New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1875-01-02
A NEW ENGLAND Ell DORADO
MINES OF SILVER. LEAD, AND GOLD IN
MASSACHUSETTS,.

woRLDp-MAGNIBIcRNT sPECIMBNs or ORE
MINING ALREADY BEGUN--PRosPBCIs OF TIE
FUTURE.
fynou AN OCCASIONAL CORRESPONDENT on THE TnIBUNBI
BosToN. Dec 30.-Essex County, which used
70 hs famous M the home OF the Gloucester fisherman,
and more lately gained National notoroy By It's sup
port OF Gen. Butler, puts In new claim Tor puphs
notice account of the valuable mues recently us
covered In Newbury, at which mining operations nave
iu,t been fairly begun The discovery has been so as
tonishinr in many respects that tho oldest residents
10th to admit that such wealth has been 80 long MO DC
meath their very noses, are already telhs Vc' VI ~
working OF these mines century ago. az least 80 u0"
as was necessary 10 produce tho necessary iheta l
bullets IN the War Of Independence These storeS NOV"
over lack foundation. The present. discoverer was
dssoIue character named Rogers living IN byneiu no
was wandering oter Hghfeld pasture one day about
six wears ago. when the weight OF some ttle stones
which he pcked2 together with occasional CLEANS as
the sun glanced on small smooth surfaces attracted DIS
attention. and Induced the belief that there was metal
in them. He gathered several Of tho most promising
looking specimens and took them TO Mr. Albert Adams
quiet bachelor farmer living in Newbury' who became
even moro Interested than Rogers had BEEN believing
that mine had really been discovered. Witht It going
TO a geoogst he began the study Of mineralogy ana
geology until he became satisfied that silver aho ioad
were present in considerable quantities.
Once convinced that his suspicious were correct-and
he kept his counsel we-he made overtures Tor the
purchase OF the Land from old farmer named Jaqn'
Tue pasture twesve in extent, was bought TOT
o. 200 early in April of the present year The moderation
and caution OF Mt. Adams now seem likely to bring
their reward Having got his title, he began diGslng'
The surface finds Of morN or less oxdized
but at the depth of six he struck the true Ven ana
took out several tons, which he earted home lor tx
animation. These excavations eOuid NOT oe
made without exciting remark, and rnmor very
had hRnn
largo quantities, and of very pure quality The ru
NOR was soon authenticated, but the FIRST 10 see
money in It was Mr.. W. w. Chapman OF TINS CITY, VINO
went to Newburyport and investigated for himself he
was easily satisfied OF the presence OF Dotn SILVER anu
lead and he offered the opportunity OF Deeomlhg Ihns
proprietors to Mr.. Seth Whittier and Dr. d. IT, h9ney'
also of this city, the latter once Mayor OF Nevburypof
,hob odio,ns tbe town of Newbury These throo gen.
emen again visited the spot, Aug and the next daT
Dr Kelley again visited Hghfeld pasture IN company
with Prof Robert H. Richards OF tho institute OF leen
nology who took away some specimens for an assay
Fro this report it appears that the rocks In the Vcn
iy arc gness nodes and quite hard Inc strike OF ING
OF outcrOp about north 700 to east SV the p ABOUT
northwest 3Oo AS he found 1t the line of the vein was
abont north 100 east by the compass The pieces taken
from tho nil as dug by Mr Adams exhibited vein struc
ture the usJer five 10 ches OF the specimen being COM
posed OF gaena while the under three ncheS-he eree
inches next the supposed fOotwal-contened oonsiucr
able gray copper and tetrahedrite Gaieha quartz
copper and iron pyrites. -Four specimens were as
ssyed The first, pccO OF cOarse-Sraned RaIeha' 10
sayed for silver yielded SIS 81 to the ton the second
negraned galena SIS % the third, gray "copper" con-
timing also quartz and glena, assaYed FOR silver COP
per and gold yielded 127o Of silver s29 OF gold ana
about 7 per cent copper to the tom and the fourth
piece weighing about three pounds tried for lead was
nearly pure and hammered quite easily tae lead IN IL
being 81 per cent
;Rt bi satisfied
even the most conservative OF spectators, but was
not enough for Mr. Whittier who withdrew, leaving the
mine TO Dr. Kelley aud Mr.. Chapman. 1t Is needless 10
cay that these gentlemen did not search Tor new part
ner but began further operations at once. During Io
same month they acquired largo quantity OF land ny
purchase and bonding. Mr.. Adams agreed to sell bis
II acres at buyers option for SOoGoo the would be pur
chasers to pay him royalty OF $40 ton for all the ore
they removed until they acquired title Soon after
this p Shaw OF Newburyport bought the quarter IN
terest which MFR. Chapman owned, and tine new hrn OF
Kelley & Shaw bought half Of the adjoining loo OF 40
acres Of Mr. E NJ. BOyntoD Of Vast NewburT tho latter
retaining the other half.
Tho work wss then begun with Mr.. Chapman as super
intendent shaft ton feet square was sunk early in
september and as 1t was increased in DEPTH tho von
(which ia in mining paranoo fssure" vein) between
two walls granite broSdened from hro0 feet at the sur
face 10 at the depth Of present Working "Hleh IL
only % feet Tho also richer and purer al the
shaft goes deeper the proportion OF silver ana gold In
creang who that of silver remains tho same The south
wall has not yet been reached, and the msn are now
therefore working the pure ORE tho north wall being
perfectly perpendicular, Owing ito this fact which Il
unusual history Of mining there ia lttio expense
incurred In removing the ors-hsrdly dollar ton.
About 10 tons ara taken out every 4s hours, being
hoisted up baskets keeping Gang Of four men con
ssanty at work. only eight in all. The ore as mined
at present yields 500 OF silver $40 of lead and 81 OF gOd
Of If
500 ton 30 that the profit to tho firm Is about s0 ton
Even II the hopes the miners for the futurc faa
eous the vein should prove 10 have no great depth
matter Of a day profit Is worth looking after This
IA from single shaft only IS feet deep and without op
Grating the drifts the lateral veins. But in mning
perienee flssure vein ia usually OF great depth.
Near this first shaft tho gentomen who own the 40
acre lot have sunk second shaft beginning work upon
It in October last. This has reached about tho
depth as first The vein is about four eot WIDE and
the Of similar purity The vein also Tdens here as
it deepens Four work in this shaft by night, and
four during day. shafthouses, largo stOrehOuse
and boarding house for the men have been built Tho
shafts being covered the can continue their work
during the Winter About l2s have been taken out
and stored the miners having 40 royalty 70 pay on the
ore from the second shaft
In tho Spring is expected thst the Adams lot win Be
purchased according to agreement ana mining will be-
gin on an extensive scale By that time about 800 tons
viii have been taken out and tho vein excavatsd down
to Q depth OF 100 feet. steam pump win be put In
service tho interferes with the work
large gang Of men viii be put on to begin the OF
drifting in. Smelling houses will be erected one Of
the Nevbmyport wharves, and q stock company will be
formed. The Boston and Maine Railroad Company will
lay spur track convey the from the mne to the
works. company IN Lawrence, which was
formed last week, and which has secured
land in the vicinity, will sink shaft and prob
ably send their to the works-f they find any
This mine supposed to extend In its general dree
ton, 400 east Of north, miles. The Com
stock lode in Nevada hitherto supposed to DO the rich
est In the world Yields sl5 while this arararaa kon to