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[TKAN8ACTIONS OF TIIK AMKIUCAN INSTITUTK OF MINING KNCiINKP:Ky,
■)
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"i ;
THE VIWSPUATE MINERS OF CANADA.
a •
MV II. 1!. SMALL. o-'TAWA, CANAHA.
i
The ()(la\v;' river, tlu; nortlicasU'ni bouiulaiy of i\u) Province of
Ontario, and (lie (liviilini;; liin; iK'tweeii (lie latter and the I'rovinoc
ot Quebec, lias loiijr bt'eii faincuis Cor (lie rafts of timl>er Hoated over
its'waters from the depths of the forest, and other j)oets besides
Moore, have iimnortaliz(!d its beauties in verse. Hut with the ad-
vent of the railway which now pierces the forest solitudes, the days
of rafting wvw luimbered ; and the; boat song is now heard no more
:i district of limited extent, 'i'jikiii^ the city
of Ottawa, the cajiital of (he Dominion ol' ( 'anada, as ;i slartiiij^-
point. a Lijlanee at the map will .show a section of (tonntry to the
north, lying Ix.'tween the (iatinean and the Lievri.', two large tribn-
laries of the Ottawa Howing southwanl through the Laiirentian hills,
the harriers of which prevent continu«)Us navigation, by presenting
series of pictuiescpu! rapids and cascades. These tributaries are
themselves i-ivers, some r>00 miles in length ; and the section they
enclose, together with a belt, 1 or o miles wide, on the east ami west,
is (he (rue phospha(e country. The townshij)s in which phosphate
mot'i al)ounds are rcnudeton, Wakefield, l»owman, Derry, J'ortland,
and liuckingham. Fhe only place containing si fticient population
to entitle it to be called a village, is Buckingham, near the mouth
of the Lievre. The Montreal and Ottawa division ol' the ( 'aiuub'an
racilie l\ailway [)asses ahuig the river-front of these; townships, and
a small junction-railway connects JUiekingham village with the sta-
tion of that name on the main line, some 21 miles east of Ottawa.
Altiiough this place has gone through one mining experietu'c, rich
plumbago ndni's openeil near it a few years ago having put consid-
erable sujus ol' money in circulation in their vicinity — until they
were abandoned — Buckingham has not expanded like western min-
ing towns, but wears a sleepy old-time aspect. The residentvS, ai)art
from the families of mining foremen and managers, are more or
less connected with the lumber-trad(!, aiul have been so brought up
in it that no other occupation seems to have charms for them. They
are a quiet, harmless folk, mostly of French Canadian stock, who
take life easily, do their day's work mechanically, and when night
comes on, are as happy listening to the old Norman tunes of 300
years ago, drawn out on a violin of antiquity, as if there were no to-
morrow to provide for.
The rocks of the mountain range which traverse this district are
composed of pyroxene, rej)resentiug the "spotted gabbro" of Nor-
way, intermixed wiUi quart/ite, orthoclase, mica, gneiss, and crystal-
line limestone. The j)hospliate itself varies much, according to
locality. It is found in crystals, sometimes of large dimensions; in
masses, varying friim compatit to coarse granular; in strata, of a
lamellar texture; and in a friable form. The latter, known as "su-
gar-|)hospiiate," is very abundant, and is often so disintegrated as to
take the appearance of pure sand, soft enough to be dug out. The
colors of the phosphate are very varied, comprising green of diifer-
)
TlIK PirOSPHATK >fr>fKS OF CANADA.
3
;
!
ent shades, blue, red, and brown of all sl)ades, yellow, while, and
croam-eolored. Occasionally, beautiful crystals are found, large, and
perfect j.t both ends, and enveloped in calc-spar ; or, sometimes a
diusy cavity, or " vuj^g," is struck, containiujj; either one large crys-
tal, or a number of small inde])endent crystals shooting from the
sides, or standing erect in the cavity. In one of the mines on the
Lievrc, crv^tals of ix'iliintic size have been encouutere*!, some weiirh-
ing individually as much as one thousand pounds.
In the early dj«ys of mining in the Ottawa districi, small operators
were beset with countless difficulties, which ?naterially retarded the
development of this industry; but, within tlu; last f"W years it has
luH'u stimulated by the investment of foreign capital, anal, alongside the ocean V(;ssel waiting for its fn^ght.
Most of the large mines are situated on or near the Li(>vre, along the
hanks of which bins liave been huilt, here and there, to receive t'le on;
hauled in winter and hohl it until navigation opens in the spring.
The greater part of the teaming is done during the winter, the snow-
roads being best adapted for hauling larg<' and heavy loads ofi run-
ners, the snow being generally calculated upon from early in Decem-
ber to the end of March, 'i'lie surface of the river during that |)eriod
alfords an easy road lor sleighs, and these coveyances lend as much
animation to the scene as the steand)oats of the summer.
The High l*\dls, just alluded to, an- formed by a mountain spur
crossing the river, over which it takes a leap of eighty feet |)erj>en-
.dicularly. Xo mining of any extent is, as yet, carried on above the
Falls, although there is abundant show of |)li(>sphate ; but sevcial
o|>enings have been nuule, precursors of njoi'c extensive operations
at tiie |)ropther receptacle on the otiier side, lioys and old men are em-
ployed at this work, wiiich no machinery has yet been found adapted
THK PHOSPHATK MINES OF CANADA.
■
i
to [)ert'orm. In spite of every care useil, lury;e quantities of plio-?-
j)liate have thus been throwfi aside, hut tliese are now utilized hy
puiveriziii]^ and furtlier treutnient, inuoii in tlie same way as tiic
oarlv jiold worivino-s of California and Australia vielded rich returns
when their tailings are attain w(;rl absence of pyrites in the apatite district, in (juantily
sufllcient to warrant the (!i'ection of works for the manufacture of
sulphuric acid, by means of which the mineral is (M)nverted into a
fertilizer. The nearest deprtsits of jwrites in anv al)un(lancc arc
those worked in the district southeast of iM(>ntreal, known as the
Kastern Townships, some 200 miles distant from the; apatite region.
The cost (^f transport thence would be more than it now costs to
sliij) the crude phosphate to Pjurope. If pyrites should, at sonic
liiture day, l)c discovered near the phosphate mines (where it has
been already found in small (juantities), there; would be little difli
cidty in manufacturin*; fertilizers on the spot, and a very lart^e and
new industry would spring up. The water-power of the Gatineau
and Ottawa rivers is unsurpass(!d, and would afford every facility
for grinding the ore, prior to treating it chemically with the aciij.
A curious I'eature in the phosphate trade is the fact that, tdthough
a large amount of American capital is invested in (*anarable cru(h' phosphat(> and a largeamoinit
of snperposph>ite are im{)orted into the United States from ( ircat
Britain ; and there is every reason to believe that both these articles
are Canadian products, reshipped. Mr. Torrance, a phosphate ex-
[)ert, gives, as his idea of the reason of this anomaly, that Amerieian
dealers were in the habit of importing from Britain long before
Canadian deposits were worked, and that no effort has since been
made to direct into fresh channels the trade from Canada, which
was commenced witii the English market by men more familial"
witii that than with the American. The late Dr. Sterry Hunt, in a
paper entitled " Studies of tlie Apatite J)eposits of Canada," read
before the American Enstitute of Mining Engineers, at Halifax, re-
marked that in the near future a large market will be found for this
material in the United States. The growing demand for high fer-
tilizers on this continent, and the fact that the apatite of Canada
may be shipped to the valleys of the Ohio and Mississippi at much
6
THE THOSPHATE MI.VEH OF CAN'ADA,
lower rates tlian the phospLate-rooU of JSoutli Carolina, give great
importance to these Canadian mines.
The large increase in the annual output of the more important
mines, is evi(lcnc<' that Canadian phosphate is coming more and
more into denuind,as the mineral becomes better known. The high
grade of this phosphate has brought it into favor in Belgium. Den-
murk, France, and Germany, in which countries there is an increasing
consumption, consequent on the widespread cultivation of the sugar-
beet, for which super-|)hosphate is found to be an admirable fertilizer.
In England there is a wide market for it. The objections which
Canadian phosj)hate encountered at first, and the difficulties of intro-
ducing material from a new source, have been overcome. A low
grade of Belgian phosphate is found to combine well with Canadian,
under chemical treatment. There is a question as to the (!ontinuancc
of the supply of Spanish phosphate, which, with the high cost of the
Norwegian article, favors an increased demand for the suj)ply from
(/anada.
Besides the jihosphate-bearing districts of the l*rovince of Quebec,
described abov<', there is also a phosphate region in the Province of
Ontario, occupying that portion of the country lying back from
Kingston and Belleville, which extends in a belt through the towji-
ships of i irgess, Crosby, Bedford, Storrington and Loughborough,
in the county of Hastings. A largi; number of surface-openings exist
in this belt, some of which are worked with fair returns; l)ut no
deej) mining has been carried on. While the productiveness and
easy accessibilitv of the Lievre mines have caused the neglect of the
earlier-discovered deposits of the Hastings district, thei'o are among
these, some which, when properly developed, will probably be found
not inferior to those on the Lievre. So for as is known at present,
however, the grade of phosphate is not as high as that of the Quebec
mineral ; and the amount shipped from Kingston is comparatively
small.
Dr. Sterry Hunt, who made Laurentian rocks his study for up-
wards of thirty years, regards many of the apatite veins as fissures
or cavities which have been filled by the deposition of materials
derived from the adjacent strata. One striking feature developed
in this raining is the great irregularity of the deposits; but taking
into consideration the extremely disturbed character of the Lauren-
tiati rocks, this is not to be wondered at. What may at one time
have been layers, regular and uniform, subsequent t trac«Ml or traceahlc.
iSfafislir.'i of Frotlaolion. — Some idea of tlu? mai£nitiide this husi-
ness is assuming; may he j^athered from the followinji,' n'turns, show-
ing the exports of j)h(>sphate from Canada since KS7roduce, is shown from the following tabi(! taken (except
the percentages) from Hritish returns :
Tons.
Valii.'.
10,748
!?208,l()!i
8,44(5
122,08.-)
18,000
190,080
11,908
218,|.-.(J
17,lo8
;;os,;!:,7
19,710
427,(it;s
21,70')
424,21(1
28.909
490,298
20.440
84:;,0O7
28,ir)2
488,217
i.s,77(;
29S,0O!t
29,987
894,7(;s
28,457
499,809
1 •-),!. 58
119,5.82
207,729
>!4,488,740
Imports of l^JtO!^j)halc info Gtraf JirUain.
^'cnr.
1882,
1888,
1884,
1885,
188(5,
1887,
1888,
1889,
1890,
'I'OIUI
Imports.
Tons.
228,894
270,578
245,582
272,200
249,884
817,424
288,882
341,547
384,721
From
Cinuiiln,
'I'ons.
9,109
IVrcentiiRi
from
<'ana(1a.
4.1
18,514
0.7
17,60.'!
7.1
24,002 •
20,287
21,497
18,918
8.1
8.1
0.7
4.8
25,898
7.5
23,619
G.l
THK PIIOSIMIATK MINHH OF CANADA.
Tlie otlioial returns for 1891 have not been (jbtaii]e(J.
Mr. < )l)alski, j^(»veriim(;rit iiiirjin^ enj/ineer of the Province (.>f
(^M(.'he(', in a papc^r read by bini in ( )('tob('r last, says:
" Ki'cciit iiuportanl (li-ii()vi'rit'> in (iitli'iL-rU plact'^ in KiU()|je iuiil lln- Initt'il Stutc-.
have j-ansed a variation in the pric*- ; hut nevt'itheless, we can say that the ( "anadian
phnsphatt', consitlerin^^ its hij^h avcrago (80 per ct'iit.) will have a ic^nlar market ;
anil I tonsiiler that if the production is not f^reater it depend' nmre on the irre'^n-
iarily ot' (he deposits than on any other caiist". I'p to date the production has
iieen some "J-'iOiUUd tons. Thei'e exist lar^e deposits not yet worked, on acconnt ol'
the ahsenee of easy means ol' transportation.
'' The depression In the Kuropean market is evidenced l>y the very liuiited ex-
tent ol' the iihosphate-miiiiny o|ierjitions in this distrjct. The Hij^h itock mine,"
with a reduced force of aljoiit sixty men, has raised ahonl .">(K)(I tons of all grades, to
dale, aliont 'JtlOt) tons of which has heen exported. The S(|iiavv Hill, and .I'.tna
mines of the I'ritish .Ameri.vni Phosphate ( 'ompany are the only other mines now
worked to any extent. Recent operations reveal some fine shows of the mineral ;
and the manaj^ement are reported to l)e encoiirai^ed !>y the prospects.'
M'liethcr phospliatc in it.^ criitlt; stsitc, pulvcri/cd, is avttihiblc as
plant food has not been as yet fidly ascertained, althotioh tlu; results
of experiments i^o to sliow that when mixed with strong- lermentinu,
stable-manure, or with swainp-mncU, its effects are manifested, in
the former case, rapidly, in the latter more slowly, i'he sam*- re-
sidts have been obtained with Charleston rock. There are e mines
varies with the demand for the material.
t MnifK and Minerals of tin' Pruvince of Quebec, by J. Obalski, Government Min-
ing luigineer. t^uebee, 1891.
THi: I'1I()SF»HATF, NfFNKS (»F TANADA.
9
Tnmspoit l)y river in Imr^cs oV(!r a ilistaiicc varviiiu" IVoiii 10 to 2"j
miles, .'H) to (10 cents.
Cost of (ransliipinenf al Uiiclcintrliam, 10 cents.
'I'i'.insporl I »y railway from l>nckiniilian« to .Montreal, Sl.2;"> to
SI.50.
(Jost of translii|)ment at Montreal, 'Jo cents.
('ommission, insnrance, et<'., oO cents.
( K'can-fn'Ijrlits ran^c from fiv<' to twelve shillings sterling, aceonl-
in(»rt of destination, Jlamltnrn being' tlie most 'lis'.ant l<»
wliieli pluispliate lias been shipped hitherto.
W'df/rn. — The rate of wa<:;e.s is from .*" 5 to $2o per month, with
hoard ; and, hy the day, 90 cents to $1.2.3, withont hoard ior ordi-
nary !al)<»rers, and Jj^l .50 to §2.50 for foreman and machinists. \
teatn antl pei- day.
Mi//s. — There are three mills for grindint;- phosphat(! run h^• the
\vatcr-|)ower of the Lievre river, near IJncikini^ham statiot> iz, :
One helonirini; to the C-nadian I'hosphate ( V>m|»any with a ra-
pacity for tnrnini> out si\ to seven tons a dav.
One at Seahiir), on the west side of the [jievre, rnn with a tur-
bine wdieel, and e(juipj)ed with a rotary driver, caj)al)le of treatinjj^
twenty-five tons a day.
One l)elono;inir to fiomer, llohi', and Co., with a capacity of from
forty to fifty tons a (hiy.
NoTio i5Y TtrK Skoiiktary.— Conjments or criticisms upon all
papers, whether private <'orrections of ty|)ographical or other errors,
or communications for |)ul»licatiou as " Discussion," or independent
papers on the same or a related subject, are earnestly invited.