JOURNEY THROUGH JERSEY 33 



east of the Hudson and west of the Delaware. This 

 advantageous proximity to both rivers, with their trib- 

 utaries, adds no little to the convenient working of the 

 mines and transportation of the product. 



One of the largest and most famous copper mines in 

 all North America was until recently that of the Schuy- 

 ler family, on Second River in Bergen county. The 

 metal was found associated with a good deal of sul- 

 phur and was therefore easily fusible. For forty years 

 and more these works were carried on to great advan- 

 tage, and from their productive yield a very numerous 

 family became well established, highly regarded, and 

 honored. The ore was of the grey variety, yielding with 

 good management 70-80 lb., and in one of the best 

 years as much as 90 lb. in the hundred weight. About 

 twenty years ago a fire-engine * was installed to control 

 the water. This had to be brought from England, and 

 when set up in running order had cost 10,000 Pd. Cur- 

 rent, but a few years later was itself destroyed by fire. 

 A second engine met the same fate, the owners were 

 somewhat thrown back by these misfortunes, and the 

 mine, overrun with water, could no longer be worked. 

 Mr. Hornblower, from county Cornwall in England, 

 (who was the manager of the mine), after these two 

 mishaps made a contract with the owners some twelve 

 years ago by which he paid down so much of the clear 

 income and received permission to knock out the hold- 

 ings, which yielded him from 7 to 15 tons pure copper 

 annually, sold in England at 70-80 Pd. sterling the 

 ton. Proof of how carelessly the ore had been worked. 

 The war put a stop even to these operations. When 



* Pumps set in motion by the steam from boiling water. 

 8 



