Gold'Saving.

Thames Star, Volume XVI, Issue 5107, 30 May 1885, Page 3

Gold' Saving.

THE LA MONTE PROCESS

A meeting of these interested in giving the above a trial was held in Auckland on Thursday eyeniDg. There were present: Colonel Eraser (M.H.R.), J. Dickey, C. C. McMillan, 0. Alexander, A. Porter, H. Shepherd, R. McDonald ■ Scott, W. S. WilsoD, A. G. Hor'ton, E. K. Davis, i. Saunders, J. M. Lennox; Hull, J. Howard, L. D. Nathan, J. Reid, G. Aictin, J.F. Clarke, Gr. S, Eissling, J. Chambers, and J. P, Morpeth. There was a delay in the meeting owiDg to the Bbsince of Mr LaMonte, and finally on the motion of Mr J. M. Lennox, seconded by Mr Morpeth, Mr J. Reid, President of the Chamber of Commerce, was called to the chair. ;

Mr Saunders said the idea was to see if some arrangement could be made for the working.o? Mr LaMonte's process. Colonel Eraser said several of the Auckland members had, with him, met Mr LaTnach while he was in Auckland. Mr LaMonte was present, and their purpose was to arrange' regarding .the working of this plant. Mr Larnach agreed to giro £1000 bonus, if after tweve months (bo results were satisfactory to the departiraent. He would put-this sum on the estimates, and it would go either to Mr LaMonte or the comnany wbo worked his process to the satisfaction of the department. The following rough sketch, written by Mr LaMonte,, was read:—" Form a com pany of say 60,000 shares of £1 each. I will deed to such company my Nevada Water Jacket Smelter (open jacket),,and my Nevada Copper Smelter (open jacket). The Pacific Galena Smelter and the Pacific Copper Smelter; also, my process for separating the gold and silver from the base bullion, and all plans and specifics* tions for the same. Same as is in use io New South. Wales. I will furnish and deliver—at Auckland one 30 ton of smelting plant complete—ready to set up, one double refinery, also ready to set up, in fact all of the machinery complete for the plant, and will furnish skilled labour to erect and start the same, running it say 80 days successfully; then the skilled labourers to remain, if wanted, with the company to erect and start other works. Such patents and such plant to be delivered to the company at Auckland, provided that a cash-consideration of £10,000 i is paid in three instalments of like amounts, extending over a period of six j years from signing the same—£looo cash down, and 8000 shares of the company's stock fully paid up. This would give us for the patents a net sum of about £6000 only, with success guaranteed by us.— Yours truly, John D. LaMontb." Mr LaMonte said the expense at Sunny Corner mine, New South Wales, was £1 9s per ton, but there the tailings were of a peculiar nature, very silicious, and required extra fluxing, and to get through 40 tons ore they required to have 100 tons smelted; but where ores contained more iron and lead they could get through double the quantity. Then in working ore tailings, he found that at Te Aroha and Thames they concentrated nicely, and, instead of smelting 10 tons of tailiDgs, this quantity could be reduced to one ton of concentrated tailings. The expense of concentrator would be about Is per ton. In putting up a smelter at the Thames, he would suggest that they should have one only for several mills. The concentration would be set at the foot of the battery plates, and these would take ■11 the concentrations cheaply. The concentrators were cheap, and easily constrctued, and could be made anywhere. The average of tnilings from two mills would go 2ozs of gold per ton, worth £4 an ounce. He found that these tailings fused very easily. There was antimony in abundance, but that came away with the lead. Arsenic was one of the principal metals they had to contend against, but he did not object to antimony. The average of fuel was 20| per cent, per ton, and in running the concentrators the average would be 15 per cent. The results of his tests were very satisfactory. He found at Te Aroha and the Thames higher assay average than the battery produced, and he would guarantee this by any test. He had tested Te Aroha, Karangahake, and the Thames, and found that there was more value in the ore than had been extracted by the battery process; and if tbo. reefs could now pay fcr mining and crushing the test of the gold extracted would go to dividends. He believed all the concentrations of 1 ton of concentration to 10 tons of tailings would go 20ozs of gold and 2ozs of silver. The Cambria tailings assayed 2ozs 9grs per ton, and the concentrations assayed 22oza refined gold and 22ozs of silver. The Ivanhoe assayed 2oza 15dwts 12grs in the tailings. They would work close to the assay all the time, but they always allowed 5 per cent, leeway, for in assaying always the best samples were taken in the pro-, portion of one shovelful to sixteen, he would work to their assay right along. Mr Saunders said Mr Gordon, the Inspector of Mines, who had been to Australia, said that^ Mr LaMonte's process worked up to 95 per cent. In reply to further inquiries, Mr LaMonte said that £10,000 would provide the plant and all skilled labor. They were not at present saving half the gold by the batteries. It was impossible by the present battery process to save the gold, which was locked up in minerals. Figuring the cost of eoncepiraiion at Is, jda the reduction at 3s, it would bring the cost to 4s or 5s a ton for the whole operation." He did not find so much silver in Te Aroha as he expected, but there were some silver veins which had not been opened up. There was room for one plant there, but at Karangahake he would recommend a strong plant, as it was a smelting ore, and be should have it taken to the smelter rough, about the size of road metal. In the event of people here not taking a sufficient interest in it to form the company, they would undertake it themselves; but they preferred being associated with those interested. The following committee was appointed to enquire into the matter of forming a company* or to make such suggestions as they may deem fit:—Messrs C.Alexander, j C. C. McMillan, G. Aickin, A. Porter, J. Eeid, A. Saunders, W. S. Wilson, R. K. Davis, and J. -M. Lennox.