256 KEPORT OF NATIONAL MUSEUM, 1884. 



The illustratious of the extensive deposits of copper at Butte, IMont., 

 formerly obtained, were confined to one mine, but the curator collected 

 an extensive series last summer, representing the sulphides of copper 

 and iron and the association of free silver with these sulphureted ores. 

 Illustrations of the process of smelting as far as carried on at Butte, 

 Mont., were also collected by the curator. These include series of 

 specimens from the reverberatory furnaces of the Montana and the 

 Parrot Companies and the shaft furnaces of the Bell Company. They 

 include samples of the ore of various grades, with the products and 

 waste products of the concentrating operations, the fuels and fluxes, 

 and the matte and slag produced. As most of the matte is shipped to 

 England for further treatment, it was not possible to follow the process 

 beyond this single operation. 



The very interesting process of smelting and refining copper from the 

 calcopyrite ore of Saint Genevieve, Mo., is fully illustrated by a collec- 

 tion made by Mr. Gazzam. This collection includes a full series of the 

 ore and a full series of the slag produced in the roasting process, to- 

 gether with the matte and a series of slags from the refining furnace, 

 an ingot of the refined metal, and the copper mold in which the ingot 

 was cast. To these are added the fuel and fluxes used and other 

 uecessar^^ material. 



The smelting and refining of copper, as carried on at works having at 

 command a varied supply of crude materials, is illustrated by a collection 

 from the Baltimore Works of Pope, Cole & Co., Baltimore, Md. This 

 includes a series of mattes, together with the slags produced at the same 

 time, and an ingot of the refined metal. 



Steps werQ taken to obtain illustrations of the smelting of the cop- 

 per of the Arizona and New Mexico region, but on account of the ina- 

 bility of the Museum to send a collector there and the difficulty of 

 making arrangements by correspondence in time no series was obtained, 

 although one is promised and will probably arrive soon. 



The process carried on in Arizona produces pig copper at a single 

 operation. The refining of this pig copper, however, is illustrated by a 

 very full and complete series of specimens taken by the curator at the 

 works of the Ansonia Brass and Copper Company, Ansonia, Conn. 

 This collection includes two series of specimens taken from two difler- 

 ent classes of furnaces working the copper from two regions. Begin- 

 ning with the metal as soon as it was melted in the furnace samples 

 were taken to represent the various stages in the process until casting 

 was commenced. Each series contains nine specimens. Samples of 

 the slags produced were also taken. To these were added the fuels 

 and other necessary material used. 



A very complete illustration of some of the uses of copper was pre- 

 sented by the Ansonia Brass and Copper Company. This series in- 

 cludes si^ecimens representing the rolling of copper into various com- 

 mercial shapes, the manufacture of various styles of sheet metal with 



