THE COPPER FEVER IN QUEENSLAND.

Tuapeka Times, Volume V, Issue 244, 3 October 1872, Page 5

THE COPPER FEVER IN QUEENSLAND.

The copper fever (says the Gijmpi" Times) continues to rage with unabated violence in local mining circles, and even gold, the " king of metals," has to hide his diminished head for a short time. Our lists of mineral selections aro quite sufficient proof of the activity of the contagion ; and the fact that "new finds," " specimens," and "selections" of copper are the common and moat frequent topics of conversation on the gold field need hardly be stated to persons who have been resident here for even a few days only. This kind of thing is not calculated, in our opinion, to promote the progress of the goldmining industry, and is it not strange that there is not at present a great deal of activity in the market for gold shares. But it is a fine thing for the district, as it will be the means of rapidly developing the enormous natural wealth, of this portion of Wilde Bay, so long and so unaccountably neglected. It is also a remarkably tine state of affairs for the Treasury ; since the 15th of July the Local Land Agent has received no less a sum thau £1789 as deposits on mineral selections \tf e are very unwilling indeed to damp the enterprise of those interested directly or indirectly in this pursuit of raining property, but a timely word on the probability of overdoing the copper "movement " will do no harm at least. It seems to us that in this hasty scramble for coppe* -bearing lands a large number of inexperienced parties are engaged, and that besides many undoubted prizes a serious proportion of blanks may turn up. We are informed that selections have been taken up upon the strength of "specimens" having been obtained from the land, the said specimens containing only as much trace of i copper as some of the stuff got in several I Gympie gold mines — very little indeed. As regards the present effect upon gold mining, there can be no doubt that industry has been unsettled by the rage for copper.