen that recurrent loss and recover what was lost; but to secure those results it is nec -ary that we should got the co-operation of mine-owners, and one of my chief objects at present is to confer with mine-owners and mining directors to ascertain the position of mining affairs here."

" Have you been to the Thames?" " Yes," said Mr. James, " I hare been to the Thames and Karangalnike, but, of course, [ am not in a position to speak authoritatively as to either. A fine plant is now in course of erection at Karangahake, and I consider the prospects good." " Have you been to Waihi?" "No," Mr. James replied, "and I regret it, for I understand they have a magnificent plant which I should much like to see, and I hope to soon have an opportunity of doing 80." "Well, from what you have seen of the Upper Thames, what is your opinion ?" " I have been favourably impressed by the reefs of the district, and am convinced that its resources are good, and that when tho Crown plant is in operation, there will be a great improvement in the pr iduetion of the district. lam not in a position at present to state anything definite with regard to these prospects, but as I already told you, I have come to formulate for my company a scheme for New Zealand, and to do this, it is necessary that I should be placed in communication with mineowners and others."