Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1871-09-09
Vermont and New Hampshire Mines.
Copper Milne in VermOnt-ItS Product
Modes of Observation-Disclosures of
the mine-The Grafton Fertilizer.
[ooRREsPoNDENcE OF THE spY.I
CHARLEsrowN. Nh. Sent. .. 187

CHARLEsTowN, n. H, Sept ., 1871
Mr. Editor: Probably few of your readers
are aware that more copper is now produced at
the Vershire mines, Vermont, than at any other
mine in the country, not even excepting the
noted Lake Superior region. Though the ore
was discovered at Vershire in the form of cop
per pyrites, some thirty years ago, it was never
Systematically worked until 1858, when char
ter was obtained and the property purchased by
the vermont copper mining company" with
capital of five hundred thousand dollars
Under the management of President Smith
Ely of New York, who owns about one half the
stock, and has therefore complete control, the
company has been steadily increasing its facili-
ties, so that it now employs three hundred men
and boys, running its works night and day, and
turns out on the average fifty tons of the metal
per month.
Owing to the peculiar nature of the business
and the necessity of providing visitors with lamps
and guides, these mines have never been open
TO the public, permission to enter being granted
by the superintendent only as a special favor TO
friends, or to students of geology and mineral
ogy. This accounts for the mine being so little
known, although within few miles of the Con
necticut River railroad, one of the principal
routes to the White mountains.
We leave the cars at Thetford fifteen miles
above White River Junction, and take the stage
tor the village of West Fairee, nine miles dis
tant The road winds over hills, from which we
have some of the finest views in New England.
We look below upon the quiet Connecticut river
| and trace its &c 70 DC hn ava
through a lovely valley of smooth
green meadows, dotted with neat, thrifty
looking farm houses with here aud there
church, whose "sient finger points to
heaven" Looking up from this valley we have
the White mountain range, embracing Moose
Hlllock, with the Franconia in the distance. still
farther Mount Lafayette and dimly the grey TOP
Of Mount Washington. But without stopping To
describe all that may be seen on the way, nor
mentioning the charms of Lake Farlee, living
upon our tight as we enter the village; we dine
| at the Eagle hotel, which, Notwithstanding its
soaring and doubtful name, is well kept house,
with bountiful tables of good country fare At
ter continuing two miles further along the bed
of a mountain stream we at length rea III the
mines.
| II seemed at first as if the greater part of
Washburn's foundry, with all its chimneys in
full blast, had been dropped by chance at the
foot Of hill on one of the widest and most
barren of spots. This first large building, how
ever is only the smelling furnace, where the ore
is melted and the Stag drawn off, while the cop
per sinking by its own weight to a lower aper-
ture, slowly runs into molds and is cast into OBJ
long blocks with the stamp of the company on
one side. There are so many of these blocks
piled around TO cool, that the air about this
building is very oppressive.
From the upper part of the furnace a double
track extends up the HILL connecting with vari-
Gus buildings and side tracks by selEworking
switches. The cars are fastened to wire rope,
which passes around wheel, SO that loaded
car pulls up an empty one. The furnace cars
run only ito the roasting beds, where the ore
which has been brought down from above has
been roasted and burned for about four months,
like a charcoal pit, to expel the sulphur; which
forms so large proportion of the crude ore, and
gives it the name Of sulphuret Of copper. Next
above we come TO the cobbing shop, where we
lind dozen men and fifty boys employed, some
standing over masses OF ore, breaking them into