Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1880-05-05
Ely Copper Mines.

The Boston Herald recently after reviewing the
various copper mines Of the country in we'll
written article, takes up these mines and shows
concusively that the copper interests Of Vermont
are hardly second to any in the country. We re-
greet that we cannot give Its article entire, but pre-
sent Its salient points. II says "The mine Is
owned and worked by the Vermont Copper Min
ing Company. Over sixty years have elapsed
since the first discovery Of copper at this place,
and yet the yield Of copper was never so large as
IL Is ut present. The curiosity OF the people was
excited by the decomposing sulphurets Of iron
and copper at the surface, and excavations were
made TO ascertain the cause, and upon reaching
bed rock iron and copper pyrites were found. A
farmers company was formed and mining began,
but owing to the inexperience Of those engaged.
very little ore was obtained. Then Colonel Bin
ney Of Boston and Isaac Tyson Of Baltimore took
hold of the enterprise, and though they drove an
adit and penetrated the rock containing the ore
horizontally ninety-four feet without striking the
ore bed, they became discouraged and abandoned
the work In 1853, however, some gentlemen Of
New York city purchased the mine and two hum
dred and forty-eight acres Of land adjacent. In
the fall Of that year a charter granted by the
legislature of Vermont, constituting them a body
corporate under the name Of the Vermont Copper
Mining Company, with a capital Of $500, 900. In
the spring of 1886 the work was systematically
commenced under the superintendent Of Captain
Pollard, an intelligent and experienced Cornish
miner, and, under his supervision the work has
been attended with gratifying results. The cross
cut adit abandoned by Messrs. Blnney and Tyson
was at once entered by the workmen and driven
in the direction of the ore and they had not pro-
ceeded four feet before the ore bed was reached
The bed was found to consist Of copper pyrites,
associated with mendc, and was from eight to
sixteen feet In thickness The ore occurs in
continuous bed conformabe with the schist inclos-
| ing II, and has an average thickness OF about
twelve feet and in descending into the earth the
bed is found to change in appearance and improve
in quality The depth Of the mine is now twenty
five hundred feet on an angle OF about twenty five
degrees The mine has been worked twenty
| seven years. and has about twenty smelling
stacks against one at the beginning), and thirty
roasting sheds. The opening of the mine is about
a third Of mile above the smelling stacks in the
| side of the hill. At the opening IL the ore house
| where the ore is 'cobbed or dressed down to
about eight per cent; the 'cobbng is done
mostly by boys from the ore house is double
track to the roasting sheds on each track is car
a car of ore is let down the inclined track to the
roasting shed and as the loaded car is let down
1t is 80 attached to an empty one on the Other
track that is drawn up by the descending car, and
this operation is continued dd HbiuBi. At the
roasting shed the sulphur Is driven out and
prepared for the smelling stacks where, by