The Portland daily press., 1878-05-30
A Wonderful Discovery of Silver in thi

A Wonderful Discovery of silver in this
Slate.
Some four months since Mr.. f. L. Bartlett
of this city reported the discovery of native
silver in Sullivan, Hancock County. He was
SO we'll satisfied that it was rich, that he in
terested some Boston gentlemen in the dis
covery who Immediately had the property in
vestigated by miners and experts, all of whom
are unanimous in reporting this mine one of
the richest ever discovered, They have pur-
chased the mine and have formed a company
under the laws of our state, with capital
stock of 100000 divided into 10000 shares of
$40 each. The directors are L. Foster Morse,
III. Allen, W. D. Lewis, B. F. Bradbury
and G.. F. Western all of Boston. W. o.
Lewis is President, f. L. Bartlett of this city,
Secretary, w. D. Lewis is Treasurer, and G.
w. Kempton is Superintendent The follow
ing report copied from the Mining Record,
New York, was written by one of the mining
experts who has thoroughly examined the
property:
BOSTON, MASS, May Is. 1875
Sir:-Some time since, I saw in your cores
pondence short note regarding the Sullivan
Native Mine, at Sullivan, Maine, which is the
most astonishing ever made in New England;
and in some points, the most wonderful yet
made in the country.
The vein was first discovered by A. A.
Messer of Sullivan, about year ago. 1t out
crops below high water mark along the shore
of Sullivan River. and has been traced for
several hundred feet. 1t is in quartzitic slate,
dipping at an angle Of about forty five deg.
toward the land, and toward neghboring and
extensive upheaval of granite. The vein COM
prises about two feet width of quartz, SC, but
at some points the pay-rock is not less than
four feet thick A shaft has been sunk to
about thirty five feet, total depth, and about
fifty tons of ore have been taken out.
This ore is the astonishing part of the matter.
1t consists of, LIST; Native-Silver, in threads,
Jumps, and flakes, not as occasional specimens,
but in almost every piece. of quartz of good
size, land in the slate casing and selvage, in
patches with silver glance. Spirals of silver
threads, as much as an inch across, have been
found here. I'd: silver glance aud brittle sui
phuret of silver. These minerals form the ore
of the mine, in the quartz and slaty gangue,
and may be found in any specimen of the vein
matter in fine specimens, Jumps, plates, etc.
Galena, some zinc and other sulphides, occur
in the vein but not to such an extent as to
give any special value. From selected piece
of gray copper got assay $4,000 per ton; yellow
suiphide of copper 5000 per ton; piece of pure
galena 1915 per ton; blende, free from silver.
The silver glance from this mine carries some
| native, bringing it up to over ninety per cen
| silver. The brittle silver is over seventy per
| cent. silver.
Professor f. L. Bartlett of Portland, assayed
ten samples of the ore from ten feet depth.
carefully excluding all which showed traces OF
| Native-Siver or chloride. Result, highest
| S142 80; lowest (galena ore) 1922; average
| $S9N per ton in silver, Also at twelve feet
depth, sample showing gslena and chloride
S7,370.35. Galena ore $67 IS. and an ordinary
sample of milky quartz $65.97 per ton.
| English assay reports for sale of ores show 9
net value for the two grades sent: highes
S19479 per ton; lowest 1926 per ton. Five
assays in Boston May ID, from carefully
sampled ore highest 1881 96 per ton; Lowest
S69.49 per ton; average $1,27618 per ton
Finally. assay by myself of the wall casing
previously supposed worthless and not al
assay of select specimen, gave $4Sl.56 PEI
ton.
This account will suffice to show you that W.
have in New England an extraordinary rici
deposit of silver salphurets and Native Silver
These matters are facts and although the IN
believers will be likely to deny the possibllit.
of such things SO near home, they have yet Z
l awake to the fact.