The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1877-1885, 1882-04-19
Money from New York in the
OucktoWn RAiiroa d Project

RALEIGH, N. c.. April lit is now
known in private circles that a number
OF New York capitalists, among whom
are Messrs. MacCauley, Williams, Black
4 Co., Pondir & Co., and other gentle,
men oflarge m cans, have acquired the
ownership of the valuable copper min
ing interests at Hiawassa, near Duck
town, Cherokee county, n. G. This
property is about four miles square and
contains nearly 5000 acres of land.
There is a local railroad. and about l2O
houses for operatives and for smelling
works on the land. The tract contains
inexhaustible deposits Of copper ore and
iron pyrltes, from which copper has
been made at q profit for years past In
the old fashioned way. using wood as
fuel, and the product then hauled 40
miles over mountainous roads to Cleave
land, Tenn, the junction of the Rome
and Dalton and East Tennessee and
Virginia Railroads. These ores contain
besides copper about 40 per cent. OF
iron and sulphur. Under the old plan
both the sulphur and the iron had to
be extracted at considerable cost, and
were entirely wasted, leaving the cop
per, which was sufficient to pay a profit,
Notwithstanding crude and ignorant
mining and long and tedious transpor-
tation. The enterprising and moneyed
men have found that the sulphur for
the making of sulphuric acid, which is
now SO enormously used in the treat
ment and preparation of fertilizers made
from phOsphates found in the Southern
States. and which was formerly wasted,
is worth more than the copper and
that the iron, also wasted under the old
system, is also sufficient to pay for the
mining of both.
1t is understood on the same author
lty that the parties herein named are,
IN conjunction with foreign capitalists,
arranging with the Richmond and
Danville Terminal Company for the
immediate completion of what is known
tern North Carolina Railroad. running
from Asbeville to Ducktown, III Chero
kee county, n. G. The contract with
the State does not call for the compile
ton of this branch until July. 1885, but
the object OF the purchasers of the cop
per NINE is to have the road completed
as quickly as admitted capital will Sc
cure the performance of the work. This
will give this railroad the carrying in OF
the fuel to the copper works and bring
ing out of the ores and their products.
The same authority says that the gen
tleman named have also offered the
Terminal Company to build an extern
sion of the road from Ducktown to
Cleveland Tenn, which would open ~
connection with the Rome and Dalton
roads and make the Ducktown Branch
/ part of a great through linu North
and South.
The purchase and immediate devsl
ment of these copper minds is but the
beginning of mining schemes along the
.lre of this road, as there are deposits
in Haywood, Mac)n and Cherokee
Counties, through which the road is to
be built. These deposits are as rich as
any found in the United States, as is
shown by the official geological reports
of the State. Railroad transportation
mas only been wanting for many years,
which the Terminal Company is now
furnishing. This company is employing
at the present time the labor of 1000
convicts, which labor, under their
contract, the State furnishes at the
pitiful sum of 80 cents each per day;
whereas, similar labor, unrestrained of
liberty, cannot be had for less han
$l.25 per day. Under a proper adj
ministration the State could have OBJ
tanned this amount. Gradually, with
such facts as these coming to light, the
people are beginning to understand that
the property of the Western N. G..
Railroad, which the Terminal Com
pany obtained for less than a million of
dollars, and for which the State expend
ed ten millions and then virtually gave
the road away in order to have it com
pleted, is comparatively a small item in
the possible value to the present owners
under their extraordinary contract with
the State. There is walking ahead for
somebody in the near future over the
sale of this Western North Carolina
Road Telegram to Times.