Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1899-10-12
COPPER MINES IN VERMONT.
POSSIBILITIES OF THE GREEN NOUN
TAIN STATE IN THIS DIRECTION.
State Gcologist G.. II. Perkins Speaks of
the Deposits of Copper What is BE-
ing Done at the Elizabeth Mine
in south STAFFORD.

The great demand for copper and con-
scquent high prices which it has com
manded for some time past have aroused
unusual interest in all deposits of ore |
from which it can be obtained. For this
reason in many localities in our own
state possible copper mines have been
largely examined and some of them
worked. Some of these may prove valu
able, others Will mover amount to much.
In most cases 1t Is difficult ana often i'm
possible to foretell with any accuracy, the
future value of these deposits. The great
wealth of Vermont is in her quarrics
rather than in mines. During the past
month however caroful examination Of
some of our ore beds has increased my
faith In them and revealed some very
promising prospects" Still, enthusiasm
mining should always be tempered by
the fact that in most cases ii Is not pos
ibe to know what u day will bring forth.
The most certain thing about mining
Is that it is very uncertain
If anywhorc in paturc lawlCSsncss Is to
be found, 1T Is in the structure, forms ana
arrangement of metallic veins They
| may pass from good ore to bad or tns
reverse or from wide to narrow in tho
most unexpected and appaGcntly unreal
sOnable fashion as mining proceeds Only
that part of vein actually in sight is
| sure and about the only way to learn
t'I t"lHly MHSIHcI d HllHeih VEN OF ut-
post can be prolitably worked Is to work
= and find out by experience and very
often tie experience is Of a very undo-
sirable sort, Mining is almost always
risky business, but If no one eyer dared
take the risk much good ore would for
ever remain Useless ana the word would
be by so much the poorer.
That the gneisses, schists and other
metamorphic rocks Of our State contain
not niue mineral wealth Is certain.
Wnat IS NOT always certain is whether II
VIII OF VIII not cost more 10 get II out
tiIa.l IT Is worth
we nave no native copper Ike That in
tiie hAhc superior region cVH' ore Is all
tne veHow copper suiphate or chal' opy :
Irlte, ana Tor the most part ms is mixed
WIN pSHuotile Vroh SulphleI or pEiiie
'ron ulsulp1lde). Most OF the ore Is low
HVaoe, mat Is II contains from per cent
10 per cent OF copper, though masses
may ne louhu having - per cent or 81
per cent Al the present price OF copper
an ore whlch presents no unusual diilcu'-
" III reduction whlcn can De easily mined
ana transported 10 tIle s'n'ltFs' VIII pay
II IT holdS per cent or copper As mas
beeh stated WORK IS now pelhs carried on
III SCNerai lhcllieht mines put ouly on
small scale. Ihere Is only one tull grown
mine at present in operation. rms ~ the
EHZaoeth NINE at South S'ralto'd' owned
.ehd managed by the MeSSI+' tyson
~ io1 N'pN ""'I 'lc plS9e"t WI ~
Neie US u''' o". ~ Ma9 ~ -" a.
u.s. anu "ui ms 'nlH nm ~ '" ""
much labor ana money expended IN dt-
N'loPlhS II. just Nouth OF the HHhe
lons' ueep tr1hcH-'he oItilhE ShoN
"Here seventy years aso Hullu i Gus VI .o''S
o y ore were tahen OUT 10 rnahe y9PperuS
ne newer ihI"e Is low very wen ei|'i y
lev ioI iaiee piouuc''oi 81 ere ,'"u III
TIE immediate future Will be sun more
.pt' " " az. 49,
capacity OF huh"reu ana hItH TONS
gay Is now under construction l ms MN ~
mas man! adVahtases' IL IS situated III
inc sac OF hlgh MIL wen up from ,ii,
pase' ana therefore easily ur"'Heu' ~
inc orc hiiieu can pc run uoWh tlecn
10 Tue cru7her anu the'lce 10 We la'" w., "a
at Pompinoosuc the grade Is down. NJ
BODY OF ore in TINS nine Is immense tllt