W4*^e. (.•
REPORT
ox
THE lYES MI:N^E
BOULTON TOWNSHIP, P. Q.
lo C, S. GZOWSKl, Esq., ^0. i-c,
Toronto.
Snt,— Having r'eceived youf instructions to make a careful
ekamination df the Ives Mine and Mineral Location, with a
view, mot*e esj)6cially, to determine the amdtiiit of Ore ready
tor stopiiig, arid the average richfaess 6f the ote, I have carried
out these iristructiotis to the best of my ability, and I now beg
to offer the annexed summary of the results of my inspection.
The small plan and section which accompany these statements
are merely hand sketches, it will be understood, given simply
to assist the explanations. My time at the mine was limited
to a couple of days, but I passesd several hoUrs underground,
a,nd'made careful measuretiicJnts of the heaps of orfe up6n the
surface. I extended riiy obserVatious also to tli6 Huntingdon
location, the copper-bearing beds of the lattcf:^ b6ing evideiitly
a continuation of those of the Ives mine.
1 Tiie Ives' ittinerial location cdiiiprised 4b6'a6're'^ 6f liSAViljr
timbered laitid lying in the 8th and 9th Ranges of Boltbri, due
of the Eastern Townships of the Province of Quebec. It is
%
situated at a distance ot about 12 miles from tbe Village ot
Waterloo, and 10 miles from Frost Village, the present termi-
nus of the Stanstead, Sheflford and Charably Eailway, which
communicates with Montreal, Portland, Boston, &c., via St.
Johns. The River Missisquoi, a comparatively narrow stream,
flows through a portion of the property, and along the western
limit of the location generally. The east bank of this stream
rises into a long escarpment or bluff, running, roughly, north
and south ; and the copper-bearing ground lies on the eastern
edge of this bluff, thronghont the ejitire length of the location.
The country-rock consists essentially of magnesian slates
belonging to Sir William Logan's Lauzun Division of the
Quebec Series of strata, and forming an intermediate part of
one of the remarkable synclinals which the officers of the
Geological Survey have traced out in that section of the Pro-
vince. The strike, dip, and mineral characters of these mag-
nesian beds are given below. ,' • .r,..,j
2. The copper ore, which consists essentially of the ordinary
or yellow pyrites, mixed more or less with cubical and mag-
netic pyrites, does not occur in a vein, but is disseminated
through a bed of chloritic slate bounded on its western edge
by a bed of slaty talc, locally known as the " soapstone bed."
3. These strata have a general strike in the direction of N,
26° to 30° E., and they dip towards the sotith-east at an angle
of T7» or 78". ■ix'^^.^
4. They can be traced entirely across the location, a length
of about 125 chains, or rather more than a njile-and-a-half ;
and they evidently form a continuation of the copper-bearing
beds of the Himtmgdon mme. ^ ^; . , ...
5. The copper ore, although disseminated through a thick-
ness of probably 50 feet, or even more,, appears to run chiefly,
in two bands, or lodes parallel with, the BLti'atificatiDii...ii;.. ,u.:v:fa
8
■ (>. One of tliese bunds is in close proximity to the soapstone
bed : it averages about C feet in thickness. The other band
runs parallel with this, at a distance of about 5 fathoms, and
exhibits an average width of about 8 feet. It carries, at one
part of its course, a solid mass of copper ore, averaging at least
20 per cent, of metal, and varying in width from two to three
feet.
7. Bunches and strings of ore occur here and there within
the intermediate space, but as these are of more or let's partial
and irregular occurrence, thc}'^ have not been taken into cour
siderution in the calculations which follow. Other bands of
ore may also be found to the east of the 8-feet band, but the
calculations, given below, refer only to the two bands already
mentioned.
8. The copper-bearing slates are cut in one place, almost at
right angles, by a dyke of trap of about two feet in thickness ;■
but this has caused no practical interruption of the copper
bands, as these continue on each side of it ; nor has it displaced
the beds beyond the extent of an inch or two.
9. The workings at the mine belong to two, at present, dis-.
tinct areas. The first shsift was put down on the 8th Range,
to a depth of about^ IT* ft fathoms. This is known as the
" Ferrier Shaft." The sinking at this spot was subsequently
stopped, and new workings were opened about two-thirds of a?
mile farther north, on Lot 2 of the 9th Range. Here two
shafts have been carried down: one, the "Brydges Shaft," to
a depth of ilBBi fathoms, and the other, or "Gait Shaft,"
(farther north) to a depth of 2ft. fathoms. These are being,
united at the 15-fathoni level by a drift on the run of the 8-feet
band of ore, and cross-cuts have been cai'ried from them in a
westerly direction to the 6-feet band on the edge of the soap-
stone, another drift having been carried along the course of
this over a length of about 50 fathoms. Eails are laid down
in these drifts, and solid timbering has been put up where
necessary. Other cross-cuts have also been taken across the
intervening ground ; and one has been carried eastwards, to
the distance of a few fathoms, from the Brydges Shaft, in or-
der to test the ground in that direction. The shafts are well
housed, and each is provided with a horse-whim,* carrying a
drum of 8-feet diameter. The Brydges Shaft is braticed off
and provided with ladders from the surface ; but in the Gait
Shaft the ladders coipmence only at the 15-fathom level. These
works have been carried on under the superintendence of Capt.
Kogan, who has shewn much skill and judgment in their exe-
cution. A blacksmith's shop, powder-house, stables, and good
"buildings for the accommodation of the superintendent and
miners, have also been erected in the vicinity of these shafts.
10. To obtain a thoroughly satisfactory estimate of the actual
percentage of metal carried by these bands of ore, it would be
necessary to crush and dress several tons of material. To get,
however, as close an approximation as possible to the average
percentage of copper, I sub-divided the area of these bands
within the present workings into six distinct parts, and took
samples in fair proportions from each. The samples, united,
amounted to just 451b8. The whole was then carefully crushed,
and the particles were thoroughly mixed together. Portions'
subjected to wet assay (in which the copper was weighed as
black oxide) gave the following results :
No. 1. Metallic Copper. .5*22 per ct.
No. 2. " . .5-36 per ct. } Av. yield=5-24 per ct.
^p.3. " ..5-14perct
r.-f* Captain Kogan, the superintendent of die mine, has made an innovation ui
^ the arrangement of these whims, which cannot be too highly recommended. The
hofae works without shafts. There is thus no strain or drag upon it when stop-_
|>ing, and it can be turned with great ease and rapidity.
i^ccomfinny Hepvrt on the Iv-e^s Mini}.
chloritic sLclUs.
rap
di^ke.
Fig.f. Sketc7i-Ptun cU /S- fathom Uvel. ( § /J )
A. Soapstone Drift.
B , Galirund Biydxfcs drift.
Fig, :?. Sketchy -SevOony
at 0aU? shcifi^, sh&w-in^ dip
of stf^CLtcL, ccrvci /JiJsitiijrL af
sooLTjston^ hed^ o'^rid' co/t/fer dunds.
(U2,3.S.6).
ifecl
Hfed-
I
^ /proiied rfvoysscs of
for stop ifig (see § J 2) .
This result, referred to its corresponding dry-assay value,
may bo taken as oquivalont to about 4 per cent. It must be
observed, liowovor, that the value thus obtained refers only to
tlio bands of pay-ore within the comparatively limited spaoo
now opened out. Richer and also poorer ore may bo met with
in other parts of 4ho copper-bearing slates. But, comparing
this result with the ore taken from the Ferrier Shaft, two thirds
of a milo farther south, and with that from the Huntingdon
Mine, beyond the limits of the property in the same directioii,
I thmk it may be regarded as likely to prove a fair average of
the general yield of the Ives ore. Tlio present workings at
the Gait Shaft appear to be in a comparatively rich part of tliq
band.
11. In the portion of ore taken for assay No. 2, the other
components were also determiaed. The complete analysis
shewed the following results : •
Sulphur 12-33
Copper 536
Iron 10-79
Rock matter 71-28
12. As these copper deposits are not in the form of a true
vein, but are contained in altered and folded beds of sedi-
mentary rock, their e.'jtension in a vertical direction is un-
doubtedly more or less limited. But, confining our calculations
to the two bands of ore within the workings now opened out
or in progress around the Gait and Brydges shafts, we may
legitimately assume that the 6-feet or soapstone band will
hold good to a depth of at least 50 fathoms, and the length
now exposed for atoping may also be taken at 50 fathoms.
Assuming, as above, that the ore in these bands will only
average 4 per cent, metal, and taking the specific gravity at
3*10, this 6-feet band will carry within the indicated limits
^bout 46,573 tons, which, at 4 per cent., should yield 1,863
tons of metallic copper.
: TIio Galt-and-Brydfjea, or 8-foot band, is laid open to a
lengtli of about 85 fathoms, and its proved doptli may bo
a'^eragod at 40 fathoms, a lower value being hero taken on
account of a pointed mass of apparently barren ground which
comes up in the form of a so-called " liArso " near the bottom
of the Brydges shaft. With these dimensions, vo obtain
84:,452 tons of ore, which at 4 percent, should yield 3,378 tona
of copper. "We have, consequently, within this comparatively
liiuitcd area, now undcf stoping, 131,023 tons of ore, carrying
5,241 tons of metallic copper. Fig. 3 may servo to convey an
idea of the relative positions, &c., of the two rectangular
masses of ore referred to in these calculations.
13. The amount of slack ore, id est^ ore that cannot bo
profitably? hand-dressed for transportation — on the ground at
the time of my visit (Juno 10th, 1869), was approximatively
as follows :
540 tons of about 6 per cent, ore (" smalls").
3,570 tons of about 4 per cent, ore, in several heaps.
To these, which are being constantly increased, must be ''
added a small parcel of dressed ore, about 4|^ tons of 12 or 12J^
per cent., and another of 9 tons of undressed 3 per cent, ore,
or thereabouts, lying at the Ferrier shaft. A considerable *
amount of ore, roughly dressed by hand to about 13 or 14 per
ceTit., has also been boxed for market within the last ten'-
months. ^
•h . . ■•. ^
14. Estimating the ore to average, as above, 14 feet of payr.^
ground, and to contain 4 per cent., copper (with sp. gr.=3'l)j ,
a square or running fathom will carry 43J tons of 2,240 lbs.,
or about one ton and three-fourths metallic copper. Assuming
further, that the ore run only to a depth of 25 fathoms — aa,
assumption certainly much within the true limits, as the Galt.j
shaft has proved the ground to that depth, with increasing"*
richness of ore — the entire band of copper-holding slnto
throii<rliont the property could yield no lcs3 than 1,435,000
tons of ore, or 57,400 tons of metallic copper. As no allow-
unco is hero made for the anticipated occurrence of pay ore in
other parts of the slate band, this amount may be regarded as
at least a safe estimate. It is probably much below the truth.
15. If proper dressing floors were put up at the mine, and
suitable machinery provided, all the ore might bo brought to
about 15 per cent. ; but it would not be advisable to carry the
dressing beyond this, as much copper would inevitably pass
into the slimes if a higher degree of concentration were
attempted.
IG. The preceding statements are sufficient to shew the
value of the Ives location as a mineral property. In order,
however, to render the mine a source of profit to its owners,
one condition, namely, the reduction of the copper on the
ground by some cheap and effectual mode of treatment by
which practically the whole of the copper can be got out,
appears to be absolutely necessary. The ore is of good quality,
as it is entirely free from galenp, zinc blende, heavy spar, and
other substances, by which its chemical treatment might be
more or less impeded or complicated ; * but, at the same time,
when viewed generally, it cannot be regarded as a rich ore;
neither can it be dressed, without undue ^ . ^, to a great degree
of fineness. The duty lately placed on copper and othf r ores
by the United States' Government, virtually closes the Am'-ri-
caU market to this ore ; and, at the present low price of copper,
the ore can scarcely be transported to Europe with fair profit
v'i
".-iil :. ;0
* In some of the heaps of ore at the Huntingdon Mine, I observed here and
there a few specks and particles of mispickel, but I have not found, as yet, a
trace of that substance in the Ives ore. If present at all, it will probably occur -
8
to the owners. By shipment also of' the dressed ore, a large
amount of good material is necessarily left, as refuse, on the
mining ground, and is thus permanently lost.
My conclusions, therefore, may bo briefly recapitulated as
follows :
The mine is well situated as regards drainage, supply of
timber^ and other conditions.
The ore is of good quality, and evidently present in large
quantity ; but the successful working of the mine requires the
reduction of the copper to be effected on the ground itself.
E. ]. CHAPMAN, Ph. R,
ProfettOr of Mineralogy and Otology in Tfnivertity College, Toronto,
and Consulting Mining Engineer.
TOBONTO,
June 18, 1869.
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