Show S S ft i FAMOUS MINING STRIKES By THOMAS E. E STEWARD s. s S S S s. s i iT T Tennessee's s F Famous Mineral District UNIQUE American mining region region re re- re- re A 4 gion Is that of ot Ducktown Tenn I which Is of particular Interest In III the first place because it contains copper copper copper cop cop- per sulphur Iron sine and lead silver nil sil I ver end ond gold old and In the lie second place because the fumes from Its reduction I furnaces have luwe been used as nR a n basis bals for tor developing one of ot the worlds world's biggest biggest biggest big big- bigI I gest centers for tor the tIle manufacture of at I sulphuric acid I Copper was tho the mewl metal first mined In Inthe Inthe I the Ducktown district nod a n stud study of the area nindo for the government go nt by W. W II Emmons head of ot the department department department depart depart- ment of olo r at the University of Minnesota declares that some of this metal was extracted by the Indians prior to the da days 8 ti f t white settlement This would indicate that the Ducktown Ducktown Duck Duck- town deposit may have IHne been worked longer than any other In North America Amen Ca This district Ih lies s In an on angle of ot states states Tennessee Tennessee North Caroli Carolina and Georgia but the principal mines are In Tennessee White men first began beran their search for tor metals near Ducktown In the and ond ns os usual the first prospectIng prospect- prospect Ing was waR for gold gol of which Borne was found It Is told that an un early miner named Weaver Vea obtained a lease to exploit n a mine known as ns the and shipped pounds of ot ore to Boston Doston for tor smelting As It proved this ore was extremely rich running 25 per cent copper but when the returns returns re re- re- re turns came camo back from the smelter Weaver caver had disappeared Operations were ere suspended for a n time and he lie had lost what might have ha been a fortune During the next nett decade long before the great rent western and Michigan copper copper copper cop cop- per mines were known Ducktown was wes wasa wesa a frontier center of mining excitement and speculation In 1855 5 nearl nearly 2 tons of ot copper were produced In Its mines mostly by b small companies companies companies compa compa- nies owned In the North or In London Loudon The Tho Iron precious metals zinc and lead of ot the Ducktown n area aren have ha been of ot chief Interest to geologists having existed In quantities so 00 small that little has ever er been recovered r For Forthe Forthe Forthe the most part the precious metal content content content con con- tent has been so low ios' that It would woud not have paid paltI to extract ct It by refining It was the existence of ot a great reat amount of or sulphur In the Ducktown ores that led to the mammoth development devel el there of ot sulphuric acid manu manu- facture In the smelting of copper from these ores the sulphur was re re- re- re moved Conditions were ere found foun to he be Ideal for sulphuric acid manufacture and mammoth plants wore were re built The Importance of ot this substance Is Isone Isone isone one often overlooked by the layman laman la man It is a n fortunate circumstance of ot the Ducktown town deposits that the farmIng farmIng farm farm- arming arm arm- Ing areas meas of ot the states surrounding suri It are deficient In the very fertilizers It Itcan Itcan can cnn produce thus providing a nearby market for Its products |