Los Angeles herald., 1910-07-31
NEW FIELDS ARE
YIELDING COPPER
Shasta Region in California Now
Among Big Producers of
the Red Metal
A LOW GRADE ORE IS MINED
Geological Survey Sends Out Re-
ports on Conditions in
Many Fields
A LOW GRADE ORE IS MINED
Especial to The HeraldI

WASHINGTON July 30.-Copped
was once supposed to occur at only
a few places in the United States, but
it is now known to be widespread.
Most of the deposits are of low grade,
but improved modern methods of
treatment have made low-grade copper
ores very valuable. Biologists Of the
United States geological survey de-
scribe the copper deposits of three
localities in an advance chapter from
the surveys bulletin 430, containing
short papers and preliminary reports
ON work done in 1909.
The Shasta region in California is
the second largest copper region in
the United States that can be con-
sidered a geologic unit. In shape II
forms a curved belt thirty-fiVe miles
long, popularity known as the cop
per crescent" Copper sulphides nave
been known to occur with the gold
lodes of this region for many years,
but were not handled until 1895, ana
since that year the region has pro-
duced 300, 100000 pounds of copper. IN
1909 it produced 50,000,0O0 pounds,
which makes it rank as the sixth or
seventh copper district in the United
States. The ores are pyritic and are
of medium richness, averaging to
3Is per cent. Some of them form the
largest sulphide ore bodies in the
world, measuring 1900 by 800 by 300
feet. They represent, not the filling
of cavities, but the replacement OF
parts of the rock by which they are
surrounded. The report on these de-
posits was made by L. c. Grafton.
DEPOSITS IN IDAHO
In Bear Lake county, Idaho, copper
deposits occur near Montpelier. Here,
however, they are mostly carbonate
and not sulphide ores. Their value
H. not yet been definitely proved, nor
is their extent known. The chief
project for their development is the
Bonanza shaft, which has gone down
$50 feet but has not yet shipped ore.
Shales, stained green, maroon and
chocolate by iron, abound in the re-
gion, the colors mimicking those or
&C .jper stains and misleading the pros
pector who supposes that their vivid
tints are indications of copper. The
ores run only about 2 per cent but
may be made to pay by proper treat
ment.
Near South Mountain, Pennsylvania,
copper in the shape of blebs, grains
and wires is associated with ancient
laVas, particularly with the greensboro
that is so widespread In that region.
Traces of copper are found for eight
miles, from the Gettysburg pike to
a point beyond the Maryland state
line Most of the prospects are at
stream crossings, where the everything
rocks have been worn away. The cop
per was brought up from the interior
of the earth with the lava but was
then very finely disseminated through
the mass and was worthless. Later 1T
was concentrated in veins by hot cir
culating waters, which dissolved it and
later redeposited it on the walls Of
cavities and in other places. These
deposits, which are described by G. w.
Stose, have been known for seventy
years but have not yet proved to be
commercially important. Systematic
search, however, might reveal val
liable deposits.
The advance chapter containing
these reports is numbered 430-B and
may be had by applying to the direc-
tor of the survey at Washington.