Juliet signal. [volume] (Juliet [i.e. Joliet], Ill.) 1844-1???, 1847-02-23
Correspondence ofthe Signal.
81 aaa b LANCE, Jan. 18th, le47.


MEssRs. EDIToRs: 36 ai aajei bUa-lg:
now drop you few lines by way OF
variety, concerning the Copper country.
The winter thus far has not been as severe
as experienced in Illinois last season,
find it niIder than Iexpected. ssd -
| am now stopping at the mission sta
ton, twelve miles from Portage, River,
there is at this place about one hund, ed
Indians and very few French; three
miles from this place there is Catholic
Mission, containing about the same num-
Der Of Indians as the former place there
is supported by the government here, be.
sides the Minister, a School Teacher.
Farmer, Blacksmith, and Carpenter, for
instructing the natives, and they are work
ing wonderful influence among them.
The land that is cultivated, produces every
thing as well here as in northern Illinois
excepting wheat. I have seen beautiful
corn that was raised here last season, and
the Indians sell large quantities of potatoes
TO the miners, they are now worth 6s per
bushel. Pork is worth $25 and -four $40
per barrel, and other kinds Of provision in
The Lake abounds with trout and white
fish, which are far superior to those caught
in the lower lakes, and in fact aImos. every
variety Of fish usually found in fresh water.
among them is the Siskoette the finest
fresh water fish think in the world.
The mineral prospects never appeared
oicin fh1Ha NJ
companies are taking out immense guam
titles of ore, consisting of Iron, Copper
and Silver, Of which 40 doubt there is i'm.
mense beds yet undiscovered. Tss-H
Copper stock is very high and still on
the rise; it has been bnught up principally
by. spectators, that with the good pros
poets ofshe mines, keep it in good demand.
There is very little but what sell from
thirty TO four hundred dollars petshare.
have located at the mouth of Forage
River, which river.connected with ough-
ton and Torch lakes, is navigable into the
heart Of the best part of the mining coun-
try, there is usually six feet of water on
the bar at the mouth of the river, and any
quantity after passing that. This place
think is destined to be the great emporium
ofthc mineral country, the location is such
that think it cannot be otherwise. .u.r.
The first day of January is passed in
rather novel manner here by theIndians.
Il is a custom among them. for all to vis-
il each other on that occasion, the oppo-
site sex salute each other by kissing, the
males by the common moda of shaking
hands, they then give presents to each
other, sometimes of the smallest value,
but always something. This custom is
rigidly adhered to-, after this ceremony
with each other, they consider all animos-
tiles as entirely done away, and commence
the new year on terms of perfect amity
and peace. Any one refusing to perform
this with any of the band, is considered as
their enemy this is not with the, Indians
alone, but all that are here must do. the
same, from the oldest to the youngest, and
from the high Anglo Saxon down to the
Hottentot.s a(Perhaps some of you would
consider it task, but fortunately there il
quite number of French and half breed
ladies here, and they make up for making
q virtue ofnecessity. 2s2'i'' % 1877
-s.ae,s o4q Yours, &C., 4,e, K.