Bradford opinion. [volume] (Bradford, Vt.) 1874-1881, 1874-09-05

tne Wash'hOuSe, tnence 10 the rOaS
bed and thence to the furnaces at
the foot of the hill. The ore con
tains so much sulphur that for sew
eral years it could not be success
fully smelted on the ground(on &C
count of the great heat destroying
the furnaces), and was sent to Point
Shirley. Now, after it is washed
and sorted it is piled in large heaps
on wood, which being lighted sets
fire to the sulphur, which burns for
weeks, emitting the fumes that black
ems the hillside-a process called
"rOasting," after which it is smelted.
We saw the furnaces in full blast,
from the bottom of which poured
forth, as liquid fire into a bed of
sand, the "matte" (metaD, 33 per
cent. copper and the balance iron of
fine quality, making excellent steel,
but which after expensive expert
ments the Company has not yet
been able to separate in quantities
and save. The "slag" or dross, being
lighter, is drawn off from the top of
the fused mass in the furnace into
iron pots, and while glowing hot is
wheeled off and dumped outside in
cup.like cakes as large as half
bushel measure. The matte is now
broken up and again melted, separ-
arting the copper, which is run into
"pigs" 200 to 250 lbs. each, and then
shipped to Baltimore to be refined.
A kind of pig rather expensive to
keep just now since copperi is falling
in price, After smelling sulphur
and looking about above ground.
we decided to go to the bottom of
the thing, as we told the superin-
tendent. who did not detain us Iona
to write ''note," with which Sin
hand' we started for the mouth of
the smoking pit, which we informed
the President on our return was not
"bottomless." The Judge, not lik-
ing the smell of sulphur or for some
other reason, accompanied us only
to the araSh-hOnse (Which could not
remove your correspondents earthi-
ness and dross) and he labored alone
halfway up the hill and then, like
many another one who started well
in life, was lost to sight. Having
taken a kneeling posture with our
guide and the conductor in the iron
)re car, drawn back and forth through
;he horizontal "drift" by a (white)
lorse, crouching at the suggestion
If the guide to avoid breakers ahead,
We entered, with a somewhat pecu-
lar sensation, the damp, dismal pas
'age (perhaps five to six feet in {
leight housed at the mouth and
lighted only by the three smoking
Miners lamps of the horse, the guide S
md the conductor or driver, who,
miner fashion, carried his lamp on
lis forehead in his cap.
Water trickled down in some I
'laces through the strap" (encom- {
passing rock overhead, and was
leard in contact with the horses
eet. After "shucking" along be-
ause of the loOseness of the track
r the acheels, in slightly zigzag
curse, bout 800 feet, we came to
he landing, where we left the train
nd with our guide in the lead COM
nenced the some VIII at difficult and
descent, following the S
rack, down which, about three {
,eeks before, the wire cable by |
7hich the loaded cars are drawn up |
living way at the steepest grade, I
ne of them, filed with ore, washed
. the bottom of the mine, and i
hough there were several men about i
at the time no one was injured. '
From the top of the descending c
haft, at this point darker than a b
ocket, though not so empty as most, b
eird and novel was the sight of o
'ng row of upward moving lights. e
set and at all angle of p
) to Is degrees. We were sorry g
, thus learn that the miners had 81
nit work, at three o'clock for the II
ay. From the the first one we met, y
lst as we began to descend, our
lide borr owed for Us a lamp, which
lough somewhat reduced in flame, m
i'd not, like the foolish virgins, h
one out, and we were told that we I'll
,uld replenish it with oil at the Il
ot of the shaft. Of little avail al
ould have been the lamp of a trav- Oh
ing agent, who, to dealer in g
oston, recommended it by declar- ~
g sit is the best lamp there is, st
IT," Having a few tracts in our le