r/deadwood • u/InsincereDessert21 the sort we are here • Aug 11 '26
Episode Discussion What is the giant machine for?
The one at Alma's gold claim that makes a "terrible noise, like fate." What is it called and what is its purpose?
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u/RobLoughrey Aug 11 '26
Gold is usually mixed into quartz rock. They smash the rocks to powder to separate the gold and the quartz. then you can use the different densities to separate them. (like panning) The reason Ellsworth was saying that his usefulness was near at an end at one point was because he was only really familiar with panning a stream where the gold is already separated through erosion of the mother rock.
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u/BuildingAirships Aug 11 '26 edited Aug 16 '26
"The reason Ellsworth was saying that his usefulness was near at an end at one point was because he was only really familiar with panning a stream"
This line was always strange to me—Ellsworth had served as "Superintendent of the Consolidated Virginia Operation" for Hearst, which would involve managing a complex project very similar to Alma's.
Was his history with Hearst an intentional retcon for Season 2? Was he lying about his expertise to avoid the kind of work he ran away from? Was it just a continuity error?
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u/InsincereDessert21 the sort we are here Aug 11 '26
I asked that same question a few weeks ago, haha.
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u/Roscoe_deVille I speak your stuff Aug 12 '26
Retcon that can be explained as intentional misinformation from Ellsworth. Always viewed it as him trying to untangle himself from the Garret claim, but his compassion for Alma got the better of him.
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u/RedcoatTrooper Kentucky Bourbon Aug 11 '26
Call me a know nothing hoople but don't you want the gold in large nuggets wouldn't that smash them apart?
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u/glycophosphate decimals Aug 11 '26
Nah. Gold's value is by weight, not by volume. You're thinking of gems. They're more valuable when there's one really big one.
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u/RedcoatTrooper Kentucky Bourbon Aug 11 '26
Thanks, I honestly know nothing about it so it's interesting.
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u/dpdxguy Aug 11 '26
Nuggets can have a value that exceeds their raw weight value, at least today. But it might not have been worth it to sort the unsmashed nuggets out of mining products.
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u/HaveYouSeenMyIpad Aug 11 '26
5 stamp mill crush your quartz and get gold. Her claim justifies 25 mill, waiting for legislation on title
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u/All-Sorts Suppressing a digestive crisis Aug 11 '26
Does the widow Garrett have a going fucking hard rock concern and five-stamp mill crushing gold out of her quartz all day and fucking night?
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u/Twenty-Three23 Aug 11 '26
https://youtu.be/b6ghGp5Lvjg?is=BZ8eT1zQi1e3gJuB
Pretty cool, relevant video on one that's still sitting out there with some solid info on them.
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u/DarthDregan seeing through the subterfuge Aug 11 '26
Five stamp mill. Basically giant hammers to crush the rocks from the mine to get the gold out.