roughing it-第39部分

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dash　it　against　an　upright　wire　screen　to　free　it　from　pebbles　and
prepare　it　for　working　over。

The　process　of　amalgamation　differed　in　the　various　mills；　and　this
included　changes　in　style　of　pans　and　other　machinery；　and　a　great
diversity　of　opinion　existed　as　to　the　best　in　use；　but　none　of　the
methods　employed；　involved　the　principle　of　milling　ore　without
〃screening　the　tailings。〃　　Of　all　recreations　in　the　world；　screening
tailings　on　a　hot　day；　with　a　long…handled　shovel；　is　the　most
undesirable。

At　the　end　of　the　week　the　machinery　was　stopped　and　we　〃cleaned　up。〃
That　is　to　say；　we　got　the　pulp　out　of　the　pans　and　batteries；　and　washed
the　mud　patiently　away　till　nothing　was　left　but　the　long　accumulating
mass　of　quicksilver；　with　its　imprisoned　treasures。　　This　we　made　into
heavy；　compact　snow…balls；　and　piled　them　up　in　a　bright；　luxurious　heap
for　inspection。　　Making　these　snow…balls　cost　me　a　fine　gold　ringthat
and　ignorance　together；　for　the　quicksilver　invaded　the　ring　with　the
same　facility　with　which　water　saturates　a　spongeseparated　its
particles　and　the　ring　crumbled　to　pieces。

We　put　our　pile　of　quicksilver　balls　into　an　iron　retort　that　had　a　pipe
leading　from　it　to　a　pail　of　water；　and　then　applied　a　roasting　heat。
The　quicksilver　turned　to　vapor；　escaped　through　the　pipe　into　the　pail；
and　the　water　turned　it　into　good　wholesome　quicksilver　again。
Quicksilver　is　very　costly；　and　they　never　waste　it。　　On　opening　the
retort；　there　was　our　week's　worka　lump　of　pure　white；　frosty　looking
silver；　twice　as　large　as　a　man's　head。　　Perhaps　a　fifth　of　the　mass　was
gold；　but　the　color　of　it　did　not　showwould　not　have　shown　if　two
thirds　of　it　had　been　gold。　　We　melted　it　up　and　made　a　solid　brick　of　it
by　pouring　it　into　an　iron　brick…mould。

By　such　a　tedious　and　laborious　process　were　silver　bricks　obtained。
This　mill　was　but　one　of　many　others　in　operation　at　the　time。　　The　first
one　in　Nevada　was　built　at　Egan　Canyon　and　was　a　small　insignificant
affair　and　compared　most　unfavorably　with　some　of　the　immense
establishments　afterwards　located　at　Virginia　City　and　elsewhere。

From　our　bricks　a　little　corner　was　chipped　off　for　the　〃fire…assay〃a
method　used　to　determine　the　proportions　of　gold；　silver　and　base　metals
in　the　mass。　　This　is　an　interesting　process。　　The　chip　is　hammered　out
as　thin　as　paper　and　weighed　on　scales　so　fine　and　sensitive　that　if　you
weigh　a　two…inch　scrap　of　paper　on　them　and　then　write　your　name　on　the
paper　with　a　course；　soft　pencil　and　weigh　it　again；　the　scales　will　take
marked　notice　of　the　addition。

Then　a　little　lead　（also　weighed）　is　rolled　up　with　the　flake　of　silver
and　the　two　are　melted　at　a　great　heat　in　a　small　vessel　called　a　cupel；
made　by　compressing　bone　ashes　into　a　cup…shape　in　a　steel　mold。　　The
base　metals　oxydize　and　are　absorbed　with　the　lead　into　the　pores　of　the
cupel。　　A　button　or　globule　of　perfectly　pure　gold　and　silver　is　left
behind；　and　by　weighing　it　and　noting　the　loss；　the　assayer　knows　the
proportion　of　base　metal　the　brick　contains。　　He　has　to　separate　the　gold
from　the　silver　now。　　The　button　is　hammered　out　flat　and　thin；　put　in
the　furnace　and　kept　some　time　at　a　red　heat；　after　cooling　it　off　it　is
rolled　up　like　a　quill　and　heated　in　a　glass　vessel　containing　nitric
acid；　the　acid　dissolves　the　silver　and　leaves　the　gold　pure　and　ready　to
be　weighed　on　its　own　merits。　　Then　salt　water　is　poured　into　the　vessel
containing　the　dissolved　silver　and　the　silver　returns　to　palpable　form
again　and　sinks　to　the　bottom。　　Nothing　now　remains　but　to　weigh　it；　then
the　proportions　of　the　several　metals　contained　in　the　brick　are　known；
and　the　assayer　stamps　the　value　of　the　brick　upon　its　surface。

The　sagacious　reader　will　know　now；　without　being　told；　that　the
speculative　miner；　in　getting　a　〃fire…assay〃　made　of　a　piece　of　rock　from
his　mine　（to　help　him　sell　the　same）；　was　not　in　the　habit　of　picking　out
the　least　valuable　fragment　of　rock　on　his　dump…pile；　but　quite　the
contrary。　　I　have　seen　men　hunt　over　a　pile　of　nearly　worthless　quartz
for　an　hour；　and　at　last　find　a　little　piece　as　large　as　a　filbert；　which
was　rich　in　gold　and　silverand　this　was　reserved　for　a　fire…assay！　　Of
course　the　fire…assay　would　demonstrate　that　a　ton　of　such　rock　would
yield　hundreds　of　dollarsand　on　such　assays　many　an　utterly　worthless
mine　was　sold。

Assaying　was　a　good　business；　and　so　some　men　engaged　in　it；
occasionally；　who　were　not　strictly　scientific　and　capable。　　One　assayer
got　such　rich　results　out　of　all　specimens　brought　to　him　that　in　time　he
acquired　almost　a　monopoly　of　the　business。　　But　like　all　men　who　achieve
success；　he　became　an　object　of　envy　and　suspicion。　　The　other　assayers
entered　into　a　conspiracy　against　him；　and　let　some　prominent　citizens
into　the　secret　in　order　to　show　that　they　meant　fairly。　　Then　they　broke
a　little　fragment　off　a　carpenter's　grindstone　and　got　a　stranger　to　take
it　to　the　popular　scientist　and　get　it　assayed。　　In　the　course　of　an　hour
the　result　camewhereby　it　appeared　that　a　ton　of　that　rock　would　yield
1；184。40　in　silver　and　366。36　in　gold！

Due　publication　of　the　whole　matter　was　made　in　the　paper；　and　the
popular　assayer　left　town　〃between　two　days。〃

I　will　remark；　in　passing；　that　I　only　remained　in　the　milling　business
one　week。　　I　told　my　employer　I　could　not　stay　longer　without　an　advance
in　my　wages；　that　I　liked　quartz　milling；　indeed　was　infatuated　with　it；
that　I　had　never　before　grown　so　tenderly　attached　to　an　occupation　in　so
short　a　time；　that　nothing；　it　seemed　to　me；　gave　such　scope　to
intellectual　activity　as　feeding　a　battery　and　screening　tailings；　and
nothing　so　stimulated　the　moral　attributes　as　retorting　bullion　and
washing　blanketsstill；　I　felt　constrained　to　ask　an　increase　of　salary。
He　said　he　was　paying　me　ten　dollars　a　week；　and　thought　it　a　good　round
sum。　　How　much　did　I　want？

I　said　about　four　hundred　thousand　dollars　a　month；　and　board；　was　about
all　I　could　reasonably　ask；　considering　the　hard　times。

I　was　ordered　off　the　premises！　　And　yet；　when　I　look　back　to　those　days
and　call　to　mind　the　exceeding　hardness　of　the　labor　I　performed　in　that
mill；　I　only　regret　that　I　did　not　ask　him　seven　hundred　thousand。

Shortly　after　this　I　began　to　grow　crazy；　along　with　the　rest　of　the
population；　about　the　mysterious　and　wonderful　〃cement　mine；〃　and　to　make
preparations　to　take　advantage　of　any　opportunity　that　might　offer　to　go
and　help　hunt　for　it。




CHAPTER　XXXVII。

It　was　somewhere　in　the　neighborhood　of　Mono　Lake　that　the　marvellous
Whiteman　cement　mine　was　supposed　to　lie。　　Every　now　and　then　it　would　be
reported　that　Mr。　W。　had　passed　stealthily　through　Esmeralda　at　dead　of
night；　in　disguise；　and　then　we　would　have　a　wild　excitementbecause　he
must　be　steering　for　his　secret　mine；　and　now　was　the　time　to　follow　him。
In　less　than　three　hours　after　daylight　all　the　horses　and　mules　and
donkeys　in　the　vicinity　would　be　bought；　hired　or　stolen；　and　half　the
community　would　be　off　for　the　mountains；　following　in　the　wake　of
Whiteman。　　But　W。　would　drift　about　through　the　mountain　gorges　for　days
together；　in　a　purposeless　sort　of　way；　until　the　provisions　of　the
miners　ran　out；　and　they　would　have　to　go　back　home。　　I　have　known　it
reported　at　eleven　at　night；　in　a　large　mining　camp；　that　Whiteman　had
just　passed　through；　and　in　two　hours　the　streets；　so　quiet　before；　would
be　swarming　with　men　and　animals。　　Every　individual　would　be　trying　to　be
very　secret；　but　yet　venturing　to　whisper　to　just　one　neighbor　that　W。
had　passed　through。　　And　long　before　daylightthis　in　the　dead　of
Winterthe　stampede　would　be　complete；　the　camp　deserted；　and　the　whole
population　gone　chasing　after　W。

The　tradition　was　that　in　the　early　immigration；　more　than　twenty　years
ago；　three　young　Germans；　brothers；　who　had　survived　an　Indian　massacre
on　the　Plains；　wandered　on　foot　through　the　deserts；　avoiding　all　trails
and　roads；　and　simply　holding　a　westerly　direction　and　hoping　to　find
California　before　they　starved；　or　died　of　fatigue。　　And　in　a　gorge　in
the　mountains　they　sat　down　to　rest　one　day；　when　one　of　them　noticed　a
curious　vein　of　cement　running　along　the　ground；　shot　full　of　lumps　of
dull　yellow　metal。　　They　saw　that　it　was　gold；　and　that　here　was　a
fortune　to　be　acquired　in　a　single　day。　　The　vein　was　about　as　wide　as　a
curbstone；　and　fully　two　thirds　of　it　was　pure　gold。　　Every　pound　of　the
wonderful　cement　was　worth　well…nigh　200。

Each　of　the　brothers　loaded　himself　with　about　twenty…five　pounds　of　it；
and　then　they　covered　up　all　traces　of　the　vein；　made　a　rude　drawing　of
the　locality　and　the　principal　landmarks　in　the　vicinity；　and　started
westward　again。　　But　troubles　thickened　about　them。　　In　their　wanderings
one　brother　fell　and　broke　his　leg；　and　the　others　were　obliged　to　go　on
and　leave　him　to　die　in　the　wilderness。　　Another；　worn　out　and　starving；
gave　up　by　and　by；　and　laid　down　to　die；　but　after　two　or　three　weeks　of
incredible　hardships；　the　third　reached　the　settlements　of　California
exhausted；　sick；　and　his　mind　deranged　by　his　sufferings。　　He　had　thrown
away　all　his　cement　but　a　few　fragments；　but　these　were　sufficient　to　set
everybody　wild　with　excitement。　　However；　he　had　had　enough　of　the　cement
country；　and　nothing　could　induce　him　to　lead　a　party　thither。　　He　was
entirely　content　to　work　on　a　farm　for　wages。　　But　he　gave　Whiteman　his
map；　and　described　the　cement　region　as　well　as　he　could　and　thus
transferred　the　curse　to　that　gentlemanfor　when　I　had　my　one　accidental
glimpse　of　Mr。　W。　in　Esmeralda　he　had　been　hunting　for　the　lost　mine；　in
hunger　and　thirst；　poverty　and　sickness；　for　twelve　or　thirteen　years。
Some　people　believed　he　had　found　it；　but　most　people　believed　he　had
not。　　I　saw　a　piece　of　cement　as　large　as　my　fist　which　was　said　to　have
been　given　to　Whiteman　by　the　young　German；　and　it　was　of　a　seductive
nature。　　Lumps　of　virgin　gold　were　as　thick　in　it　as　raisins　in　a　slice
of　fruit　cake。　　The　privilege　of　working　such　a　mine　one　week　would　be
sufficient　for　a　man　of　reasonable　desires。

A　new　p