The southern enterprise. [volume] (Greenville, S.C.) 1854-1870, 1860-02-23
Tennessee Copper Mines.

10 me Editors or the Journal Of CoUtntsrce-ln
q number Of your paper several weeks ago, !
noticed an article on Copper Mines Of the United
States in which you referred briefly 10 the COP
per mines in Polk county, Tennessee. but in such
a manner as to show that you are not well post
| ed in regard to that district
have recently returned from a visit to the
| copper mines in Tenqessee; and knowing that
some Of your readers are interested there. re-
specting which they may be ignorant as to their
value, have thought that statement what-and
where the mines are. what they are now produc-
ing. and what they seem capable Of producing,
might be acceptable both 70 you and to your
readers; hence this communication
Having been wholly engaged for the last ten
| years in mining operations, went TO Tennessee
with the best facilities for acquiring the fullest
information it was desirable or possible to have.
and having availed myself of the advantages.
give the following as the result Of my investiga-
tions: - u r... '. .# ..
The copper district In Tennessee lies In Polk
county, In the south eastern part of the State,
bordering upon the States of Georgia and North
Carolina. and In the township bearing the eu.
phonions name of Ducktown.
Polk county Is In the heart Of the Cherokee
Nation, from which the Indians were removed in
| 1886. About the year 1870, these lands were Of
fered for sale to the public; and from that time
to 1850, considerable portions of the lands were
located by speculators and Others at prices rang
ing from one cent to five dollars per acre.
In the year 1880, or about that time, an effort
10 make iron from the outcroppings of these
veins revealed the fact that the monstrous metal
lie ledes which pass through that district were
not iron but copper veins. The district at
the time being almost inaccessible, the reports
which found their way out produced little. i'm
preston on the public mind, until few adven-
turous strangers found their way thither, through
the fastnesses of the mountains, when It was soon
| made manifest that vast treasures OF wealth lay
buried in that secluded spot and that 1t only re-
| qured judicious outlay of money, time and pa.
tience in opening up the veins, in making roads
of ingress and egrees; and in providing other nee
essary facilities, to develope and make available
the most valuable mining districts in the United
States, if not in the world.
The labor performed in the district has evil
IDENTIFY been heavy and expensive, demanding
great patience and indomitable perseverance; /;
but no stranger now visit the place without
being oppressed with the conviction that the
wealth of that small district cannot be computed,
even approximately. Every month seems to
bring forth developments which the proprietors
hardly dared to hope for A good wagon road
| has been made through the mountains from the
| mines to Cleveland on the " East Tennessee and
| Georgia" Railway, distance of SO miles, at a
heavy expense to the mining Companies, which
has heretofore served their purpose; but now,
not less than three railroads, from as many diE
ferent points, are in contemplation, to connect
the mines with railways extending to the sea
board; some Of these roads. if not all Of them,
will soon be built.
The Union Consolidated Mining Company is
the principle company at this time procuring
ores for the market, to any considerable extent
The mines embraced in this consolidation num-
Der several very rich properties already develop.
| ed, besides several others not yet opened. They
contain in the aggregate over 5000 acres
The Company are now working at only three
points, being greatly restricted in their opera:
tions by the lack Of a sufficient number of fur.
naces to reduce the ores The Company have
now l. use four furnaces, and are erecting, four
more, to be ready for use as early in the spring
as possible. r..' ..-
| For the last seven months was informed that
The production had been as follows, to wit:
In June. 49,. .8s3 tons. October. -. $50 toua
July. :" November. .74l t"
August. 500 a December. III. .. .607
Sept. 1855 ..... ...
!. Equal to. $50 tons pure copper, worth in the
market at least s26O.OOO. ...
| During the coming year, with the additional
facilities the Company are providing. it will be
very easy for them to double their present pro.
duction Of copper, although for the last two or
three months the production of the Company's
mines has equaled in value the richest copper
mines in the United States in their best days.
am informed by the officers Of the Company
that they are now preparing for their first semi
annual dividend, which is to be-made on the first
Of July next, and regularly thereafter on the first
Of January and July of each year.
While in Tennessee was informed that a
party Of wealthy and highly respectable gentle.
men in New Orleans had purchased several valu,
able mining properties in the heart Of the dis
trict, and had consolidated them under one man.
agement, with organization called the Polk
County Copper Company ....
| This Company, am told, embraces several OF
the wealthiest and best business men Of New Or.
leans; and judging from their properties, and
the management they have secured for their
operations at the mines. together with the plan
| Of work already commenced, think IL is safe tt
predict that they will coon take rank with thebest
mining companies in the United States.
| II any man is skeptical about these or any
other statements he may have heard respecting
the Tennessee mines, let him go and see; and il
he does not return convert 20 all the statements