The evening times. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1895-1902, 1901-04-22
THE SOUTH Rich IN COPPER.
Valuable Deposits in Virginia North
CaroTiuu. and Tennessee

Valuable Deposits in Virginia North
Carolina. and Tennessee
BALTIMORE April 22.-In the excite
ment over the Beaumont oil field and IN
the sustained interest in the iron and
steel developments in the Birmingham
districts, in the coal mining Of West NIr-
GINA, Tennessee, Alabama. and Arsan-
sas, and in the rise of cotton mills. wood
working tabIishments, ard other manu-
featuring concerns in the South it Is
sometimes forgotten that there is a
steady advance being made in other di-
rections- such as mining of phosphate
rock, salt, pyrites, and other minerals
One of these is copper, the handling of
which, during the last ten or twelve
years, has been quietly revoIutionized
with the change in the metalurgical
treatment of ores, the establishment of
smelters near mining camps, the con-
struction of new railroads giving an out
let to the ore. the systematic and scien-
tific management of the properties, and a
modification of mining methods. The ad-
vance has been so great that G f H.
Caracristi takes this ground
Taking the Southern copper mines and
mining collectively, 1t may be concluded
that the return upon the total investment
is equal to that of any section in the
world, except where phenomenal condi-
tons are brought into comparison As in
all business propositions, there have been
failures in the Southern copper fields, and
there are others impending, but these are
mostly due to the purchase of properties
at prices entirely out of proportion to
their value, to bad judgment in locating.
to capitalization of companies. bad
management, and trouble among stock
holders. A safe maxim in the mining
business is that the value of the mine de-
ponds on the mine itself, labor and trans
poTtatiOn conditions, the management and
capitalization If these are not all Of
equal value as compared to the selling
price Of the output, failure is inevitable
"A 10000 mine cannot pay dividends on
Sl,u0.g coo, nor can man whose business it
is TO dig potatoes mine ore. An engineer
or manager accustomed to operating a
si,000e9t mine would be too extraEdgant
in a $10G,099 mine, and one accustomed to
a Si00, coo mine given charge Of 4 s.. 000. 900
mine would be too conservative to meet
with success
Some of these congratulations are Illus
trated in the review which MI Caracris-
Ii makes OF the copper mining industry
during the past few years with special
fererence to production in parts Of Ten
Hessee. North Carolina ana virginia
" hich IS carefully and infinitely de-
ScTibed-
He locates the backbone Of the South
sTn copper industry at present in the
1y-IcktOvvrs. Tenn, field, where there eS-
lists an abundance Of Iow-grade ore Of
great value. owing to the size and ecOno-
mic WOrk3bility of the veins. which vary
from TO l3e feat in thickness and
where the operations have a substantial
financial backing and scientific manage
nent enjoyed also at other Southern
points. which insure the Southern copper
industry a permanent character. His
conclusions are as follows.
THAT the Southern States possess at
least three copper deposits of proved val
ue-the DucktOwn, the Ore Knob, and the
Nirginia-although in nearly every South
ern State copper in more or less quantity
Is found, but, in most cases, il exists in
narrow Streaks and has not beeII~ slIfi-
GENTLY developed to attract investment.
That the developments already accom-
pliShed are capable Of supporting an an
nuaI output Of ii. 600 zoe pounds from the
pucktoWn deposits and 4 800 90 pounds
from the Virginia depOsits-a total Of 15,-
$4,000 pounds
That, owing to cheap and reliable Ia
Dor conditions an abundance OF cheap
coke for roasting and smelling. the album
dance and varieties Of fuxes suitable for
the reduction of all classes Of copper ores.
and water power for the production of
metallic copper extraordinarily. copper
may be produced in the Southern States
at an average of S1z cents pound. and
that. consequently. much lower grades Of
ore may be proftabiy worked in the
/. South than in any other section Of Amer
lea
THAT the proximity Of the Southern
copper deposits to the manufacturing CEN
tres Of the North and the ports OF the At
lantic gives advantageous freight rates
to the markets of the world although the
present local demand for the metal eX-
cee.ls the output
That although the Southern copper IS
in a healthfUI state Of progression. there
are many opportunities for increasing the
production by developing new fields and
extending work in those already proved
THAT the copper output of Tennessee
from July I. 1901, to July 1, 1862, viii equal
in pounds the output OF Colorado while
the profit on the metal delivered in New
York viii exceed it by 80 per cent