Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1856-04-17
COPPER IN YORK DISTRICT.

To the Editors Of the Enquirer
In accordance with your request to use the col
umns of the ENouInEn in case might have any
communication to make relative to the mineral
resources of your District, send you the follow
ing paragraphs begging, however, to leave it to
your Judgment to determine whether they may be
Of sufficient Importance to justify publicity.
A few preliminary observations are necessary.
Towards the end Of the last and in the beginning
of this year, published some articles in the New
York Mining Magazine, partial translation Of
| which appeared in German Mining Journal like
wise, relative to two important groups Of Copper
veins which belong exclusively to our Southern
States. The one, which termed the Ducktown
group, extends, between the Alleghanes and Blue
Ridge, from Virginia, through North Cal olina,
Tennessee and Georgia, to Alabama. The other,
the Carolina group, is found from the Eastern
slope of the Blue Ridge towards the sea-board, as
far as the metamorphc states extend. 1t probab-
ly commences, likewise, in Virginia is strongly
marked in both the Carolinas and have found it
| again, in Alabama. The former group is charac-
terized by species of porous, slicious red iron
ore (gossan) as the surface outcrop, which exists
in sufficient abundance in many cases to admit Of
its being worked for iron as was the case in Ten
uessee and Alabama. Below this, in the veins, We
generally meet with impure black oxide Of copper
mixed with the sulphate of the same metal (blue-
stone,) which found its origin in the decomposi-
ton and exfltraton of that copper pyrites, from
which the iron oi(as German miners appropriate
ly term the ferrferous outcrop of veins,) was de-
rived. These mixed pyrites combinations of the
two metals with sulphur) we find in their unde-
composed state farther down, and generally alone
completely filling the whole Of the vein crevice,
the copper pyrites frequently forming the matrix
in which chrystals of the sulphuret ofiron are i'm
bedded in porphyroid manner.
To Mr.. DURY, Of Alabama, the credit is due Of
having developed this class of veins in that State,
while myself bad the good fortune there to dis
cover the termination the Carolina group. The
latter class of veins abounds in quartz which forms
gangue-rock. Gold is the metal generally first
met with at the surface; then lead is sometimes
seen in greater or less quantities; (at the Morgan
mine, on Col. Leitner's place in Spartanburg dis
trict the auriferous portion has been removed, and
lead occurs at the outcrop;) and, finally, on des-
cending for enough, we come to copper ores, which
first appear in decomposed state in the shape of
oxides and carbonates, and then in combination
with sulphur and mixed with iron pyrites, while
pyrites assumes its place among the minerals con-
stituting the gangue.
This group is found very extensively in our State.
julius Friedman, ESQ.,, graduate of the famous
school of mines at Clausthal in Germany, and
sound and practical Geologist as we'll as an eIpe-
renced Mining Engineer, enjoys the high honor Of
first having discovered copper in veins belonging to
this class, in Pickens District; while have had
the pleasure of finding it in Richland Tin quan-
tity 80 small, however, that as yet is of scien-
ti6c interest only), and, latterly, while panning
for gold, also in Lancaster, near place called
Bel Air. In Chesterfield, some years since,l also
examined veins of this description, which bid fair
at some future day to prove very productive;
while others have found this valuable metal in
Union and Greenville: so that, the cupriferous
area of our State is already proved to be very s1-
tensiye.
From what has been said it will appear that,
basing our judgment upon deductions made from
cases already known and established, there could
be no hopes of finding lodes in our State which
would correspond Mineralogically with those
which, in Tennessee and, now as am gratitied to
see, in Alabama, have crowned the energetic labors
of the miners with splendid results; and that we
must remain satisfied with that class alone which
has proved productive in Central Virginia and
North Carolina. Happily, however, it would now
seem as if those veins, which in neurological or
geognostc features resemble those of Ducktown,
are not geographically confined to the narrow
valley which separates the Blue Ridge from the
Alleganies. At least, have reason to hope that,
at point in York District, not far from Wrights
mill, on hill called Nannie's Mountain" at no
distant day satisfactory proof will be given that