Birmingham state herald. (Birmingham, Ala.) 1895-1897, 1897-02-10
ALABAMA MINERALS.
Resources. Recent Developments and
Progress as Noted by W. M.
Brewer, of the A. G. s.
fwrltten for lac state Herald

written for the state Herald.l
The year 1897 promises 10 show greater
activity in mining for precious metals
in Alabama than during any of its pre-
decessors since the boom days of the for
ties and the seventies.
Tt Is not fair at this time to COM
ment on the question of motive which Is
actuating those who have recently be-
come interested in properties in the state.
Whether they propose to develop such as
a permanent investment or whether they
propose to hold options and seek capital
from abroad without making any out
lay themselves for development, or
whether they propose to merely make a
mining stock deal and reap harvest py
that method. OF course it is to be hoped
that the object of all the parties who are
just now showing so much interest IN
the Alabama mineral section Is TO de-
velop as a permanent INVESTMENT or
thoroughly prospect in systematic
manner and sell at fair price based on
the quantity of ore in sight.
In introducing this article with the
above remarks, | am prompted by the de-
sire to act fairly by every one ana II
possible prevent any return to the varl-
Gus boom periods which have swept over
the south from time to time resulting in
disaster and discontinue of every one
interested anu WOfkluR very SlSdl
hardship on the very section of country
which it was the avowed intention of
profiting. From my own experience
gained by a close contact with the own
ers of various southern mining proper
ties during the past six years in both
Georgia and Alabama, believe I am cor
rect in stating that these men are APP
preciating the fact that the day has come
when you have got to show actual value
in property before you can convince
nrzff 1fek hot 6oxr FOR n
man on q rocky ridge and with wave
of the hand remarking, a la Mulberry
Sellers, there's millions in It," and by
such a remark convincing the would-be
investors that such a condition actually
existed, has passed and gone.
The work which has recently been
done on the old Woods coppermine in the
southern portion of Cleburne county,
should commend itself to all who are in
terested in the future growth of the min
eral industry in the state About year
ago Mr.. DERRICK came in from the west
and secured the property. This action he
Immediately followed by the purchase of
pumping machinery, which he set to
work to un-water the mine as quickly as
possible. To succeed in this proved both
tedious and expensive as can readily be
realized when it is considered that the
underground workings had not been en-
tered since 1877, and contained the ac-
emulation of water from that time until
the present. According to Mr.. Dedrick's
own statement he expended $4,000 in UNI
watering the mine, working on the
strength of information he had received
from parties who were acquainted with
the work which, was carried on by Mr..
Woods.
Having succeeded in pumping out the
water the new owner next made an ex-
ploitation of the conditions in the old
workings. He found the ore body was
some twenty feet thick, composed of
chalco-pyrite, iron pyrite, pyrrhotite
with probably a small percentage of
arSenO-pyrite
samples of ore which he took showed
by assay to average a comparatively
high grade of copper ore as well as carry
ing both gold and silver.
hosting plant was purchased and
shaft house erected. Work was then re-
sumed in sinking below the old workings
which had been carried down some eighty
feet and the ore mined towards the north
distance of some eighty feet. This
mining had been done in the most primi-
tive and expensive manner by sinking
down or scooping up the ore, or in
technical terms by underhand stopping
instead of having carried the shaft down
to the level on which mining operations
were to be commenced, then drifting and
stopping up from the drift towards the
surface, allowing the ore to fall down.
wards it was mined out.
In continuing to gain depth in this
which in the old workings. had been
made the lower wall of the shaft and
cross-cut to the hanging wall. He has
already sunk some eighty feet deeper on
the incline of the ore body, than the
lowest level of the Woods workings and
proposes to carry the shaft down 200 feet
from the surface, then cross-cut and
drift not less than 100 feet in either direc-
ton with the strike of the ore body from
the bottom of the shaft. This will show
conclusively the quantity of ore in sight
to that point and will determine the fu-
ture of the property.
Mr.. Grant a capitalist of Atlanta, has
purchased, so I have been informed, the
old Gov. Smith copper mine, situated one
mile northeasterly from the Woods and
which was worked during the same por-
ton of the seventies. He has not yet
common ced opera tons at that point, but
I understand his work will be conducted
on the same principles as that performed
by Mr.. Dedrick. Mr. Grant has also pur-
chased a large tract of land in Tallapoosa
county from Col. Dean. at Alexander
City, this in the old Goldvile gold belt
which was worked quite extensively some
forty years ago He hasI am told. pur-
chased the machinery for the treatment
plant in Montgomery and proposes
crushing the ore with rolls, concentrat-
ing and shipping the concentrates to a
smelter. At present 1 am not in posi-
ton to give any facts with regard to the
prospective work which has been done on
the property, but expect to be shortly af-
ter having made a personal examination.
Some wisconsin capitalists are con-
cluded a deal for the Hicks-Wise gold
mine. and some adjacent property in
Cieburne county. This is one of the
largest ore bodies so far as development
work has been carried, in the state. and
the present year contemplates the imme-
date erection of a plant with a crushing
capacity of about 100 tons per day. This
mine was worked to some extent in 1893