Knoxville daily chronicle. [volume] (Knoxville, Tenn.) 1870-1882, 1871-08-08
EAJTS ABOUT EAST TENNESSEE.
HOrc information About puCk-
town,
NO. XXXII.

Our correspondent at Ducktown sends
Us the following additional items from the
copper regions, which will be found inter-
esting to any one who may be interested
IN the mineral resources of East Tennessee:
DUCKTowN, POLK Co., Tenn,
August, 1871
Just east of The Burr-Burr mine is a pOr
ion OF this same HiWassee vein that has
never been tested. 4 few hundred yards
urther east, and on the same vein, is the
London mine-nOW abandoned. In 1854,
Jt this mine, black. copper ore was discOv-
cred and taken out just few feet from the
surface. 1T is said 10 have been q very rich
mine as long as the black ore held out. a
test for yellow ore has never been made.
Still east OF this and on the same vein is
situated the East Tennessee mine. This Is
the only place at DucktOwn where, ut
present, any quantity of copper ore is be-
ing taken out. This mine was first tested
IN 1888, with shaft sunk by Capt. Ton
kin. There was q Mr.. Dram sank a shaft
IN 1884, found yellow ore, worked it only a
Jew months and abandoned it. 1t was
opened properly in the fall of 1858, and
worked till the last of December, 1863,
when, on account of the war, it was sus-
! pended. 1t was re-Opened again in Sep
jember, 1865. This property belongs to the
New York Consolidated Company" and
is said 10 have heretofore yielded very great
/ profits and to be very valuable yet. Capt.
I0ukin now has charge OF the mine and
! works about two hundred hands in taking
out the ore merely. .
IN the last two or three months the
IaVerage amount of fine copper taken
from this mine per month, has been
about $50, 900 lbs; and for the last twelve
months it has averaged over 100000 lbs.
| Der month. During some months the ore
rom this mine has averaged from to 10
per cent. copper 1t now averages from
to s per cent. But / am informed by Capt.
IOnkin that there is now an increase in
the quantity that will more than cOmpen-
safe for the decrease in quality; and, also,
hat he is now opening a portion of the
vein which is richer than usual, a-ar
There is a big business" being carried
on here. Your correspondent was con-
Quoted through and introduced to all the
operations on the surface by Capt. Tonkin.
he was also piloted under ground by Capt.
Hoskins, where he had the privilege of
aXamining and, with explanations from
! MS genial guide, in some degree. under
standing the nlOduS operdndt IN extract
/ ing wealth from the bowels of the earth"
! Here is decidedly a " big hole in the
gr0und!O Let those ready in calculation
-
/ been worked, that there have been during
hat time from 1000 600 to l50,000 lbs. of
/ fine copper obtained per month that
The ore has never averaged more than
/ TO 10 Fer cent Of copper, and that
many Shafts. drifts, crOSs-cuts and tests
have hcen made where no ore has been
/ obtained and then they will have some
hing of an idea of the dimensions of this
/ excavation. This mine, and the others
hot - hr1rn
| known as the HiwasSee vein. This vein
has been tested no futher east than this
! D0nt Some think it terminates near
tn. Others think that, in connection
W th some other veins south and parallel,
II extends right on east, and that the
mines in Carroll county, Va, are on the
anne vein. If this be true the mountains
east of this either throw it out of its regu-
lar course or so destroy the Out-cTOp that IL
cannot be discovered. The ore taken
from the East Tennessee mine is conveyed
by means OF a narrow gauge railroad, in
small cars for the purpose, to Isabella
mine. Here it is first roasted once if the
roast-pile is covered, and twice if not COW
cred it goes then to the smelters, where
il is smelted and comes out in the form OF
a substance called ''mat," this mat is then
roasted again four times, then smelted
again. when a portion of it is black copper
and another portion what is called CON
centrated mat both of these then go to
the '.reverbeEatory furnace" from which
I it comes out pig copper" it then passes
Ito the refinery where it is made ready for
:he market, as fine copper. There is now
being erected at Isabella new refining
works and several new furnaces; also
there is here in active operation stamp
inc mill which is very interesting to any
one never having seen one before.
1t would be almost impossible to de-