Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1853-1862, 1860-04-12

The Copper Mines of East Tennessee--Prof-
fr-bna Whining.

The Union Consolidated Company who own ant
work under one management number Of mines a
Ducktown. reports that the production IN Februarl
was ve-v large. tt amounted to $50 IONS Of coppe
ore or about 20 tons Of ingOt copper (2s00O0 lbs
This IS worth in the general market S6S,000, an,
after deducting s25 600 for the expense of mining
smelling ans bringing to market etc, yields netin
come of $4,000 for one month, or at the rate o
half million year. This Company, it IS expect
ed. will declare handsome dividend on the first O
July next" Another paragraph floating abou
without credit states that the Unicn Consolidated
Mining Company has four furnaces in use, and foul
more under construction to be ready in spring Tho
mining area embraced in its operations is over 3, 200
acres. The production of ore during the last sever
months Of 1853 was 4,O79 tons, equal to $50 tons
pure copper worth at least S25OOO0 The yield
this year is expected to double that Of last"
This copper district lies III Polk county, in the
southeastern part Of this State bordering upon the
States Of Georgia and North Carolina, and in the
heart Of the Cherokee Nation, and from the facts
brought to light during the pas few years there
appears no reason why these mines should not equal
the Burra Burra mines of Australia, which have
afforded such immense Yields In 1857, the fourteen
mines then opened were yielding nearly one thou
sand tons Of ore per month. Since then mining has
been prosecuted more vigorously, and now we find
one mine alone yielding nearly that amount.
ia 1854, Prof ANsrED, man Of wide reputation
for learning was sent out from Englund to examine
this copper region, and in his report he says:
The mineral Importance Of these copper veins can
only be estimated by those who have closely ex-
amned them, the product giving corroborative evi-
dence Of their richness more especially when COM
pared with copper veins in other districts. 1t is
now, believe, just foIr years since the first mine
was opened, and already several thousand tons of
very rich ores have been obtained and sold, with a
further large amount Of rich ores laid open in the
mines ready for extraction, soon as the means Of
transport can be provided.
This has been effected with but limited means Of
labor aud transport, and mining skill. The great
product of these mines is to be attributed TO the
size of the veins-the principal veins being from ten
to foryre fee wide and in one case, at the Isabella
mine, the VEN is found to be three hundred feet
wide-a width only found TO prevail in the forma-
tons existing ii large continents and holding ores
Of a very agh per centage. which are reached and
mined NJ easy depths from the surface.
The productiveness CT the various veins running
through the several properties has been well estab
lished; and wherever opened on, copper of a rich
per centage is obtained ranging from eighty to sixty
per cent Of copper. The veins already developed,
| estimate, when fully put into work, and with the
requisite means Of transport to be capable OF pro
GuCing 5000 tons of copper ore per month .
1t must. however. be borne in mind that the great
size Of the veins, with the richness Ofproduct alone
justify me in the calculation made; and which can
be easily verified on examination by any competent
person. The veins are very regular, well
defined and have good walls each side; they are
generally marked at surface by a bold outerop Of
the hydrated oxide Of iron, gossan; and the I'M
duatng surface of these spurs of the Alleghenles,
affords every reasonable facility for drainage, to
considerable depth.
Lieut. MAURY of the Washington Observatory, and
Prof. CURREY, of Knoxville, who were employed to
examine the property owned by one Of the com
panies report that it Is ofimmense value. and add :
d" We can venture no estimate as to the returns it
would yield under proper management Suffice it
TO say that in OR Judgment they would be quick
and handsome. We know Of no other mineral pro
perry which holds outsuch fattering prospects for
large and steady yield
There are few Of those copper regions that have
been worked, even with the outlay Of immense sums
as capital probably; but those few that have prov
ed profitable. have yielded to their enterprising
workers almost incredible returns In this coun-
try mining association called the Minnesota Com
pany on Lake Superior, is signal illustration. In
1875 this Company had 5000 shares which they
could not sell at FIVE dollars per share. Now, they
have 10000 shares which are worth about one
hundred and twenty-five dollars per share-they
have sold at two hundred dollars per share; making
the market value of the mine four millions dollars
"A stupendous increase indeed, on the Original in
vestment Of fifteen thousand dollars, and forcibly
illustrating the value of genuine copper mine.
The Burra Burra mines of Australia were opened
in 1915 and in five years yielded GAPS tons of ore
averaging forty per cent. and worth S3O0O.0O0. In
five years they returned to the stockholders nine
teen times their outlay
The value. yield and quantity Of copper ores in
the English mines from 1915 to 1855, were l32602O
tons yielding % 235 tons Of metal a little over
seven per cent of copper, and worth nearly Sj0,-
OO0 OOO
In Brands Encyclopedia Of Arts MANUFACTURES and
Mines, PIP 1880, is table showing the expenses
and profits of the principal mines in the world. 1t
is there shown that the United and Consolidated
Copper Mines OF Cornwall paid for ten years an
average dividend of 2SO per cent per amum ON the
capital invested after paying back the original cost
of the mine; and this with ore averaging only
% per cent Of copper, while that from the copper
region of Polk county yields from 2Ol to A per
cent as shown by actual tests made by Prof
CURREy.
With these facts before US we think We are fully
justified in saying that the Ducktown Copper Dis
trict of Polk county is equally As rich and pro
,luctivc as the mines of Lake Superior, Australia
Cornwall. Prof CUEEY wrote in 1857: " One de-
velopment after another has been made mt these
mines so rapidly that they are regarded justly as
the most valuable property in the State. An idea
of their value may be presumed when it is stated
that one mine is now in litigation in the United
states Court at Knoxville and its value is estimated
at two or three millions Of dollars.
STATE AcRrculrrRM BREAU-At the meeting
of the Bureau on Tuesday, the report of the
committee to whom referred the matter
between the Bureau and Mr. CLEARS. Of Maury
county. was taken up. The report states that the
committee had conference with Mr.. CuEAu,s and
that he Informed the committee that he intended
Ypascno charge of a sinister character against the
Rureau or its committee-that he Acknowledged he
had made an uugusrded remark which. perhaps. did
Injustice to the Burcau and the committee referred
20. The report was received as being satisfactory
to the Bureau.
The following members were appointed the ENecu-
tive Committee for the ensuing year Nessrs. HARD
ING. FR,NKsIl SrocEEII. RAMS, and OWEN; and the
following members Directors For the Eastern DI-
vision Messgs HoDsnEN. WELCEEE and ARMSTRONG;
for the Middle Division Messrs. DBEELL. BAN
EwTNG. STONE and MCGAvocS; for the Western d.
vision. Messrs Caurr. WALLER and SowEII-
At the meeting of the Bureau yesterday, Mr..
CAylrr, from the committee on the report OF the
Secretary Of the Bureau reported that the Legsla-
ture had ordered the printing of a report Of one
hundred pages, which will not contain more than
half the valuable papers, essays &c that have been
furnished the Secretary. and that an additional hun
5red pares would include most Of the interesting
matter the cost of which would be about 500 The
committee regarded very desirable that the re
MORT embrace all this matter, but in view of the de-
fci.rcv in the treasury of the Bureau, they were
constrained TO recommend that no action be taken
in reuard to the matter, which wqs concurred in.
The Executive Committee were authorized to
s,nerintend. at such time and place as they may
sgrae unon. trial Of rcaping and moving machines
TO have the result published and to reports the same
70 the October meeting Of the Bureau.
After the transaction of some uulmportant bns-
mess. the Bureau adjourned to the second Monday
in October -