Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1875-01-04

uuIilp Tue past lew mOUtus III tue ult,c OWu VI
Newbury, in Essex county. -Four months ago the
exi;teLc, Of any sucl ores was known to but two
persons and they were by no means aware Of the
magnitude Of their di covery. When the matter
got iato the local papers, one gentleman of this
city thought it worth while to investigate it, and
the result has been, in brief preparation for mining
on extensive scale, with prospects of returns
far more remuneraive than were ever known be-
fore. ..-.'..
Everything in New England is sooner or later
surrounded by the parasite tradition, and as the
Newburyport silver and lead mine has been no ex-
ception to the rule, the story of the "fnd" would
be incomplete without it. And so the gossips haze
mapped out very pretty piece offction. AS they
have it, lead was dug where the mine now is during
the last quarter of the eghte enth century, dug for
the purpose of moulding bullets intended for the
breasts of the British. The fact is, however, that
the discovery dates back only to 1868, when By
field man named Rogers, said to be rather DISCO
lutte character, in his wanderings over Highfeld
Pasture first noticed the ore. Something in the
weight of the stones which be picked up, and oc-
casional CLEANS as the sun glanced on small
smooth surfaces induced the belief that there was
metal in their composition; and if metal then
something Of value. With this idea he collected a
number of the best specimens and some time after
took them to Mr.. Albert Adams, a gu ct bachelor
farmer residing IN Newbury. Mr.. Adams became
greatly interested in the matter, believing that
gr. at discovery had been made. He began to
study mineralogy and geology. Becoming con
WINGED that metal was present in quantity he was
pur ued his investigations very quietly and final
concluded to secure by purchase the land on which
the specimens were found. For this purpose adj
vances were made to an old farmer named Jaquish
who bad long owned the pasture, and the lot,
measuring twelve acres, transferred to him foi
$3.50 early in April Of the present year. He then
began digging. The surface, err float ore, was
naturally more or less oxydized by the action of
the elements, but at depth Of six feet he struck
the trne ven Several tons were then taken to his
barn and further examination made.
Of course the report spread like wildfre, and
Mr.. W. w. Chapman, then Of this city, seeing
| notice of the matter went to Newburyport, and on
examination became at ence believer in the val
ne Of the discovery Fastening home, the matter
was laid before Mr.. Seth Whittier and DR.. L. G.
Kelley of this city. These three gentlemen visit
ed the grounds, and on the day following, Augusi
I, DIR. Kelley, accompanied by Professor Robert
ii. Richards Of the Institute of Technology, went
again to Highfed pasture, and Professor Rich
ards obtained four specimens on which he msde
| an assay From that report it seems that the
rocks in the vicinity are gneiss nodes and quite
hard. The strike or line of outcrop is about north
100 to so east, the dip about 800 to the north
west. IA he found it, the line of the vein wa.
about n 720 by the compass. The pieces taken
from the pit as dug by Mr.. Adams exhibited vein
structure, the upper five inches being composed of
galena, while the under three inches-the three
inches nextthc supposed foot wall-contained con-
siderable gray copper ore or tetrahedrite, gaena,
quartz, copper and iron pyrites. -Four specimen.
were assayed. The first, coarse grained galena,
assayed for silver, yielded $50 81 and the second
fine grained galena, 1923 per ton. The third,
comparatively pure piece of gray copper, contain
ing also some quartz and galena, assayed for sill
yer, copper and incidentally for gold, yielded OF
silver Sl27O per ton; gold, $l29 per ton; and
about n per cent. of copper. The fourth specl-
men, weighing about three pounds, tried for lead,
was found to be nearly pure and hammered quite
readily. The lead was ffty-two per cent. OF the
minds of DIR. Kelley and Mr.. Chapman all parti-
cles Of doubt remaining. Not SO MIR. Whittier
who withdrew from the whole business, and the
mutual arrangement that had been made by the
trio was broken. Messrs. Kelley and Chapman
decided, however, to continue operations, and
during the same month they obtained right to a
great deal of land by purchase and bonding. Mr.
Adams bonded his twelve acres to DIR. Kelley and
Mr.. Chapman for 100000 to be paid at any time
they to pay him royalty of $40 q ton for all ore
man, about this time, sold his quarter share to E.
r. Shaw of Newburyport-Dr. Kelley owning the
balance. Half of the adjoining lot, forty acres.
was secured by Messrs. Kelley and Shaw and E.
NJ. Boynton OF West Newbury, who retained the
other half. So Mes,rs. Kelley, Shaw and Boyn-
ton, with Mr.. Chapman as practical superinten-
dent, began the work, which is now turning GU,
so prosperously. Thus it was that the mine
passed into the hands of its present owners.
Early in September systematic mining operations
were begun by the sinking OF shaft feet square
As the shaft increased in depth the vein which is
what Is known as assure vein,-that is, metal be
tween two walls Of granite, where in all probable
ity, it was thrown by volcanic acton,-tne vein
broadened from three feet at the surface to seven
feet at present working-twenty-f five feet down.
As the men descend, the vein grows richer and
parer, the proportion Of silver and gold increasing
while that of lead remains about the same. The
south wall has not yet been reached The men
are therefore working on the pure metal, the north
wall being perfectly perpendicular. In eonse-
quence Of this face which is totally without par
allel 10 mining history, there is but the smallest
possible expense incurred in removing the ore
about one dollar per ton About ten tons are tax.
en- out, being hoisted up in baskets, every twenty
four hours. To work this quantity only four men
are required by day and relieving gang of equal
number by night This ore, which is piled in q
storehouse, as at present mined yields $50 per ton
of silver, $40 of lead and $ll Of gold a total Of
Sl7l. The cost of smelling and separating is $40
per ton so ike profit is about $50 per ton. Near
this first shaft, the forty acre lot they have
sunk the second shaft, begun in last October.
This is Of about the same size the first, and is
down almost as deep, the vein, working about four
feet in width and the ore being of similar
purity. This vein, like that first fonnd. broadens
as it Is is dug out. -Four men work in this shaft
at night and four during the day. Shaf-houses
have been erected over the mines and large
stoiehouse and boarding house for the mep
built near by. Housing the shafts will enable the
men 10 continue work curing the winter. About
rs tons have been taken out out and stored in the
store house. As this house is on the property Of
Mr.. Adams, the owners have nol the royalty to
pay.
But il has been decided in the spring to pur-
chase the land at 100000, as in agreement, and
then the working will begin extensive scale.
BY that time 500 tons will have been removed.
and the mine worked down to depth of 100 feet,
steam pump will be employed to remove the
water, which has not yet terfered with the work.
large gang of men will be put on, who will be-
gin the work of drifting In Smelling houses will
be erected on one Of the Newburyport wharves, |
and stock company will probably be formed. A
spur track will be built by the Boston & Maine ]
Railroad to convey the ore from the mine to the |
works company from Lawrence which was |
formed last week, and which has secured some
land in the neighborhood, will also open shaft at
that time, and in AL probability will send their |
ore 10 the same works. Mr. w. w. Chapman, |
who has had abundant experience, has special SUI |
perylson OF the mines Mr.. Shaw is chief in charge