56 GOLD AND TIN DEPOSITS OF SOUTHERN APPALACHIANS. 
to expect ore bodies of much greater size or richness than those already known. If any- 
thing, the probabilities are that the best ore has been already discovered. Furthermore, 
it is reasonable to suppose that the ore shoots already explored are as good as, or — since 
mining usually begins at the most promising points — better than those whose existence is 
known but which have not been developed. In short, it seems justifiable to assume that 
5 per cent of the total rock broken along an ore shoot is a generous figure for the average 
amount of cassiterite to be recovered. Finally, while the ore shoots will usually be found 
extensive in one dimension, in the other two they will probably be small, and the irregularity 
of their position and extent will make mining expensive and uncertain. 
Glowing predictions that these deposits will soon supply the domestic demand for tin 
have of course been circulated, and while it is doubtful if they have made an impression on 
the minds of those acquainted with the region it is well to correct any false idea which such 
statements may give to others. A little consideration of the meaning of these statements 
will show their extravagance. The consumption of metallic tin in the United States, 
which is annually increasing, was 43,120 short tons in 1904. This is equivalent to about 
65,000 tons of concentrates containing 66 per cent tin, or a production of nearly 200 tons 
of concentrates per day. If the ore contains 5 per cent cassiterite, 4,000 tons of ore would 
have to be raised each day in the Carolina tin belt. When it is remembered that the total 
production from the region has been about 50 tons of metal the absurdity of such a 
proposition is apparent. 
COSTS OF PRODUCTION. « 
Cost of mining. — The cost of mining is intimately connected with the position, shape, and 
size of the ore shoots. As work continues in this region, it is believed that attention will 
be directed more and more to following these shoots. Their small dimensions in two direc- 
tions, their usually inclined and variable pitch, and their uncertainty of extent conspire 
to make their exploration costly. 
At the Faires mine the material of the dikes was so decomposed that most of it could be 
broken down with a pick, and blasting was only occasionally required. Drifting in ground 
of this description, with a short underground tram and a hoist of 40 feet by windlass, is said 
to have cost $1 to $1.50 per foot. Sinking would cost more. At the Jones mine, according 
to reports, work in the hard rock is easier and cheaper than in the decomposed material. 
At the Ross mine, also, where the rock for the first 80 feet is so decomposed that it is 
extremely soft, the increased ease of " breaking" it is much more than offset by the care 
and the timber required to hold the ground. Shaft sinking below the water level under 
these conditions is exceedingly slow and expensive work. A contract for sinking the two- 
compartment shaft 50 feet from the 80-foot level, through ground which is rapidly becom- 
ing hard, has recently been given for $25 per foot, the company furnishing the machinery. 
Up to date the tin taken from the deposit in place has cost a little more than twice what it 
cost to extract the cassiterite from the surface gravels by placer methods. 
If these deposits are to be extensively developed, the greater part of the mining will of 
course be in hard, undecomposed rock, such as is now being broken at the Jones mine. 
While the water problem may never be a very serious drawback to mining operations in the 
Carolina tin belt, the topography, geologic structure, and heavy rainfall of the region make 
it almost certain that the expense of continuous pumping, steadily increasing with depth, 
must be added to other items to make the total cost of mining. 
Owing to the character and extent of the ore bodies, it is to be expected that the cost of] 
exploration, development, and mining will increase with depth at a higher rate than the 
simple increase in cost of hoisting, pumping, etc. 
Oak and pine wood for fuel cost $1.50 to $2 per cord delivered. Material for timbering 
is also cheap, and the price of lumber is reasonable. Good negro labor can be had for 75 
cents to $1.25 per day. A team and wagon, with man, can be hired for $2 to $2.50 per day. 
Most other expenses are proportionately low, and the long open season is an advantage. 
a The writer is greatly indebted to Capt. S. S. Ross for most of the figures relating to costs. 
