New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1845-11-12
From the Copper Region.
Correspondence of the Cincinnati Herald.
MOUTH or FLINT STEEL RIVER
1 ske Sunerior Oct. -. ISIS.

lake Superior. Oct 49, 1876.
A friend OF yours desired me TO drop you scfa"'
when | arrived in the copper region OF Lake Supe'
rior have been too much engaged 10 comply
with the request But now that our races are se.
homews-d and our boat windbound III WINTER
storm will attempt TO fulfil my promise There Is
no country more misrepreseRted or more mlsunder-
stood than this For narrow strip OF land on the
northern border OF Ohio, the General Government
gave Michigan territory enough for State on the
peninsula between Lake Michigan and Lake Supe-
rior The country WIS regarded as so barren, cold
and worthless that the United States Wee glad 10
be rid of il. and dealt mos, literally with the young
sni g-unbliuc state. Its mineral wealth is begin
ming 10 be developed and may or may not meet the
expectations OF the SOC persons who are applicants
for leases TO work copper. The early permits
covered tract OF three miles square, but The great
or part OF them cover only one square mile, and
there are about three hundred outstanding permits
ss vet INDICATED The explorations hitherto made,
indicate an extensive and rich copper region. As
far west as the Porcupine Hills, which rise in view
thirty miles 10 the westward OF this place, AMI
twenty miles Yves, of the On:onagon. the country
from the SAUL S. Marie Is surveyed III townships
OF SIX miles square.
Dr. Houghton.- the State Geologst OF Michigan.
has contract with the l nitcd States Tor making
linear and geological survey OF the mineral region
TO the Montreal River. which is the " estern houn-
dGrv OF the State He has prosecuted II with great
whites, bu, by the Indians Newawenon. Is now
subdvided into sections of one mile square, Us tar
West as the Portage Lakes. II has been long
known that copper existed on Lake Superior. The
French and after them the English had seen TINS
metal along the Southern shore. and the latter peple
made explorations on The Ontonagon 80 years ago.
On a map constructed in l7s2 by John Fitch the
the most extensive and meritorious inventor OF steam
boats find the words copper region written
covering the space where now sit But it's only
within about three wears that practical mining COM
r,enced in earnest under the permits OF the Govern
ment There are probably 800 persons about TO
winter here this season engaged in the mines, which
promises 10 supply America with copper and
eventually to send the article back 70 the old world
as an export.
But it is in regard to the farming capacity Of the
SOIL and the character of the climate that the misln
formation exists 10 which referred.
have travelled in the interior during the past
month and never soil that promised better
return TO the farmer. Its is uniformly sandy
oau producing millions OF the sugar maple and not
much other timber. Even among the rocks which
bear the mineral the land is rich and easy OF cuva-
tion-scattered among the sugar trees are large,
straight white pines cedars and hemochs-somc-
times line OF bass wood, or.em. or black ash, and
very seldom black oak. The climate is cold. but
uniform. the air and the waters pure There is no
part OF New England more healthy and few parts OF
Ohio more tertilc-thc crops potatoes, turnips,
oats grass and wheat The winter lasts about seven
months from November 10 May inclusive. but all
agree that it not so excessively cold but that bust
ness may be carried on and journeys made At all
seasons During the months of June and July the
country is Infested with muskeioes The streams
are filled with speckled trout from which you will
infer that the waters are rapid and cold.
To person coasting along the shore, the country
presents n most cherries and forbiding aspect-the
cold blasts of tho Lake are congenial to the growth
of fir, spruce, pine hemlock balsam. and the ever
greens generally. This growth OF timber extends
few miles from the coast and of course precludes
passed this evergreen belt YOU strike into the fine
rolling timber country of which | have spoken.
The surveyors say it covers broad region where
the sons OF New England will before long lind
new home, happiness and prosperity
Yours truly. ABDTus.