The Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1837-1867, 1864-09-16

makes up nl- m;na bat there is large guam
titles of copper there and purchases at a
somewhat advanced price, several hundred
acres being all the land which in his opin-
ior copper to an! great extent existed.
Many wise men shook their heads, but he
moved steadily on. After considerable pros
pecting, he announces to the world that COP
per in workable quantities is found, and the
community are startled to learn that Mr..
Clark asks one hundred and fifty thousand
dollars for one of his mines. He soon sells
three-fourths Of it for one hundred thousand
dollars; the excitement for time partially
ceases, bat when the amount of workable
ore Is ascertained, comes a wonder that he
sold his mine SO low. This has particular
reference to the Clark mine. Mr. c. has
now opened two other mines upon his land
which he offers FOX sale. They are known as
the Belvidere and Sherbrooke mines, and
are doubtless as rich in copper as the one
now worked and certainly offer rare .hance
for investment. In relation to the profit of
working the Clark mine will narrate what
| learned upon recent visit 10 the mining
locality, where, through the politeness of Mr..
Clark | WAS not only conducted about the
mines, but had all information given about
the expense of raising and reducing the ore
that desired. The rock that contains the
yellow sui phuret is so compact and tenacious
that large masses can be raised at each blast.
While | was there, at one time, at least ff-
teen tons was thrown up in one solid block Z;
rich conglomerate OF copper pyrites The
bed is very extensive, both in length and
breadth, but its dimensions are not vet de.
terrnined. 1t is sufficiently we'll opened
however, to know that future generations
alone can know fully its extent and richness.
According to analysis the average per cent.
of copper in The entire ore raised, is at least
three and one-thrd per cent. When we
take into consideration that the extensive
copper mines OF Lake Superior do not aver
age over one and one-half per cent of avail
atle copper, We cannot be surprised at the
immense value of the Ascot copper mines
After the ore is lcosened by blasting, it is
broken up in small pieces, and assorted by
hand; this is called dressing, and raises the
per cent. of the Gre as high as may be by
throwing out the rock. Thus far the ore
thus dressed has been freighted to Boston
where it brings about forty-six dollars in
gold or its equivalent. The cost of raising,
dressing and transportation is not far from
twenty-one dollars and fifty cents per ton ::
his Civ .'r p f. Of twenty-fcur and a
half dollar p". - gold, as all the esti-
mates arc ,y u .'taiard. The "Ciark
Mining Con pan, are now erecting heavy
machinery for cru m the ore, which will
lessen the expense thereby raising the prof
| its. The machinery is erected under the fol-
lowing plan. The mine being upon a hill,
an adit is work ed into the side of the hill
sufficiently low to drain the mine. Through
this adit is laid a car track and the car road
t is so elevated at the crusher that the loaded
cars run in at the roof BY their own momen-
tam, as the road is slightly inclined. and the
Ore is dumped from the cars above the crush
er. II is then to be crushed, falling down
one story; then another to be washed, and
from the washing it is dumped into cars run.
ming under the building, and run out upon q
track. Thus from the time of blasting to its
final preparation for market, not pound o.
it has TO be raised in any manner, thereby
greatly reducing the usual amount of labo
required. When this arrangement is com
pleted, they expect to raise at least forty ton
Of ore day. containing four per cent. o.
copper by crushing and washing to reduc
il to ten tons Of fifteen per cent, which
amount of copper they intend to throw up
on the market daily. This will be likely un
der the most unfavorable circumstances t
yield net profit of near thirty dollars tol
or three hundred dollars day. Thus it wi