The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1914-03-24

the United States we think ii a good
COPPER mine if the ore viii yield
! OF = per cent TO the ton Here i
the ore does not assay more than 3
per cent We throw il away. our ay-
efase Is about 5 per cent or more.
and We have taken out some which
has Yielded 30 Der cent To the ton"
During my stay here have gone
down into the mines. They already
comprise about forty miles of under
ground workings. although where
they are now mining the operations
are confined to u space OF about one
mile by a mile and a half. The mines
are worked from the geo to the 600
foot level and tests have been made
which show that the copper goes down
far below.
Entering The shaft, we dropped TO
the four-hundred-foOt level. and then
took the electric trolley which carries
the ore through the narrow tunnels
TO h shaft. The tunnels are so small
that we could barely stand upright
within them, and from the center of
the track one could easily reach the
sides Of the walls. Some OF the tun-
nels are tinhered with Peruvian
eucalyptus, or with Oregon pine, but
everywhere the work is so scientifcal-
ly done that the rock in most cases
upholds the walls. Here and there
we stopped III 3 chamber where the
miners were taking out ore. The ma
chlnery is Of the very latest invention.
and the drilling is done with com
pressed air. The WorkInen are Cholos
or native P~eruvians, who are paid
from 50 cents and upward q day.
They make excellent miners, and
some of them do quite as we'll as men
OF the same class in the States. They
work in eight-hOur shifts with two
shifts a day. The shifts are so ar
ranged that the second stops at .
o'clock in the morning, so that all Of
the men can sleep a part OF the
night.
Everything is managed after the
J most improved mines of the States,
and this same plan is preserved in all
: the operations OF the work. About
$50 samples of ore are assayed every
day, and the miners know exactly
!, what they are doing. They have a
z curious way OF determining, without
+ 3 scientific assay, as TO whether the
ore is valuable or not. This is by
means OF q tallow candle. They light
the candle, and by busting it with
the ore, the copper in it gives forth
a green flame, the cOlOr Of which
{ shows just about tne percentage oi
g metal the ore contains. AS | Went
through the mine with Mr. Giidden
the assistant manager, he made sucf
a test and told me that the car Of or
averaged probably about l. per cent
During u journey We went from
chamber to chamber. now walking
through the tunnels and now jumping
4 aside to let the cars pass. The Who'll
of the underground workings are
~ beehive of industry, and the work Q
! getting out the copper goes steadil
- on without friction. The mines ar
~ SO arranged that the cars are loade
q by gravity, and the mining is mos
- economically done.
t. Jn going through the tunnels W
d used acetylene, the Carbide for Whic
re comes from the Union States, an
is every miner We met ION had an ace
~ tlylene lamp on his cap. The mana
~ gers find that this is much -cheape
than candles. The mines are work
70 ed by electricity which is now ger
q. Grated by steam, but the company
re installing q great electric plant {
a OrOya, abOut seventy-fve miles ava,
it. where they own a stream with a ia
n which will generate about 1870
~, horsepower. Within q short time q
of their works here and at the gre:
he smelter Of Morococha will be opera
es ed by the fall of this river. :
- present the stream is produced /
ar coa from the cOTpany'S coal mine
~ which are about tv enty-hve mil.
81 from CerrO de PascO. They use til
70 to make coke for the snlter and tht
., have great quarries Of almost pl,
"a limestone, hall way between II
III mines and the sInelter, which is on
80 six miles distant and 200 feet low
VI down.
During my stay [ have spent son
time at lbe snlelter. The place
ne known BY the Peruvian name of ]
Frundicion. The works are situat'
a.. on the side of the mountain. so III
al the ore starts in at the top and go
10 by gravity through the various Or
ms ce.SseS until ii comes out in copy
yer mates as big around as 8 bread bow
OF ready TO be sent down on the ca.
The slnelter is the largest i'll Sou
America. It must cover several hu
Id. dred acres. II consists Of gre
,ck buildings, colored black with t
smoke.
nd They are walled with glass windo
be and have roofs Of galvanized ire
BIT Rising above them are three migf
ace sTnokestacks, each 50 big around tf