The sun., 1901-10-09
FORTUNES IN COPPER.

The three great copper producing dis
tricts of the United States are Montana,
Michigan and Arizona in the order
named. The production of Arizona has
increased more rapidly in volume and
value of late years than that of the rival
districts until il is a question if in
short time Arizona will not be the first
copper district in the Union. The rapid
advance made in copper mining in Ari-
zona is due primarily to the advent Of
the pneumatic process which rendered
valuable the formerly neglected sulphide,
ores. Arizona contains extensive de-
posits of this ore, the value Of which is
only beginning to be appreciated.
During the last two years COchise
county, situated in the southeastern cor
ner of Arizona, has been the scene OF
unusually active development, but in no
portion of the county has the prospector
been more successful than in the Dra-
goon Mountains, a range about twenty
eight miles long. all of which is mine al
lied. and i'll the center of viii h is
located the property of the Black Dia-
mond Copper Company, consisting of
twenty full claims, each GOO feet wide
425 acres, making one of the largest
groups Of claims in Arizona. 1t is a
wcll-known fact that the most profitable
copper properties of Cochise county are
those occurring in lime formation, as
opposed to those occurring in porphyry
in which the copper is more or less dis
seminatcd through the porphyry as vein-
lets rather than one consolidated vein.
The Black Diamond clearly illustrates
the large and well defined lime belts on
either side of the outcroppings. The
presence of IL vein of hematite on the foot
wall side stands as an ineXhaustible
iron supply in case it be deemed desirable
TO use it in the furnace mixture. On the
other hand the enormous belts of lime
stone on either side of the ledge are at
hand should it become necessary TO have
a basic fluX for the blast furnace
charge. In other words, come what will,
i'll the nature of the ore, the property is
self-contained, and has at it's disposal
the necessary material to treat either
acid or basic ores. The outcroppings are
easily traceable for distance of 1909
feet, and run from 100 to POO feet wide.
These surface ores are chiefly carbonates
and oxides, and Judging from present
indications owe their origin to much
narrower VEN Oi SHipn1ue ore winch, as
result Of natural agencies, has been
leeched from its primary form and re-
deposited over a much wider area as
secondary ores.
Another property farther south in the
same district is the Black Diamond,
which gets its name from an immense
outcrop Of lustrous black iron ore. The
ore. when pure, consists of bornite, the
varicgatcd copper sulphide known also
as crubesite. 1t is a beautiful ore, and a
desirable one, as it also carries silver.
Some good ore has been selected from the
various openings and has been shipped to
smelters and gave good returns. Later
reports from the Black Diamond show
chat development has progressed active
ly during the spring and summer of 1890
and that large bodies of ore have been
encountered"
Among those interested in the Black
Diamond are Frank III. Crockard, of the
National Tube Company, Wheeling, w.
Va; Julian j. Hearne, of the Riverside
Iron Works, Wheeling, w. Va: Frank
G. Hoffman, of Wheeling, w. Va, and
n. 0. Bagge and james McBain, of New
YWk,