The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1899-04-11
FOUND IN ROWAN COUNTY
ESTIMATED TO BE WORTH
OVER $500, 100000
ALSO RICH VEINS OF GOLD AND sILvEF
A Mining Expert Makes Some interesting Cal
culations Will Require Nearly -Four Cen
turtles at the Fate of 200 Tons Per
Day to Exhaust Stores of coppar,


If reports from Union Mine, near
Salisbury, are to be believed. it is the
richest deposit of copper in the world
An immense vein of gold and copper
bearing ore runs through the mine prop
erty for over half a mile. The ore at
the surface runs about 3 per cent. cop
per, at waterlevel it is 5 per cent, ut
about 600 feet 10 per cent. and still
deeper it reaches from - 10 40 per
cent. copper until at the bottom there
are large sheets of native copper.
The gold contents of the ore averages
from So to $3.50 per ton. Mining eX-
perts say there are some ten or twelve
miles of copper, gold and silver VEINS
on the property, every foot of which can
be profitably worked. Interested par
ties estimate the copper deposits alone
to be worth over $S,000,000.
This mine was worked in 1S60'61,
but has ever since lain idle and unde-
veloped.
Concerning this mine, Mr.. J. j. New
man, mining engineer largely inter-
ested in it. writes:
Il have begun work on the Union
Mine adjoining Gold Hill in this coun-
~, and the work is now progressing
satisfactorily.
II his Union Mine is one of the great
mines of the country and is a wonder
i'll itself; but, the greatest thing about
it is the immense vein of gold and
copper bearing ore that runs through
the mine property for over half a mile.
This vein varies from 30 to 100 feet
thick on the surface and is Il thorough
ly oxidiZed ore DOWN to water level,
which is about 50 feet down. Then
the pyrites come in and the ore be-
comes very refractory to mill by COM
mon amalgamation for the gold con-
tents. Above the water level the ore is
free milling for gold and does not carry
much copper, as most Of that has been
leached out.
THE copper vein is known as the
Big CUT copper vein. 1t has an open
cut on the vein about 800 feet long, -
feet deep and % to 80 feet wide, with a
tunnel at the bottom that runs through
the vein out to the surface on the side
of the HILL At the bottom of the open
cut, there is working shaft 12S feet
deep on the copper vein. The ore at
the surface runs about 3 per cent. cop
per, at water level it is per cent. cop
per, at about 600 feet the ore is about
10 per cent. copper and deeper down
the ore gets richer, from 10 to 40 per
cent copper, until at the bottom of the
Us foot shaft, there are large sheets of
native copper that runs ore up to high
grade and very valuable ore.
1.-The gold contents of the ore run
from So up to $50 per ton, and this
average obtains all through the vein. At
the bottom of the 12S foot shaft there
is concentration of the vein to about
80 feet thick of very high grade copper
and gold ore.
This ore was mined, cobbed and
shipped to Baltimore by the owners in
1S6O-61. The work was only stopped
by the war and its results. and has
not been resumed since. Then, the ore
was hauled 10 miles to Salisbury in
wagons and shipped by rail to Rich
mond and Norfolk and thence by water.
and made to pay handsomely, notwith-
standing the immense expense of ship
ment.
Now. the ore can be mined FOR 81
per ton, hauled To the railroad one
mile for less than 81 per ton, and ship
PED 10 Ine IorlHeiH sHeiteIs ioi ~ PEI
ton to Baltimore; 50 per ton to Newark
Constable Hook, Ansonia and other
buyers. So that the expense of mark
citing the crude ore is about 81 per tom
Five per cent. ore has 100 lbs, 10 pei
cent. ore has 200 lbs; 10 per cent. ore
has 800 lbs; 20 per cent. ore has 4Uo
lbs. and 40 per cent. ore has 500 lbs
OF copper to the ton. Copper. to-day, i
worth about Is cents per pound. so one
can easily calculate the profit Of mih'
ing and shipping over . PEI cent. cop