The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1877-10-26
Mining Interests,

Last evening number of prominent gentle
men of this city and vicinity gathered at the
Falmouth Hotel to consult with Mr.. A. Mason,
gentleman of much experience in mining
matters. Mr.. Mason is interested in several of
the large mines in this as well as other coun.
| tries. BE has recently visited the mines in
Vermont and New Hampshire and is very en-
| thusiastic in regard to their prospects. He is
financially interested in some of the mines in
the latter state and consequently is anxious to
have some arrangements made for the disposal
of the ore mined. AS it is now the ore is
either shipped to Europe at great expense or
sent to Baltimore and sold at small sum.
While Mr.. Mason did not make any propo-
sition to the gentlemen present, he suggested
to them the advisability of forming a company
for the receiving of minerals of all kinds He
said that the place for such mineral exchange
was matter of some importance and taking
all matters into consideration he knew of 10
better place than Portland. He would have
this company procure warehouses for the stor-
ing of ores and then let the world know that all
ores sent to them would be received and ad-
vances made on them. Then there should be
regular sales of the ore at auction, at which
smelters could buy ore for what it was worth.
AS the business progressed smelling works
would become necessity owing to the number
of mines which would be worked
As it now is there is no certainty of realizing
any definite sums for the ore if it is mined and
consequently large number of miners are
idle. If such works could be erected Mr.. Mason
thinks we could get ore from all over this state
and the Canadas and as far South as North
Carolina The location for procuring coal is
very favorable, and this is one of the chief
items to be considered. In answer TO ques-
ton from one of the gentlemen present Mr..
Mason said that it would be much cheaper to
bring the ore from the Gardner Range in New
Hampshire than it would be to carry the coal
there.
The immense advantage of such works to |
Portland can be seen at asglance. In Swansea
South Wales, where the extensive copper
smelling works are situated, there was popu-
lation of but 6831 in 1901. In 1S41 it had in
creased tSd9 115, and in 1861 there were AZ 5S1.
At these works, of which there are Is, all the
copper ore from the territories in the United
States, also Great Britain, Ireland, Austria and
Cuba is smelted.
MI. Mason shows his confidence in the plan |
by Offering to take several shares in such
company, and he is very sanguine that he can
secure Euglish capital in advance to establish |
smelling works if tie ore can only be procured.
He is understood to be a gentlemen of means
and amply able to carry out his plans.
After long and very interesting conversation
it was deemed best to defer any definite action
until certain parties could be conferred with |
when public meeting will be called. Mr.. |
Mason sails for Europe on the 18th OF Novem- |
Der, and he wishes an answer before leaving, as
parties in other places are interested in the |
matter and would like to have the works else
where.
A number of gentlemen from this state have
recently formed company, known as the Gard |
ner Mountain Copper Mining Company, and
purchased about 25O acres of land on the ard
ner Range. The officers of the company are
President, John f. Anderson; Treasurer, Ed |
mund Dana, Jr.; Secretary, E. G. Stevens; AS |
sayer, F. l.. Bartlett; Directors, John f. An
derson, L. D. M. Sweat, Samuel j. Anderson, |
Edmund Dana, IT., Portland, and 81. Gregory,
Jr., RocklaEd.
The ore from this mine is similar to that of |
the Vershire mine in Vermont, about thirty |
miles distant, and by actual assays of small |
and large quantities, show quite as large per |
centage of copper as theirs The Vershire mine, |
as is we'll known, has been successfully worked |
for more than twenty years, and is now yield |
ing hundred tons of pure metallic copper |
monthly, or twelve hundred tons yearly, which, |
according to official statistics, is very consid-
cradle proportion of the whole product of the |
United States.
The Gardner ore is what is known as the yell |
low sulphuret-is easily crushed and sized, and |
may be concentrated at the mouth Of the shaft |
by tie use of the newly discovered process of |
dry concentration which has been tested re- |
Gently and is in successful operation near our |
mines, so that the ore as thus prepared would /
occupy but small proportion of the bulk of |
rock ore as taken from the mine, and conse- |
quently the expense of transportation to smelt- |
ing establishments would be very essentially |
lessened on every ton of copper produced.