The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1898-05-25
There's Copper In Il.

TT is not generally known that. were
this country to take Cuba. another
great copper-producing community
will be added to the Union, favoraply
located for shipments and capable of
very great development by American EN-
terprise and industry. This fact may
lead some of the Montana boys who go
to the island to stay there after peace
is restored and become interested In the
mines. According to a report to the
state department by Hyatt. our late
consul to Santiago de Cuba, copper
was mined at Cobre by the natives
before Columbus discovered the island,
and there is strong pyoof h a native
copper was carried across to Florida
and used by the Florida Indians hun-
dreds Of years ago. The mound build
ers of that state buried with their dead
copper ornaments and utensils ham
mered from native copper, which al
ways has an admixture of more or less
foreign matter. AS no copper ore is
found in Florida, or in the United
States for a long distance from there.
and as that oun in the United states
or i'm Mexico does not correspond
chemically with hat buried with the
mound builders, II occurred to Prof. X.
II. Sanders OF the Academy of Natural
Sciences I'm Philadelphia that 1t was
possible tina these mound builders had
water communication with Cuba, and
got their copper from here. He there
fore procured a sample of native Gu
ban copper. which proved, upon an
alysis. to be Identical with that used
in the copper mentioned. In
the early part of the present century
some English capitalists purchased
these mines, which are nine. miles from
Santiago.
The books of the Santiago consulate
show that from 1928 to ls4o an average
of from $4,000 900 to $4,000. 900 worth OF
copper ore was shipped annually to
the United States from these mines.
How much was shipped elsewhere Is
not known. These mines continued in
successful operation unit 1867. when a
combination of circumstances, and not
the poverty of the mines. closed them
up, and the various shafts, from 900 to
1000 feet deep. filled with water. all
save 300 feet being below the level of
the sea. In later years considerable
copper was taken from these mines by
pumping the water from the shafts TO
tanks, into which iron scraps were
thrown. Tn copper held in solution
by the water deposited IN the scrap
iron. which in time was broker off and
the iron used again. II is generally be-
lieved that large quantities of copper
still remain In this locality.
The iron mines of Cuba. all of which
are located near Santiago, overshadow
in Importance all other industries on
the eastern end of the island, consti-
tuting the only industry that has made
any pretense of withstanding the shock
Of the present insurrection. The Jura-
qua and Daiquiri iron companies
CAmerican). with a combined capital
OF over 5000. 900. now operate mines
in this vicinity and employ from 500 tC
1.4O0 men. shipping to the United
States from 80. 600 TO 5000 tons of iror
ore per month. the largest portion OF
which is used at Bethlehem, Steelton
Sparrows Point and Pittsburg. Tn,
ore OF these mines is among the richest
In the world. yielding from 60 to 81 PEI
cent. of pure iron. and is very FIRE,
from sulphur and phosphorus. Their,
are numerous undeveloped mines o.
equal value in his region.
In the Sierra Maestro range on tn
southern coast of Cuba. from Santiag,
west TO Manzsnillo, within a distanc
Of about 100 miles. are found numerou
deposits OF manganese. an ore indis
pensable in the manufacture of stee'
American capital opened a min abou
20 miles distant. at a place calle'
PonupO. and built a railroad to IL. AZ
ter shipping n cargo, h mines wer
stopped by the insurgents. As nearl
all the manganese used in the Unite
States comes from the Black sea re
gions OF Europe and a smaller quantit
from the northern part OF South Amer
lea. IL is but reasonable to suppos
| that the nradurfs of fhssa near-h