Arizona weekly citizen., 1881-06-12
Copper.

A-NNW ANA A AfAhAaAAt4H
 No more interesting question in metal production presently appears than the probable influence of the new copper mines in Arizona and Ne yada on the market. Nevada's mines aJe practically undetermined, but 1t has long been known that immensely rich lodes of copper existed in Ari- Zona. In the latter, however. danger from savages, remOteless from trans poriation facilities and the marvellous richness of gold and silver lodes Tre- vented until lately any consideration of copper mines. Since the exclusion of the Indians and introduction Of the railroads, the better known copper deposits are attracting the energetic miners and production seems on the eve of great increase. The enormous and constant profit of the steadily pro- ductive copper mines of regions with fair transportation facilities, notably, Superior, Spain and Peru, have stim- ulated most thorsugh examination of the Arizona copper mines, and for the first time We are able Co speak with some degree of certainty of these lodes.
 Before reviewing the probabilities Of the Arizona mines we will speak briefly of copper itself as a conner cIal product.
 Commencing with January of 1871, we find that the price of ingot copper in New York was 22 cents, from which it went to AL in April, 1872, Eut fell to 3215 in June. The course was downward until October, 1873, when changes reached 19 .n August of 1874, rising to 26 in January, 1875, when a decline started that brought it 10 l51I m January, 1879, where It re- mained comparatively steady until August, then changing into rise that culminated in January, 1880, at 9, then fell gradually back tO IS in May, since when the market has been slowly but substantially rising.
 The possibility of producing copper prOfitably with such prices In New York, Is best indicated by the official reports of the Atlantic mine of Lake Superior.
 Beginning January l, 1875, with a surplus of S51, ,537S9, this company added $40,00O by assessment; at the end of 1880 it had paid SG0, ,000 m div idends and had a surplus of S263,- 320O2, undivided This result was had from rock mined from great depth that yielded an average of only 21.16 pounds of copper per ton. Less than twenty one and one quarter pounds per toni Our point appears still stronger in the fact that this com pany realized an average price of but seventeen cents per pound for its cop per, or less than SS.70 per ton, cash
 The enormous profits of the Calu met and Hecla, amounting to Over s34,000, ,000 iH twenty years, appear in- telligible from the results of the At l lantic In 1880 the Calumet and Hec- l ia mined about 325, 000 tons of ore, 1 from which tbeIr stamps took l9, 100 l tons O. copper, or about six per cent. of mineral, against the less than one | per cent. yield of the Atlantic. It | should be remembered that the cop ! per of the Calumet and Hecla, the | Atlantic and other Lake Superior | copper mines does not come from ore, | but is native or nearly pure copper | from vein rock, taken out as free gold | is from quartz. The copper thus ob- | tained, if from the rock by stamps, is ] called mineral" t" and yields an av- craze of about 76 per cent. ingot or commercial copper. The copper | found in Arizona and Nevada, like l that found In the famous Polk county ! mines of Tennessee, is Tn ores, or in . form of sulphurets, oxides. etc. The Tennessee mines which made fortunes for so many, got the bulk of their ore from great depth, and it yielded from s 10 l2 per cent copper. These mines were in the mountains, and all of supplies, machinery, provisions and product were by wagons, yet they proved immensely profitable.