New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1899-05-21
MONEY MADE IN COPPER.
AMERICAS IMMENSE PRODUCTION on
THIS METAL.
MONTANA. MICHIGAN AND ARIZONA SUPPLY
MOST OF Ir4soME FAMOUS MINES


cents, has drawn attention to the sources from
which the worlds supply Of this metal is de-
rived Twenty years ago the total annual prod
uct was about $4,000 long tons, of which chill
furnished nearly one-thrd $4,000. Spain ana
Portugal together a plump fifth S3,3GD. and
the United States less than one-sixth (Z3'oo
tons) After 1879 the output Of Chill declined
and the United States soon passed her. Spain
and Portugal slowly increased their yield, Out
this country easily outstripped them. 50 that
IN 1888 the United States led the procession and
nroduced one-fourth of the total Two years
later her share was one-third, and by ls92 spe
proportion had been raised to one-halt.
Since that time there has been but little
change The American percentage Is shsnu'
and slowly gaining however Indeed there INV
been years when the only observed increase
the total amount OF copper mined was tha' u
the United States, the gains in one foreigh couh-
try being offset by losses in another Al pres
ent the principal producers ASIDE from INV
United States, are Spain, Portugal, Chin t"hoSe
remaining ores are all Of low grade)' JAPAN
Germany and Australia.
In this country copper is fairly well DIS
tributed but the chief centres or production are
Michigan. Montana and Arizona Moreover Id
each Of the three the region that Is most pro-
ductive is very limited. Along the southern
shore of Lake Superior there is mario" pe'
not over a hundred miles long. In Montana 'ne
most noted mines are confined to single town
ship Arizona's copper is apparently somewhat
more scattered than Montana's, but not SO mucn
so as Mchigan's-
THE LAKE REGION FIRST WORRIED
The Lake Superior region was the first to DO
worked Copper mining in Northern Michigan
dates from 1S45-a trife over nifty years aso
And for three full decades that district monopo
lized the Industry. That Is to say, nom severn
eiphths to nine-teuths Of the whole American
output came from Michigan. The most FAMOUS
of the mines there was the Calumet ana hecia'
owned almost exclusively in Boston IL mas pio-
drced from one-haif to two-thirds OF the copper
of the lake region for long time. Inc oo,''
nany originally controlled the richest ore de-
nosits In that part Of the country. But tne
mining laws Of Michigan grant ownership
.,r.,gbt downward from surface boundaries. and
are paramount to the Federal law, which would
hova authorized the Calumet and Nicola Com
norv IN follow it's vein santwise under ground
Hence certain newcomers, notably the rama
uck Compapy. were able to invade the oiuef
.ornoration,s treasure and share it. Ihe Az
! iantic. Franklin and Kearsarge are among 'he
otbor principal producers in Michigan.
| Twenty years ago Arizona began 10 iofee "
tbo front and fer time she held the seconu
n,aco Tn 1882 she furnished one-hftn Oh INC
whole output of the United States and thru
"a much as Michigan. Montana passed ner 'he
following year. The most noted Arizona pr
ducers are the Copper Queen, United 'elue ""'
| Old Dominion companies 80.
! The Montana mines are situated a' D''
That accurate and much-quoted au'hoi''
miring matters Charles klrchhon' H1i'o' -
.'The Iron Age" says that the veins A'e
Gated within rectange two ana n'N' ~
long and one mile wide. The largest p'0'roN
here are the Anaconda, owned TOT many -
by Messrs Haggin, DAILY, Tevis q he",S'' W
Boston and Montana, the Butte anu 0
Clark's Cousa, and the ParrotI hio"'D
nassed Michigan In the race for supfe"N'
| in 1887. BY 1892 she was able TO iurhisn 'A
half the amount mined in the oniteo e'A
and one-quarter Of the whole supply Vi INV
world. .,.o,
This proportion has not been fuiiy ihS"'"
for the last two or three years pu' hon'a
still holds the palm. Last year the IN"
States turned out 234,271 long tons Oh oopp s,
OF which Montana contributed 9I,4Oo M'ch'
gan &c, 462- and Arizona $500 All Vi u" 90 noo
Of the country combined produced only low"
tons The Anaconda mines yield from 0ne
to three fifths of the whole amount oota'neu Il.
Montana. They are the largest producers Oh
copper In the world. In 1892 when the QUIZ pon
OF the Anaconda system reached loVV"o>V
pounds, Calumet and Hecla mined only aOo"'
5S 900 600 pounds OF late the disproporuoh Has
diminished, but the Michigan company sun IL
mains in the rear.
METAL, IN DIFFERENT COMBINATIONS.
hat