New-York tribune., 1879-10-01


BLUE Hill, Hancock Co.. Me-. Sept. 25.-Ihe
voyager along the coast of Maine. whether he
cruises among the islands which form vast arch-
pclago, sbeltcring the main land from the rude
assaults OF the waves or sails upon the open sea-
will notice all tho way from Penobscot Bay to
Mount Desert bold blue height rising on the aorth-
ern horizon, and will wonder why 50 conspicuous n
landmark should be called hill instead of getting
the title II plainly deserves 1t gives name to the
fine broad inlet between Penobscot Bay and French
mans Bav il IS seen far inland well far out To
sea- and yet Il Is after all only hill for If you sail
up the bay OF drive across country to the trim
little village nesting by the water-sidc at
its foot. you will see that it is not very
high after all. and that the pastures
run up its sides almost to its summit. lu fact. 1t
gets its prominence from the lack Of other conspic
uons elevations in its vicinity, like some statesmen
who loom ND immensely before the public eye, but
who would he found TO be quite ordinary mortals
II there any really great men within the radius
Of their influence with whom comparisons could be
Instituted The village OF Blue Hi was con-
tented sleepy little hamlet. given to fishing, hay
making and trading in q small way and gossip on a
larger >c he until about two years ago, when re-
turned California miner startled its inhabitants Dy
the assertion that there was a rich vein OF copper
underlying q stony ridge close by. The miner was
r.. IS. -.
In California and Nevada, had been driven East by
his doctors, who told him lie must gct down from
the hi-h latitude Of the mining get ready
TO die Ia n few months happening to be IN Ban
cor he saw some specimens of copper
ore that had been picked ~ on the
surface near Blue Il The miners pas
siou had not been extngui.hed in him rs change OF
longitude. lie fastened to the spot whence the
specimens came, spent weeks in prospecting. and
made u9 his mind that lie had hit upon rich and
workable vein of copper.
The next step was To interest Boston capitals
In the discovery and to form a company for deve-
oping the vein and reducing the ore. This Mr.
Cutter succeeded in doing and the Blue Hill Cop
rer Mining and Smelling Company. President ;. G.
Blanchard. Of Boston. began work by sinking
siaft. drifting into the ridge in two places about
a quarter Of a mile apart. and erecting a mill for
crushing and condensing the ore. The vein does
not lie under Blue Ill., but under n low ridge two
miIss eastward on the surface Of which forest of
dwarfed trees struggles for existence with count
less great powders of all Sizes Further exam
ination showed that the vein extends for
the distance OF three miles. from a pond
westward to Blue Hill Bay. 1t dips under the
pond and docs nOt come NJ on the opposite shore,
and it sinks unlcr thc granite It strikes the
tide-water of the bay. Further explorations may
many miles 10 the eastward westward, but ms far
rs Is now known it appears at the surface only
in the liite three mile strip of country above
described shouid have said VEINS instead OF vein,
for there are three cOpper-bcarinQ strata of the
thickness respectively of six, nine and twelve feet,
tited M at an angle Of 80 degrees, and lying about
four feet apart, in decompOscd rock The ono is
sulphur, ri copper aud tho yield averages between
3 ana 4 per ccat o1 metal. Inc ore Is as good as
that of the famous Calumet and lieca mines. 1t
costs 81 80 ton TO get il ont Of the ground, and
90 cents to concentrate IL Mt the mill. Ten tons of
ore make one of the concentration. Thus the cost
of n ION of concentrated ore is S15 for mining and
81 for milling. making $50. II sells for $40, leav-
lug the handsome prOnt ~ so.
At the mHl the ore II INST run through Blake
crusher. Then the bulk of the copper is separated
from the taingS bv new machine recently in
vented IN 81 JObusbury, Ncl1non winch works by the
principle of specific gravity. The coarse dust which
comes from the cru>hcr is aWtafed on sloping
plane covered with cloth and trayersed diaPOnay
by a large number of steel ribs. ho heavier ore
sinks to the bottom and the lighter rock powder
comes over the top OF the rs, 50 thn al the end ol
the machine each comes cut IN 4 separate trough.
The ore goes directly into barrcs and the tailings
are run through ingenious water separator
which gets ont good deal OF ore that
escaped the mechanical Pfoce'S. Naturally,
the success of Mr. Cutters pioneer company
stimulated the organization of others ana the
whole country is now taken up with the exception
of single small tract The following companies
are at work sinking slafiS or TAKING our ore!
The Bisbee which began work last July and Is now
getting out ore; the Atlantic. which began work
June !, and is taking out some ore; the St0Ner,
which Is now working through iron ore and has not
yet struck the copper vein These companies mines
are west of the Blue Hill mines and MILL Eastward
are the Douglass which has sold some ore since ~
was opened IN December last the Freddy, opened
eighteen months agO the StOrer anu the Gray
Farm-the two latter being new companies not yet
operating. There is said TO he room lOr only one
more company on the vein.
The permanent success of nearly all mining, and
| especially Of copper and silver mining depends
upon the ability to get out aud reduce low GRADE
ore, at a II, it. High grade ores are seldom found
IN large quantities. and usually occur IN small
sircaks pockets but those of lower vaiue are
much more abundant. and exist IN iArge nssure
VEINS. 4 special merit of thc Blue iiill deposit
Is that whe It contains mucn rtch ore
it has also an apparently lneXhallstiGle
stock of low grade ores, which can be-
taken Out cheGpiy that they Afford a certain
source OF profit. Two per cent ores here leave
handsome margin, aud even one per cent or.s can
be worked with small advantage. Ihen the
proximity TO t.de-Natcr and the nearuers To Eastern
cities IS great point In favor ot he3e mines. AN
the ore thus fIr taken out contains more or less
silyer-usually only trace but sometimes enough
b. yield T3O to the tOn Oi condensed ore mere Is
a little gold, too. Where the SILVER ana Boiu sH-
ceed ccrlain value III ton the siacltcrs III Dtti-
more to whom the concentrated ore ir shipped make
| an allowance for II III their payments.
Like the silver mines OF sullivan aud Goldsbor-
ough describcd IN my last letter, the copper mines
of Blue Hill arc leatimate business enterprises.
There no Signs OF speculative lever ut hef
place. The people of the surrounding country ook
mon the mines with some lncicdullty as To their
being sources of wealth. but hope thoy may prove
successful ia order that they may furnish employ
ment TO labor. when, since the decllnc OF INC nsh-
ipg numbering and granite quarry interests ~ THIS
section has not readily found employ yment. Ine
development of extensive mining Industries would
be piece OF great good fortune 10 Maine Her leg
isators appreciate this and have exempted the
mines from taxation for period OF years. Botn
the COPPER and silver mines have already got be-
yoDd The experimental stage. The ore Il good. Is
found IN considerable quantities, and can bo taken
ont and marketed at IA cost which leaves hsnd-
some margin OF profit Ia the mining companies:
Thcy NAV not earn fair dividends on their nominal