Bismarck weekly tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1884-1943, 1899-06-30
GREAT COPPER FIND.
Thousands Of Acres Of Immensely Rich
Deposits.
The Property of the Boston and Texas
Copper Company.
Its Romantic History and Its Dis
covery.

In lSO3. during the late CIVIL wal De-
tween the states. when almost every
man in the state Of Texas, between the
ages of fifteen and fifty years, who
was physically able to serve his cOun-
try, was in the Confederate army, and
the Commanche, Kiowa and Apache
Indians made frequent forays into
what is 0 the most prosperous and
populous section Of Texas, Col. j. T..
Barry, in command of a battalion Of
Texas rangers. pursued these preda-
tory savages into what is now Archer
county; then a beautiful picturesque
terre incognita Of gentle undulating
hill and dale, covered with wild lowers
and nutritious grasses, upon which
were fattened thousands of wild deer,
antelope and buffalo, making it a fav-
orite hunting ground Of the nomadic,
primeval red man.
A severe battle was fought, after
closing in with the Indians, in which
through greater prOwess and equip
ment, the Texans We're, as usual. vic
torious. 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 I'M
bedded in the surface clay, and eN-
tending several feet below, ranging in
size from a pea to a goose egg. Also
in solid veins running from the sides
Of the hills, and where the soft allu-
vial soil had been washed away by
rains. the ore veins, protruding from
the hillside without support, would
break off 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, at the
time of the discovery, it was estimated
that there had thus accumulated two
thousand tons Of copper. 1t was
found also in the blue clay, which be
ginning ut or within a few inches of
the surface, would extend in depth
from eight inches to eight feet. This
latter vas apparently almost exhaust
less in quantity for whatever eXcava-
lions We're made q few inches deep.
this copper bearing clay was always
found. 4 wagon load Of the ore was
hastily gathered. and hauled to Austin,
the capital of the state, some three
hundred miles distant, and assayed by
Prof. DeRyee. who was then and fol
many years after, the state geologist
and chemist Of Texas. His assay of
the ore yielded from 4311Aa to % 1-3 pei
cent copper, and the copper bearing
clay an average of about 10 per cent
with an indefinite quantity of silver
gold. nickel, cobalt aZurite and NAL
achite. 4 large percussion gun CAP
factory was at once erected at Austin
and operated successfully by Prof. DE-
pvon. and. FROM, f1Of finoa IN fhA n1nSE
of the civil war. in May. 1865. nearly
all the percussion caps and fulminat
ing material used in the Confederate
army We're supplied from these copper
deposits.
State Geologist VIM. De Ryee wa:
sent to investigate the source and vol
M of these copper deposits, and III
reported that proper development
would demonstrate the existence o
the greatest deposits of copper. TIN
cheapest mined. the easiest smelted
and that would pay the largest ne
profit Of any in the United States. A
the 1sbell lead or mine. which had beel
opened, he made a crosscut about 1;
feet. and in ten hours work, with
men. raised 5000 pounds of ore. aver
aging 60 per cent. leaving more thai
as much again in small broken chunks
and nodules. a%ggregating some Z Or
tons. or about LOO pounds to the foot
He also found extensive deposits Q
similar ores and clays at various othe
places on the property. notably at til
Douglas, Ball, and Winn leads. show
ing the great diversity of the deposits
these four main leads being mile
apart.
Prof. VIM. +. Cummins. who was
during four consecutive administrs
tions Of the. states government. !