The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1899-07-29
4 GREAT COPPER FIELD.
THOUSANDS OF ACRES OF RICH
DEPOSITS.
THE PROPERTY OF THE BOSTON
AND TEXAS COPPER
COMPANY.
ITS ROMANTIC HISTORY AND
DISCOVERY

:. In 1868, during the late civil war be-
tween the states, when almost every man
In the state OF Texas, between the ages
or fifteen and fifty years, who was
physically able to serve his country, was
in the Confederate Army, and tho CO.
manche, kiowa and Apache Indians madc
frequent forays into what IL now the
most prosperous and populous section of
Texas, Col. j. b. Barry, in command OF
a battalion of Texas rangers, pursued
these predatory savages into what Is now
Archer Co.; then beautiful picturesque
terre incognita Of gentle undulating hill
and dale, covered with wild flowers and
nutritious grasses, upon which were
fattened thousands of wild deer, antelope
and buffalo, making 1t favorite hunting
ground OF the nomadic, primeval red
man.
A severe battle was fought, after clos
Ing In with the Indians, in which through
greater prowess and equipment, the Tex
ans were, as usual victorious. When
about to break camp, copper ore of the
richest quality was found scattered all
over an area of twenty-five to thirty
square miles, on the surface Of the
ground and imbedded in the surface clay,
and extending several feet below, rang
ing In size from a pea to goose egg.
Also In solid veins running from the
sides OF the hills, aud where the soft al
luvial soil had been washed away by
rains, the ore veins, protruding from the
hillside without support, would break of
and roll to the foot OF the hill in chunks
from two to five hundred pounds In
weight each, and sometimes as large as a
mans body; until. Mt the time of the dis
covery, it was estimated that there had
thus accumulated two thousand tons of
copper. Ii was found also in the blue
clay, which beginning at or within . few
inches OF the surface, would extend in
depth from eight inches TO eight feet.
This latter was apparently almost ex-
haustless In quantity for whatever exca-
vations were made a few inches deep,
this copper bearing clay was always
found. A wagon load of the ore was
hastily gathered, aud hauled TO Austin,
the capital of the state, some three hun
dred miles distant, and assayed by Prof.
De Ryee, who was then and for many
years after, the State Geologist and
Chemist OF Texas. His assay Of the ore
yielded from 43 1-2 to 7S 1-3 per cent.
copper, and the copper bearing clay an
average of about Is per cent. with an in
definite quantity of silver. gold, nickel,
cobalt azurite and malachitc. A large
percussion gun cap factory was at once
erected at Austin, and operated success
fully by Prof. De Ryee; and from that
time to the close of the Civil war, I'm
May, 1865, nearly all the percussion
caps and Illuminating material used in the
Confederate Army were supplied from
these copper deposits.
State Geologist, VIM. De Ryee, was
sent to investigate the source and volume
of these copper deposits, and he reported
that proper development would demon
strate tho existence Of the greatest de-
posts Of copper, the cheapest mined, the
easiest smelted. and that would pay the
largest net profit Of any in the United
States. At the Isbell lead or mine,
which had been opened, he made cross