The Parma herald. (Parma, Idaho) 1903-1917, 1905-09-30
VAST COPPER
FIND IN ALASKA
Lodges on Nabesca, White and Cop
per Rivers Extend for a Hundred
Miles and the Ore Is Very Rich
Easily Mined and Taken to Valdez
for Smelling.

Tacoma, Sept. 81. -- Henry Brant-
nober, the noted copper mining expert,
who arrived from the North Monday,
on the steamer Victoria, and who Ia
now a guest at the Donnelly hotel,
brings news that he has discovered at
the headwaters of the Nabesca, White
and Copper rivers, Alaska, what he be-
lieves is the worlds greatest copper
district. Copper is there 80 abundant,
be says, that it can be mined and trans
ported by rail 230 miles to Valdez, and
amelted at probable cost of 8 or s
cents a pound, thereby cutting in two
the present average cost of copper pro-
duction.
Mining men, already aware of Mr..
Bsantnober's discovery, declare that it
ont~;ssghs in Importance the discovery
of the Klondike and Nome placer dis
tricts. So important is it that Mr.
Brantnober and his associates will Wig
orously push development work, and
within two years they expect to be pro-
ducing daily 2, 900 to 5000 tons of cop
per ore running 10 to 80 per cent in
metallic copper. When this is accom-
plished the industry will be only start
ed. In Connection with this develop
ment John Rosene and associates will
push the building of the Northwestern
& Copper River railroad, with the OBJ
ject of building it to the Nabesca cop
per district within three years. Ros-
ene's railroad will first touch the b.
nanza group of copper mines, owned by
the Havemeyers, the New York sugar
refners, who are believed to be among
the Eastern moneyed men who are
backing Rosene in his railroad project.
Brantnober says he found the Tanana
river to be glacial stream with half
dozen channels and everywhere very
shallow. In many places on the upper
reaches it spreads out four or five
miles. Four expert copper miners
with 40 tons Of provisions were left on
Nabesca creek with instructions to ex-
plore the region thoroughly for the
next two years.
The ore is of the same character as
Lake Superior copper ores. Nabesca
copper is found in bands of greensboro
in shot like shape, often carrying 10 to
80 per cent of metallic copper. There
is also he says much copper on the
White river where it is in slab-like
shape, and pieces were found running
from two to four feet in width and two
inches thick. These slabs lay in seas
in the greensboro, making the most
wonderful surface showing Mr.. Brant-
nober has ever seen in this or foreign
countries.
Eight miles further up White river
copper occurs in the same formations.
nugget-shape, the nuggets running from
a half ounce to two ounces. The form
alton, MI. Brantnober says, is about 500
feet wide, with vass quantities of COP
per lying at the foot of the hills, where
the greensboro has become decomposed
and the copper ore has washed down in
ravines below. The gravel is full of
native copper, which lies on the sur
face in plain view.
Mr.. Bratnober says that one wears
vigorous development work will develop
copper mines which can produce 1000
to 5000 tons OF ore per day. The ore
will be hauled by railroad to Valdez
and reduced there by smelters. The
construction of the railroad, he de-
clares, will quickly make it the largest
copper producing district in the world
the surface showing undoubtedly the
most favorable that has ever been dis
covered.
Inc copper veins on Nabesca river
are three to eight feet wide and seem
very continuous. Mr.. Brantnober he.
leves that both smelters and refiners
will be built at Valdez within few
years, making that the largest city on
the Alaskan coast.