The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1843-11-05
Buffalo.

Tom brave Harry the ground
With Hi Rich for his second.
----
Buffalo
Correspondence of the He aid
Roadside Reimbursement No.
BUFFALO, October 10, 1913
The Great Copper Rock Of Luke Superior
J. G. BENNETT, ESQ
DEAR Sir
The celebrated copper rock, of which wrote in
former letter, reached Detroit safely, and was
landed from the Brewster just az stepped on board
| the De Witt Clinton, Ia fine boat, commanded by
Capt Squires) to to this place. As this is
of the greatest curosiles of the day, and will excite
considerable talk let me give you the history of it,
partly obtained from my own observation, and part
y from the Indiana, and others.
! can find no account of this remarkably large
specimen Of native copper Of an earlier date than
about 100 years ago. AT or about 1850, party OF
Eagshmen came to the region Of the pictured
rocks on Lake Superior, to mine for copper AS a
matter OF course, they found none among that sin.
eular sandstone reg ion Another party, in l764 or
g. came there for similar purposr one of these
left his cut In the rock t reads thus rs TAI
AS my memory serves me: 'P. BIsH,F, 1864 y
However, DR.. houghton Iook n copy of the name.
| winch forgot 10 do Hrnry, the celebrated travel
Ter, aiso visited this copper rock and region moi
having his work by me at present, must refer your
| readers his book Tor an account of the lace
Some Of these miners left few OF their tools the
Ont nason river, where they have since been found
and ia cutting down a large tree, " hist was up
there The miners found piece ot copper kettle In
the earth under the tree, and over which the tree
had grown this must have remained there nearly
100 years. These early dug into The cliffs
The bank OF the Ontanagon, near where the rock
lay, in hopes to fad copper, but OF course without
finding any this great mass is merely enormous
.k.AI a..tl ~nEn (Jof "A
lying M stu.
The rock ia said to have been made known by
The Indians to the first French traders that went to
| the Ontanagon the Frenchmen found the Indians
in possession al various copper ornaments, and, on
| enquiry, were shown the rock as the source Of
their supply. Perhaps, however. all this can be
| ascertaned by reference to Father Hennepln,
| Chsstellax, Chsrevoix, &c Certain 1t Is thai
Gen Cass and his party, IN 1926, were among the
first Americans that visited the rock tor scientific
| purposes. You may remember that the General
| went up to Fond dn Lac, COTTON of the lake,)
Lake Superior, in 1896 to make treaty with some
| of the O-Jib-e-ways AT that time he paid visit to
| the copper rock, in company with Henry X
Schoocra!t, aud others | did not think to ask
Gen C when saw him in Detroit, but believe
| he then made effort To bring the rock away he
| had, however. peTious VOYAGE, and came near
| iamshiog, and also nearly drowned
Schoocraft gives the dimensions OF this rock al
feet inches long, and feet inches broad, and
says it contains about ii cubic feet he also adds
" u,
who saw it in I766, says 1t then weighed five tons
Or Houghtrn. the eminent State Geoogist for
Michigan, calculates It's weight at about four tons
Of course these are all rough guesses but, from
measuring it, and seeing it lifted in and OF thu
Algonquin and Brewster, think 1t cannot weigh
over three tous. This would make it the larges
xnown specimen OF native copper in the known
world, although there Is a very line specimen OF
| native copper lying In valley in Brazil, which
weighs 1866 Portuguese pounds. So much for d.
mansions.
Although General Cass did not at his visit attemp,
to remove the rock he subsequently sent party to
the Ontanagon for that purpose, short time after
wards. This party considered thu rock too large
to be moved by mechanical means; SO they cut
| about thirty cords OF wood, built large fire around
| II, and then threw water On 1t, IN hopes II woulo
| crack all to pieces. This only had the effect
| breaking off some Of The quartz rock &c that wss
mechanically attashed To It's sides. The party then
| became dIsheartened and went away; having NOV
I'd the rock about or feet only from the edge @,
the river, where ii was originally found Another
party went there year or two afterwards, among
whom was Mr. Bsrbeau, Of the Saut ST. Marie, bu,
hey had no better luck. About this time, Mr.
Joseph Spencer, one ut Gen Case's party, mention
I'd the rock and Its situation to Mr. julius EIdred
hardware merchant, OF Detroit. tt e latter then
cootrived plan to remove it, but was not able e
90 to the spot until 1889
The Ostanagon river divides into an east and
vest branch, about n miles from It's mouth; soo
shout miles up the west fork OF the river or sboui
30 miles from its mouth following all The windngs)
ms celebrated rock lay IL also lay on the weel
bank Of the fork of the river. The river il
mere about Is rods wide, very rapid and very shsl.
low-tne banks or bluffs are over 10 feet high a.
his spot, crowned with cedar and hemock, eno
Dine trees. The bed Of the river is filled witt boul
tere OF granite, greensboro, sienitr, hornhlende
tnygdsold. &c. &c, varying in size from 10 tee
diameter, downwards. Add this rock lay on III,
edge Of the river, al times partially covered by III,
Eater, and looked like one OF The other boulder
externally, having been partially worn by the &C
ion OF the water and other rocks Some OF the
trees having fallen down from the bluffs with masses
# earth and sandstone, have led to The idea ths
his rock rolled down to the river from the wes
cliff, when Its sub-slructure was washed away.
Nothing more was done towards removing thin
ock unnl 1871 Mr. Eldrtd then went up To III,
,suli St. Msue ia September Ga the IL h ue wen
sp in the brig Astor 10 La Po,nte nea the head
lake Superior, and about 81 or 100 miles be yop,
he mouth It the Ontansgon He there bought
nall sized Macklnaw boat, went down the coast Il
Iron rlver-ihere he hired three Indians aud tw,
ianoes, and all went up the Oatanagon three mile,
rom Its mouth-here they pitched camp. LETT n
,oat and went up TO the forks in canoes; they camp
I'd at The forks, and got to the rock next day about
noon. They had tools with them, and cut OIL piece.
Ut the rock, but could not move it-Ihey spent lhe
day and night there, and returned next day then
Mackinaw boat went imme dately to the mouth Of
Alon Il Ill nd nh enea mi