Evening journal. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1888-1932, 1914-06-11
New News Of Yesterday
How Baltimore Gained and
Lost Her Copper Prestige
By Holland.

The late John Stanton, during a very
active career, gained the reputation of
being the most highly-quali6ed expert
authority upon the copper industry of
the United States. lie was also es-
teemed a very great authority upon
American mining resources. So great
was his reputation as an authority upon
copper mining, manufacture and sale.
that in the latter years of his life 1t
was customary to speak of him as the
Nestor of the copper business in the
United States.
Perhaps the most intimate OF the
business and personal friends of John
Stanton was Joseph Z. Gay, who is
still living, although advanced in years.
Because i'll health came TO Mr.. Gay. it
was his pleasure TO naTate highly IN.
teresting anecdotes associated with the
early development of the copper indus
try in the United States, long before il
was thought possible that this country
would become the greatest producer and
marketer of copper Of any nation in
the world
Some time ago the statement was
made that for many years the copper
smelling industry in the United States
was centered at Baltimore. In fact,
copper smelling in this country origi-
mated in Baltimore. That statement
was made to me by onr who is in higl
authority and who, in fact, forty years
/ ago, was accustomed to so to Baltimore
/ two or three times year TO buy the
/ copper which he needed in his nanufae-
| turing business.
! ] was curious to know how Baltimore
/ became the first great copper market in
: the United States, and how it happened
| that in Baltimore the first important
! smelling of copper took place. Further
more, | was curious to know why Balt
more lost this highly important and
very prosperous business.
Mr.. Gay explained as follows the
manner in which Baltimore gained and
afterward lost prestige as a copper
market;
"a good many years ago there lived
I in Baltimore a highly accomplished
man of science who was especially in
terested in the treatment of minerals.
He was associated with Peter Cooper
when Mr.. Cooper established the great
/ iron furnaces identified by his name at
Baltimore. 1t was in that way that
Peter Cooper got into the iron bust
ness.
This scientist was DR.. Kener, and it
was In Baltimore that he perfected a
process by which it was possible to
treat copper ore successfully and very
economically. There had been consid-
cradle importation of copper ores. both
from Chile and from Cuba to Baltimore.
That was at time when Baltimore's
commerce with South America and with
the West Indies was greater than that
possessed by any other American city. I
Therefore. in view of the fact that
copper ores in large amounts were
brought to Baltimore from Cuba and
from Chile. which countries were at
that time the main source Of supply
and in view of the further fact that DR.
Kener perfected a process by which cop
per ores could he treated successfully
It was inevitable that Baltimore should
become the great copper market of the
United States. Afterward the copper
deposits of the Lake Superior region
with which John Stanton became very
familiar and with the production Of
which he was associated inevitably led
70 the establishment of new copper
market. and ne Boston capital was
chiefly interested i'm these Lake Super
Tor properties il was natural that The
> copper markets should he shifted from
! Baltimore to Boston"
u Copyright. 1914, by F. !. Edwards. Al
rights reserved
= Al