The Somerset herald and farmers' and mechanics' register. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 183?-1852, 1846-03-17
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COPPER REGION.
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II A HI

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LAKE SUPERIOR COPPER MINEs-THE
INTEREST OF PITTSBURGH IN THAT Re-
GIoN-CANAL AT SAULT ST. MARIE
COPPER SMELLING AND MANUFACTURING
IN PITrsBURGH.-Unlcss one is conver-
SAINT with what is passing outdoors, and
the undercurrent of business, he Is apt to
be ignorant of many of the most import
ant enterprises Of the day. No one who
has witnessed and heard and felt the in
tense excitement among our citizens, du
ring the past month would have suspect
ed that movement was progressing un-
derneath it, calculated to have an import
ant influence upon the city, unless he
had been made acquainted with it by
some of those interested. The encoura-
ging accounts which we have lately pub
lished concerning the Copper region and
more especially the unexampled and un-
expected success of the Pittsburgh COM
panics, have excited very strong spirit
of enterprise among our capitalists.
We have taken pains to inquire into
the extent of the interest of Pittsburg in
Copper Mining Companies. The result
is, we have ascertained that several hum
dreds of our citizens are directly interest
ed, and that they have leases from Gov
ernment of at least Fifty square miles,
on Lake Superior. The number of COM
panies we have not learned. Besides
about fifty locations which cover the above
extent Of territory, large number also
own more or less stock in other eastern
cumpanies These facts will serve to
show the extent Of the interest of our citi-
zens in Lake Superior.
At the head, not only of these, but all
other companies in the Copper Region,
the Pittsburgh company now unquestion-
ably stands first. The richness of the
veins they have opened and up TO this
period successfully worked, is unparal-
leled bv ony other than those of Mexi-
CO and South America. We are well
aware that doubts are expressed as TO
their extent and many are the predictions
that they will fail. Perhaps it is well
that it 81 so. But so far as science can for
see no such result is to be expected. All
the other locations by Pittsburghers SO
far as they have been worked promise
well, and even should the silver fail, the
richness of the copper. ore must yield
very large return. Some of that taken
out at Copper Harbor yields no less than
so yer cent of pure copper.
From these brief remarks it will readi-
ly be seen that the interest of our own
and Eastern Companies, on Lake Supe-
rior, has bee anne vrey large. Ii is also
well known that owing to the obstruc-
tions in the river at Sault st . Marie, YES
sells and steamboats, cannot pass or repass
that point. There is a portage separa-
ting Lake Huron and Lake Superior
about one quarter of mile across. The
vessels now on the latter Lake were haul
ed over this portage and launched on Lake
Superior This is the only obstruction
between Buffalo, Eric or Cleveland and
the copper country. The ground has
been examined.by experienced engineers,
and pronounced perfectly practicable for
a ship canal, at an expense of about
$30O,000. 1t could be made this COM
ing summer and would unlock the i'm
mense country, bordering on that great
inland sea. If this canal was completed,
vessels could load with ore at the Mines,
and convey it without breaking bulk TO
Cleveland or Erie. The great import
ance of this canal, and the small outlay
necessary to make it, are so obvious, the
utmost exerlions should be made to in
duce Congress to make an appropriation
and cause it TO be constructed forthwith.
No time TO Is be lost. We call the atten-
ton Of our interchangeable representative,
Hon. c. Darrah, to. the matter and urge
those interested, to get mp petitions to
Congress with the least possible delay.
Every Pittsburger is interested in il as we
will proceed to show.
I'VE are pleased 10 find that so many
OF our best men have already realized
large sums from comparatively Tining in
vestmcnts. We are gratiGed because
they are Pittsburgers, and feel deeply in
terested in her welfare; and because they
are so, we are satisfied every dollar they
gain will be brought directly or indirectly
to swell the wealth of our city, and con-
tribute to the Development Of her resour-
ces. While therefore we cannot demur
to their making themselves safe by hav-
ing disposed Of stock at prices which Sc