The Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1837-1867, 1864-11-25
For The CALEDONIAN.
Concord Copper Mines.

Having recently been called upon tt
examine the locality of the Concord cop
| per mines, | will cndeavor to satisfy tn,
, curiosity of the public by description O
them through your paper The views O
copper now opened are situated on the
southern slope of the hill rising from Con.
nccticut river on the south and Halrs
pond on the west, it being the RIDGE O.
land passing through the Richardson
Darling. Frye and Graves farms. The
hrst VEN opened is near the top of this
ridge, on the land of Jacob Richardson
but within a short distance of the line o.
the Darling farm. This is verv rich
vein of the yellow suIphuret and blue
carbonate of copper, varying in width
from two to four feet it increases in
width as it is opened downwards. This
vein for short distance has been opened
to the depth of about four feet. Five OF
SIX rods to the east Of this they have
opened another rich deposit of the same
ore, but as yet its extent Or direction can
not he fully determined The trend of
the first is near north and south. Passing
northerly on to the farm owned by VIM.
IL. Darling, there are many outcrops in
the ledses where copper appears on the
surface, and the formation indicates ex-
tenSlve veins Aswe pass along in a north
erly line the appearance seems to increase,
and everything appearing most favorable
about one-hat mile northerly of the vein
now opened, we put in Il blast and OBJ
tanned some good specimens of the yellow
ore. From this point the ledge is more
generally covered, and the indications are
not 50 well marked. the trend bears more
to the east, and though copper in small
quantities could be found on the farms of
$. {. Cutting and l. p Woodbury., three
mlie> further north, yet there seemed TO
be little, if any reason, to suppose that
ore can be found there in workable guam
titles. There may be workable Veins as
far northerly a. Mr.. Graves farm. vet
none has been discovered. That there
are rich deposits on the farms of Richard
son and Darling. there is no doubt. A
every one IN this section is at preseut
much interested, would say that the
formation in which these veins are found
is talcose slate and the rock interSperSed
with the copper is quartz, though below
few inches of the top there is very little
quartz rock. As the yellow sulphuret of
copper somewhat resembles iron pyrites,
| have had several specimens of the iron
shown me by those supposing it to be cop
per. will for the benefit of the general
observer state the following differences ::
Iron pyrites are lighter colored than cop
per-are usually more or less crvStalized
in cubical form or with eight angles show
inc the corners when in mass. The cop
per will not be found thus crystalized:
again the iron will strike fire with steel.
the copper will not, but is easily pulver-
lied. and can be cut with a knife. yet is
very brittle. The yellow cube is always
mundic or iron pyrites, and is of no value.
The copper is Il darker yellow, and when
in quantity is very valuable Mr.. Rich
ardson has sold his mining interest to par
ties in Littleton, n. II. and New York
City, and | was told by the overseer that
shares had changed hands at the rate of
fifty thousand dollars for the mine bought
of him. AT this rate the mining interest
on the farm of VIM. II. Darling. Judging
from appearances, cannot be worth less
than one hundred thousand dollars, and
even those prices are below the usual val
uation Of copper mines. The lands in
that vicinity are mostly bonded at low
figures, and there is great chance for u
capitalist to purchase at advantage. That
such mines are wrought at splendid profit,
one has only to refer to the Canada mines
to show. H. A. {.
Lunenburg, VT, Nov. II, 1864.