| One
of the most impressive reminders of the vitality and industry
that once thrived in Bullion City is the Bully Boy Mill.
Constructed in 1922, the mill received raw ore from the Wedge,
Dalton, Great Western, Deseret, Cascade, Shamrock and Morning
Star mines. The ruins of the mill measure over 238 feet
long and 45 feet wide.
The mill was a technological wonder for the time. Ore
came to the mill in mine cars which dumped their loads at the
top of the building.
As ore moved downhill through the mill, it was mechanically
ground into sand by crushers and stamps. Water was added
to the crushed ore and the slurry mixture was moved to
"concentrators" where vibrating machines separated the
gold bearing ore from the worthless rock scrap. The final
step in milling ore involved passing the concentrated slurry
mixture over large copper plates coated with
mercury. Mercury is used because it attracts gold
like a magnet attracts iron.
In 1938, the mill closed because the cost of milling an ounce
of gold exceeded the market value for an ounce of gold.
Today, the Bully Boy Mill is privately owned by Fehrprop
Inc. Please respect their property.
DO NOT ENTER THE MILL.
IT IS UNSAFE |
