A common error is that of erecting machinery before there is sufficient ore in sight to make it certain that enough can be provided to keep the plant going.  In mines at a distance from the centre of direction it is almost impossible to check mistakes of this description, caused by the ignorance or over sanguineness of the mine superintendent, and they are often as disastrous as they are indefensible.  Another fertile source of failure is the craze for experimenting with untried inventions, alleged to be improvements on well-known methods.

A rule in the most scientific of card games, whist, is “when in doubt lead trumps.”  It might be paraphrased for mining thus:  “When in doubt about machinery use that which has been proved.”  Let some one else do the experimenting.

The success of a quartz mine depends as much on favourable working conditions as on its richness in gold.  Thus it may be that a mine carrying 5 or 6 oz. of gold to the ton but badly circumstanced as to distance, mountainous roads, lack of wood and water, in some cases a plethora of the latter, or irregularly faulted country, may be less profitable than another showing only 5 or 6 dwt., but favourably situated.

It is usually desirable to choose for the battery site, when possible, the slope of a hill which consists of rock that will give a good foundation for your battery.

The economical working depends greatly on the situation, which is generally fixed more or less, in the proximity of the water.  The advantages of having ample water for battery purposes, or of using water as a motive power, are so great that it is very often desirable to construct a tramway of considerable length, when, by so doing, that power can be utilised; hence most quartz mills are placed near streams, or in valleys where catchment dams can be effectively constructed, except, of course, in districts where much water has to be pumped from the mine.

If water-power can be used, the water-motor will necessarily be placed as low as possible, in order to obtain the fullest available power.  One point is essential.  Special care must be taken to keep the appliances above the flood-level.  If the water in the stream is not sufficient to carry off the tailings, the battery should be placed at such a height as to leave sufficient slope for tailings’ dumps.  This is more important when treating ore of such value that the tailings are worth saving for secondary treatment.  In this case provision should be made for tailings, dams, or slime pits.

Whether the battery is worked by water, steam, or gas power, an ample supply of water is absolutely necessary, at least until some thoroughly effective mode of dry treatment is established.  If it can be possibly arranged the water should be brought in by gravitation, and first cost is often least cost; but where this is impossible, pumps of sufficient capacity, not only to provide the absolute quantity used, but to meet any emergency, should be erected.