Daily Los Angeles herald., 1883-08-16
COPPER MINES.
Why They are Destined to Become
One of the Most Valuable Indus
tries of the Coast.

For many years the Atacama desert,
in Chile, South America, was noted as
being the most prolific and profitable
copper producing country known, at
one time producing about seventy-five
per cent. Of the copper of the world.
Yet. with long and expensive transpor-
tation, il was a paying industry. But
lively competition from Spain, and the
northern peninsula of Michigan, with
the deterioration of the product in Chile,
has rendered that country less Of a fac
tor in the copper industry Of the world.
Up to the present time, also, the crude
process of reverberating and stone.blast
furnaces have been used, which were
far more expensive and slow than the
modern system OF reduction now used
in the United States.
The mines Of Michigan have proved
to be bonanza to their owners, and as
llong as they were the only rich mines in
the country the price of this valuable
metal was high. But the magnificent
Clifton copper mines, Apache county,
Arizona, were discovered and developed
by the Leszinsky Brothers. who, after
making fortune, sold the property for
another fortune.
The Copper Queen and the Copper
King, with the vast mines of the United
Verde Company, Howells' and Copper
Basin, the new mines of the Los Angeles
Company on the Colorado in Arizona,
the immense deposits of copper in the
Dry Lake, and other localities in San
Bernardino county in this State, all point
to great increase in the yield of this
valuable metal
As railroads progress, other leads long
known and taken up, will be developed
to great advantage, owing to the easy
and cheap transportation now offered to
the mines. the lack Of the terrible dan
gers OF the desert, and the ease Of ship
ping the rich ore. The Ord District,
near at home, has achieved prominence,
and is to-day a splendid bonanza in this
line, and may prove to be a second
Chile. Michigan or Clifton. Many
other equally rich claims are known,
and will soon be developed more
economically than formerly on account
of the greatly improved facilities offered
by the railroad, which, while making
the metal cheaper, still net the fortu-
nate owners much more than formerly,
SO that lower grade Of ore can be
worked in improved smelters witlfproiit.
This fact will have very important
effect upon buildings throughout the
country wherever it can be transported
at reasonable rate, for the construc-
ton of roofs, both for business edifices
and dwellings, in place Of tin, which rusts;
tiles, which are too heavy; shingles,
which rot; or slate, which is expensive.
Copper is duetiIe, easily laid, permanent
for an indefinite time, Hre-proof, does
not rust, and is. withal, ornamental.
At reasonable price, which is only a
matter of short time, with the natural
resources and cheaper transportation,
this metal will take the place of many
other and scarcer metals for other pur-
poses than roofing, and for which it will
prove satisfactory. Cotton used to be
King. then corn disputed the claim to
royalty, but the minerals Of the country,
especially in Southern California and
Arizona, with assistance from Colorado
will soon overthrow these two formerly
alleged Kings of Commerce.