Arizona weekly citizen., 1882-10-15
COPPER pRnnnnrrnHs

Afew years ago copper lodges in Ari- Eons were valueless. They were passed over by the prospector in his search for the more precious metals without thought. They were not worth the trouble of locating and recording. The advent of the Southern Pacific railrosd
 has wrought change in all this, and to-
 day the copper mines of Arizona are
 attracting full as much attention as her
 silver bonanzas, and are proving full as
 profitable as investments.
 As consequence all that pertains to
 the production Of copper and the prob
 able course of the market and the effect
 the increased production will have is of
 interest. The following bearing upon
 this question we take from the New
 York Stock Report:
 Great Britain produced in 1881, $, l2S tons of ore, from which 5000 tons If
 copper were produced. This was at the
 rate of one ton of pure metal for every
 lkI3 tons of ore. In 1SSD they mined
 g, ,556, and got return of 3,S75 tons of fine copper. This is at the rate of 133s
 tons of ore 10 one of fine copper. The
 great bulk of this ore comes from Corn
 wall and Devonsbire. Itmust be borne in mind that thIs dressed, merchsutable
 ore comes from many times that amount
 of raw stuf, which was reduced by hand
 dressing and machine concentrating to
 the amount reported.
 To this must be added l6,9l2 tons of ore sold st Swansea ticketlng, which
 produced 400 tons of copper; with another batch of 5,S39 tons ticketingt,
 which netted 7,ll0 tons pure copper. There were l40O0 tons obtained by
 teaching 396,73 tons of burnt pyrites,
 and 19,975 tons from A, ,374 tons of im- ported precipitste and regulus. This
 nokos a total Of 46.a5o tons of fine cop per turned ont during 1881 by the
 smelters of the country against 4s,9O7 i dr-ins Gne preceding year.
 It will be seen what large amount of business the smelling companies of the country do, what a vast amount of raw material they consume-the ag- gregate being 595, ,4S6 tons-In order to reach less than One-half the consump- ton of the country. Besides the ore, regulus and precipitate imported, in which Spain figures with 21,646 tons Of regulus and precipitate, New Found land with 25,540 tons of ore and 92 tons of regulus, the Cape of Good Hope with II, ,5j6 tons of ore, Chili with 335 tons of ore, and SIG tons of regulus, total, with several other countries, of l02,64O tons of ore and 44,2l6 tons of regulus, England obtained 2l,0l9 tons of in- got copper from Chili. a falling of from 33,534 tons in 1879; 9,l50 tons from Australia, and 2,06l tons from other l countries; a total of finished copper of l 32, TO tons in 1881, against 36,509 tons l in 1880, and 46,670 tons Tn 1879. Its eI- ports of Ingot copper were IS, 137 tons, | and its total exports of nlaDufac- l tured, partly wrought and unwrOught, | were 50,l26 tons ID 1881, against 49 ,5OS | tons ID 1880 and 49,56S tons ID 1879.
 What a boon to Great Britain would | be the infinite resources of this metal | scattered broadcast throughout the | of America. Had We one | half the capital and labor invested ID the production Of copper as has that 1 country, the metal would become so | plentiful and cheap that It would enter | luNO tue COMuOu6ol ol uOuscuulu uLeu- | sils, supplsnting tin and the zinc, DOT | celain and granite plated iron 60 be | found ID every house. With such vast | resources of rich copper ores, Arizona | will not produce 5000 tons of refined | copper this year. Small as this amount | IS it will add to the wealth of the Terri l tory a sum equal to about S3000,0O0 | Another year, if matters go on as they l now indicate, the product wlll be dou- | bled. What effect this will have upon | the market 1t is hard to foretell, but | those best informed do not apprehend | any serious falling of in prices. Should | the price continue at eighteen cents per pound, much lower grade ores than are now worked will come into demand. A Eve per cent. free-smelting carbonate | md OIide ore now pays all expenses of and what above that is con- aimed in the ore is clear profit, less cost of transportation and refining charges. This industry is rapidly in ,reasing in popularity, and good copper mines are more in demand than silver ,r gold.