River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1873-05-02
Lake Superior Copper Mines.
From the New York Tribune.

From the New York Tribune.
The high prices at which copper, and
especially American native copper has
ruled for many months past, has at
tracted much renewed attention to the
copper mines of Lake Superior and
we have Just received from Boston,
where much of the copper mining i'm
terest centers, pamphlet, prepared
apparently with much care, by Col. @.
d. Ashley, giving very interesting
account of the discovery, development,
and present condition Of the Lake Su.
perior Copper Mines. From this little
pamphlet it appears that mining for
native copper was commenced ON the
south shore Of Lake Superior Upper
Peninsula Of MLchigan), in lS45, about
y years ago, previous to which time
the supply ofcopper had been obtained
throughout the world mainly from sui
phurets.
AT the commencement the idea that
native or pure copper could be found
in any considerable quantities was
secuted by the learned biologists; yet
the discoveries of the metal went for
ward with their mining, and in spite of
geological theories found copper in
masses of many tons weight, the largest
mass, which was found in the Minneso-
Ia Mine, in the Ontonagon district,
weighing over 500 tons, producing
about 80 per cent. of ingot copper,
while many other masses were found,
both IN the Minnesota and Cliff Mines,
weighing from 80 to 200 tons each.
flba HYut IaaiIaI o.. annue tts,,, lac ha
famous Cliff Mine, which returned in
dividends the handsome sum of ST.
$50, 600 from an original outlay of
$4,000, followed by the Minnesota,
which returned $1,275, 600 from ASSESS
ments of $436, 600, stimulated miuiIg
enterprises TO such an extent as TO in
duce many wild investments and the
expenditure of enormous sums of
money, from which no return was ever
received. To show the extent to which
this sort Of thing was carried. it is only
necessary to state that out of lib COM
panles organized to take up and WORK
mining locations, and on which assess
ments have been paid to the extent of
$17, 1853, 800, only nine companies have
as yet returned dividends. On these,
assessments were paid to the amount
of 50, S7l, 900, and dividends have been
returned to the amount of S11, $40. 900.
On the companies which have declared
no dividends assessments have been
paid ranging from $1,000 TO 1910, 900
each, and amounting in the aggregate
to $l4 425, 500. OF course many OF the
mines which have returned no profit
have produced considerable quantities
of copper
The native copper of Lake Superior
is found in masses of various weight
as already described in barrel work,
running through the adhering rock in
threads of irregular and Jagged forma-
tion, but sufficiently large to be sepa-
rated from the vein rock without the
use of stamps, what is known among
the miner as "stamp stuff,n which is
found III very minnie PARTICLES, but
generally disseminated through the
copper-bearing rock.
In the early history Of Lake Superior
mining very little attention was paid
to anything except mass and barrel
work, for the reason that, with the
limited facilities for separating stamp
stuff from the rock, it could not be
done at profit After many years of
prosperity on the part of the Cliff and
Minnesota mines, they were opened 70
a depth which made it Improbable to
work them Mt the then ruling price to
copper (l7 cents per pound), ana they
ceased working altogether. This SO
discouraged mining operations general
IL "a FL. al ID -.
almost nothing, though few enter
prises were kept alive until within few
years, when theimproved price OF copper
and new discoveries of copper-bearing
veins, but more especially ia the great
success CT the famous Calumet and
Hecla, gave new life to mining. and
materially mod fed, if they did not
entirely change, the views of mining
men as TO the value Of mines, and the
best modes of obtaining the mineral.
For while in the infancy OF the business
stamp rock yielding no more than / TO
5 per cent. of copper, unaccompanied
by mass or barrel work, was not regard
ed as worth working, now the expert
enee of the Calumet and Hecla, which
yield only stamp stuff averaging not
above 8 per cent. OF metal or 100 lbs.
to the ton, shows il TO be
the most productive mine in the
world, yielding during the year 1872
9,7lS tons o. copper, and paying So
500, 900 in dividends to its stockholders
in a single year. OF course, the facili-
ties for mining have been greatly en-
larged of late. Economies have been
introduced. The drill, driven by steam
or compressed air, has taken the place
of the laborious process of hand-drill-
ing. Improved stamps have been
adopted, and various devices for saving
the copper and for more economical
handling of the mineral have been in
troduced, while the means OF trans
porting supplies and OF copper have
been greatly increased. But the inn
portant fact established is that mines
which yield but little or no mass
copper, but who are rich in stamp
rock, are the most productive and
profitable. The mines which are now
paying dividends produced 10, SAT tons
OF copper in 1872, of which II, l73 tons
were derived almost entirely from
stamp copper, Of which the richest
does not average over 3 per cent. and