The process at another Virginia mine, the Yaucluse, is described' in 1847 as follows:
" The machinery consists of a condensing Cornish mining engine of 120 horsepower; the mill-house contains C large Chilean mills; the cast-iron bed-plate of each is 5 feet 6 inches in diameter, and on it are two cast-iron runners of the same diameter, the total weight of the mill being 6200 pounds. The ores, on arriving at the surface, are divided into two classes: 1. The coarse and hard ore for the stamps; 2. Slate and fine ore for the Chilean mills. This is done by means of a large screen. The very large pieces are first broken by a hammer before they are fed to the stamps. All of the ores are ground with water, each mill being supplied with hot and cold water at pleasure. Twelve inches from the top of the bed-plate there is a wide, open mouth, from which the turbid water escapes to tanks. On the south side of the steam-engine is the stamp house and amalgamation mill, containing 6 batteries of 3 stamps each; these stamps, with the iron head of 125 pounds, weigh 350 to 380 pounds each. Each battery is supplied with water, and at each blow of the stamp a portion of the fine ore passes out of the boxes through the grates to the amalgamation room. Here are stationed 18 small amalgamation bowls of cast iron, 30 inches in diameter. The bowls are supplied with runners which move horizontally: in the center of these runners is an eye or opening like that in the runner of a cornmill. The ground or finely-stamped ore, gold and water pass into this eye. and by the rotary motion of the same are brought into contact with the quicksilver deposited in the center, forming amalgam. From the amalgamators the pulp passes through 3 dolly-tubs or catch-alls, acting as mercury and gold tubs. After this the whole mass passes to the strakes or inclined planes, where the sulphurets are deposited and the earthy matter washed away. These sulphurets were formerly treated in two heavy Mexican drags or arrastras; but not answering so good a purpose, they have been altered into three heavy Chilean mills."
The collection of amalgam, retorting and melting was practically the same as to-day. The total plant at this mine was valued at $70,000.
Emmons gives the method of working the ores of Gold Hill, X. C, in the earlier days as follows:'
" The machinery employed at Gold Hill for separating gold, consists, first of the Chilean mill for crushing and grinding, after being broken by hammers,
the Tyrolese bowls, the Burke rockers, and the drag-mill.....The work for
a Chilean mill of this ore is 70 bushels per day, and our mills run for 24 hours, with one or two short interruptions. They are all moved by steam-power, and all the water used in the mills is pumped from the mine. The Burke rocker is the principal and best saving machine employed. The drag-mill is also a good machine, is cheap, and easily kept in repair. On inspecting these operations when going on it is impossible to resist the conclusion that much of the gold is wasted along with the mercury."
Emmons further states the force employed at Gold Hill at that time for working the Earnhardt (Randolph) vein to consist of:
" 66 miners paid by the month and 39 negroes hired by the year. The day of 24 hours is divided into three shifts of eight hours each for underground work."
1 Plan and Description of the Vaueluae Mine, Orange County, Va. Philadelphia, 1847.
2 Geological Report of the Midland Counties of Xorlh Carolina, 1656. E. Emmons, pp. 160et »eq.
