Freeoples Thread 331

[Mo1]

T h r e a d ... 3 3 1

[Cuttnhorse]

It was a particularly rich deposit, convienently close to the mother load gold fields.

I spent one summer with a friend diving for gold in the Sierra...we had a small dredge. I recall cleaning crevases in the bottom of rivers and often times finding small pools of quicksilver. This from the gold recovery process from the 1860's. Lots of mercury was used during the gold rush.

[Cuttnhorse]

Morning Swervie,

The comments from that thread will be a riot.

[null and void]

YEEEEEEEE-haaaa!!!

[Servant of the Nine]

I don't think a mercury mine could be operated today with the health regulations that are in effect.

If you read Mark Twains stuff about his working in a Gold Refinery and the way they handled the Mercury, it's a wonder that any of them lived.

So9

[Servant of the Nine]

The comments from that thread will be a riot.

I wonder if Lorena Bobbit told John to just shut his eyes, cause she had a kinky little surprise for him?

So9

[Cuttnhorse]

Was it Twain that wrote about the potato(e) retort? Seems like I recall his description from Roughing It.

[Servant of the Nine]

Was it Twain that wrote about the potato(e) retort? Seems like I recall his description from Roughing It.

I think so. I just recall being stunned by his description of kneading the gold-mercury amalgum by hand like bread dough, because someone I knew had died from mercury poisoning not long before, just from bad lab ventilation.

So9

[Mo1]

I had a 5 hour meeting with an investor about one of my patents yesterday, it went really well. I may get some activity within the year from that

That sounds cool .. will keep my fingers crossed

[Mo1]

LOL ... you're bad

[Cuttnhorse]

I spent a month in southern Ecuador in a very remote area where they are still recovering gold using almagamation. Unbelievable...and you are right about kneeding the almalgam like bread dough. These guys used large shaker tables which they loaded with mercury then recovered the amalgam then squeezed the almagam by hand with a chamois. They would then heat the "sponge" and volatize the mercury leaving a gold/silver(copper) doré.

The problem is this is a very inefficient process and about half the mercury washes into the local streams and finds its way into the Amazon basin. Some NGO group was saying that around 200 pounds of mercury per day! was being transported into the basin where it really causes problems. As you know, mercury under most conditions is inert and doesn't cause problems...which is why it can last for over a 100-years on the bottom of fast-flowing, oxygenated streams...but under anerobic conditions, like in some organic-rich flood plain, all kinds of complex methyl-mercury compounds are formed. Equally dangerous is heating mercury, as what happened to your unfortunate friend.

[Cuttnhorse]

Morning Mo,

Have been swamped with work and endless mind-numbing meetings. After the last two days, I've got a stiff neck from dozing off in a chair.

[Mo1]

I was never a wildwoman .. I was a good girl .. really

[lodwick]

Say Hi to Grampa Dave today

[Mo1]

Artichokes are 12 for 1,000 pesos, or about $1.43.

Geez .. I just bought 2 for $3

[Mo1]

We tend to breed 'em for looks

You mean like those organge tomatoes we have

[Mo1]

I've finally decided to try to find employment back in the USA and am starting to send out a few resumes

There's no place like home

Will keep my fingers crossed for ya too

[Mo1]

Well she did warn him .. LOL

[Servant of the Nine]

I was never a wildwoman .. I was a good girl .. really

There's still time.

So9

[Mo1]

Can't say I miss those mind-numbing meetings .. poor Horsie

[Cuttnhorse]

Hi Mo,

Mind-numbing meetings...in Spanish!! Which means I catch roughly 50% of what is going on...add dozing off and I might as well stay home.