The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1900-04-29
COPPER MINE OPENED
1t Was Worked Before the
War and is Very Rich.
A Company of Which Mr.. George Schley i
Manager Has Made Large investments
in Allegheny County.


Sparta, n. c., April 27.-Some where
between 1850 and 1860 this county,
though sparsely settled, invited into
its borders some capitalists to devel-
CD its timber and mining resources.
Before this we had no enterprise in
our county to enliyen the people and
encourage them in lines of industry.
At that period copper mine was dis
covered near Elk Creek postoffice and
afterwards known as Peach Bottom
Copper Mines. They were almost out
of reach of any misunderstanding about
fifty-miles from the Norfolk and West
ern on the north and about one hun
dred miles from what is now the
Southern on the south, but they
worked constantly for many years.
when they concluded that the incon'
venience to shipping points render
ed it impossible to work the mines
with any profit, and it was closed
eighteen years ago. For several years
since the mine and the property
around has been Mitigation in the
case of Maxwell VS.. Long. This case
was carried from the Superior court
to the Federal court from there to
the Court of Appeals, where 1T was
decided in favor of Maxwell.
Large sums have been offered for
the property but no sale was cOnsum-
mated till last fall when under the
supervision of Mr.. Geo. Schley, from
New York the property was pur-
chased at a large sum and is now
known as the Carolina Mining Com
pany. The old shafts have been
cleaned out and work will probably
begin next month. The directors will
meet at Grand Rapids, Mich. at an
early date to discuss the working of
the mine and the reduction and con-
centration methods. Over one hun
dred hands will be given employment.
The mine is $50 feet deep showing
II nine foot vein of ore and can pro-
duce from 100 to 200 tons per day
as soon as hosting machinery is plac-
ed. The ore and water are now be-
ing hoisted by horsepower, but later
on a pump will be used for water
and ore will be raised by steam an6
cages. Compressed air drills will alst
be used. The ore in the vein is {
pure chalcopyrite. When concentrat
ed it will run approximately. "a PEI
cent copper. 81 per cent sulphur ant
80 per cent iron--the admiXture being
very small amount of lead. The
in furious ingredients. such as arsenic
anthony, and zine are only found IL
traces. which enhances the value o
the ore. When concentration has be
gun it will be reduced from Is tons t.
one. Gold and silver are also founC
in small quantities from two to fou
dollars per ton.
1t is said that the ore contains {
viously tried, and also leacling only
producing a sulphate of copper. 1t i:
also stated that the ore contains {
large percentage of nickel. Options
have been taken about four miles OIL
this vein and it looks as if the coun
try would soon be in fine shape. The
company is also interested in timber
They own about 140 acres of land 20(
of which is fine timber land. They
have recently prOspected on graphite
mines near here and own several 9th
er mines, but the work and develop
ment of these will be discussed at The
meeting of the directors.
1t will be interesting to note thai
the copper in the cannon used by
General Page during the civil wal
came from this mine.
The State geologist will be furnish
ed with report and map of the mine
later on. Mr.. George Schley, under
whose supervision the mine is being
worked and who is vice-president o
the company. is native born south
erner-was raised in Georgia. and i,
in full sympathy with the South. II,
has had much experience in mining
having been in the business oven
twenty years. Completing his course
in Germany he came back to Ameri
ca--at twenty-one years of age ant
has worked in various of the United
States and Mexico. The people among
whom he has come think the com
pany could not have entrusted its
work to a better man. and they alsC
admire him because he is a cousin t,
Admiral Schley. We have a fine coun
try here and only need capital to de
velop it.