40 Wisconsin and Missouri Lead Region. 
or thirty six hours, in order to put in anew lining, the sulphur- 
ous vapors and strong blast soon destroying the back wall. In 
this manner I saw some copper smelted in a furnace at New Bal- 
timore, which, as they said, cost only ten dollars! The high 
price of fuel would render a reverberatory furnace expensive, 
particularly, as the ore would then be first roasted. This is now 
neglected, the ores being run down at once in a little blast fur- 
nace. Whether successful experiments with these ores might 
not be conducted by making the throat of the furnace flaring, 
that the ores might have time to become partially roasted before 
getting down into the smelting heat remains to be proved. 
‘Though the English methods may be the most perfect for smelt- 
ing the ores clean, I believe abd will not be found. the most ex- 
pedient i in Wisconsin. 
Tt is difficult to form any correct jridigtiiense caheerning the 
per centage of these ores, particularly the gossan, for they are 
continually changing their relative proportions of copper, iron 
and clay, so that a few analyses would not decide the matter: 
According to the report of Dr. Owen “ three average specimens” 
of the lump ore yielded respectively 23, 244, and 35.7 per cent. 
of copper; and in the same report he says that the gossan oa 
by analysis from six to nine per cent. of pure copper. 
In this uncertain state of the value of these mines, it would not 
seem advisable to make much outlay in working them; still asa 
furnace may be built in connexion with lead finesse without 
much extra expense, atid whether the copper business succeeds 
or not, no great risk will be incurred—and also as the miners are 
dicpasied to take upon themselves the risk of proving the minés, 
provided they are insured a market for the ore at prices agreed 
upon, according to its quality, between themselves and the smelter, 
they certainly are worthy of attention, and authorize a cautious 
investiture of capital to prove the. tRisiaivas : 
~ Some additional encouragement: is afforded: om he tanto 
other di veries of copper ore having been made in the territory, 
sole none of them have yet proved to be important. I saw 
one of good quality from the Blue River country, and visited a 
mine, a thin rock vein, near tins nomena a five: we 
north of the Illinois line. 
dn eon oa I diseorered nl some i hy aman if 
_—— ' 
~ Ps 
Scmcaiecabanet < J 
