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Originally published in 1939
Some of this information may no longer be current and in that case is presented for historical interest only.
Edited by GET NJ, COPYRIGHT 2003
NORTH ARLINGTON, 24.5 miles (130 alt., 8,263 pop.), has a business
section of one-story shops and nondescript one- and two-family frame
houses. The first steam engine in America was brought here from England
in 1753 by John Schuyler to pump water out of his copper mine, and was
set up by Joshua Hornblower at a cost of about $15,000. The RUINS OF
THE MINES are on Schuyler Ave. 0.2 miles N. of Belleville Turnpike, in the
face of a cliff. Much loose earth has fallen into the two entrances and exploration is dangerous. A little farther down the cliff are the remains of a
PUMP HOUSE used to work the mine.
The once profitable copper mine was discovered prior to 1719 by a
Negro slave on the Schuyler plantation. While plowing he turned up an
unusually heavy stone and took it to his master, a Dutch trader and Indian agent of the Province. An assay showed it was 80 per cent pure copper. When the slave was asked what reward he wanted he said: "A lot of
tobacco." "What else?" asked the master. "More tobacco and a dressing
gown like yours," was the answer. The slave refused freedom. Under
British rule, the copper could not be smelted or manufactured in America
and was shipped to Bristol in a crude state.
At North Arlington is the junction with Belleville Turnpike, built by
Arent Schuyler about 1700.
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