New-York daily tribune., 1849-02-17
Lake Superior Country and Mines.


From The Detroit Free Press
We extract the following from letter written
by Gen Z J. Roberts. : Mineral Agent, received by
the last mail and dated Lake Superior, Jan l. LAG
Ga the subject OF mining. cen give you 4 good &C
count Of those who have carried their operations into
the Winter bat regret say hatthe cause which
retarded many companies last year. have their iuf1
eDce THE You remember the sad iate OF The
olaih and must by the last boat down from the Ssut
Ste Marie, have learned the haroships difficulties and
delays experienced By the propeller Id>endnee aud
by several schooners, fr,eghted with provisions,
chiDery and other general supplies. In reaching the
ports Of destination was on board Of the Iadspeu-
desoe and In the Of the Julia Palmer last fall
we bowed 10 the fret ssiuta0n Of gale the
fret day from the Ssu and the day OF The
year, 81 the same hour, rode out with loss Oh
Soresa and oiner damage siil4r appalling and ter
rhe s'Orm-fr0m the participation IN a third edition,
of which beg may be spared sharing the "honOrs
aud glory T. Heavy weather continued until W
reached successively the landings on the Southern
shore Of Lake Superior 81 esch Of which found, IN
considerable numbers miners and lsborers and Ia
Instances agents who refused 70 return 10 their
locations.
1t had then. rsned sleei and snow, constantly for
more than fortnight, and fear Of being reduced %
want with the usua severity oi The season had crested
an alarm, and home sickness not easily mastered and
90 arrival of the mouth Of the OntOusgon, on thf
18th Of November. we found several had made their
wsy 10 Eagle River Ia cOastiDg boats and by wsy Oi
Portage Lake, 10 the hope Of fading some vessel 70
take them below
WIN not these repestea disasters interruptions and
annoy snees at last have atendency 10 induce compa
niles TO send their supplies 10 time to reseh here
early Ia October Their hazards are manifest, and
their losses must be sensibly felt And when viii farm
turn their attention to this section of country en
Joy It's pervsdng health make money for them
selves and supply the mining interests with their pro
Visions The arguments introduced against this sn
agricultural region, many bug bears No wherr
IL the soil rich better adapted 10 yield It's 'ru
In abundance than we have here, on the Ontonagon
Lance Portsge Lake aud in various other sections
On Point Keewsinona. even whole townships OF
the hspdsomsst farming land In the world tInbered
with the sugar maple interspersed here and there with
lendid pines and black OAK, and lying within lev
miles OF the Cliff North American Albion, Copper Falls
Lac Ia Belle and other copper mines And here gre"
richer and swesier and yield 10 greater abundance 10
the than In ths Lower Peninsuls or In Western
New York postoes ruta turnips csbbsges beets
parsniys, and all sorts Of roots ana We have Of
wheat grown on the bluffs, IN the neighborhood mo.i
bleak and barren, surrounding the Cbf Mines heads
nine inches n leDgtb filed out with the plumpest be-
ry Oats. also. turned out remarkable yield on The
location of the Suffolk Company the last season. and
there reasonable argument Why all sorts OF grain
excepting perhaps should not succeed well u
not better 10 this country than m any other. Cattle
too turned Ia the Spring lat than
and we have eat Of mutton fs,,ened on the commons,
in the neishborhOod OF Agate Hsrbor, equal TO any
served up 10 portion Of the world We have ever
visited 10 true that have long Winters and deep
snow, but then have neither ros,s IN the all nor
the Spring seasons and luxurious growing weather Tor
ths bssncs OF the year Atseversl OF the Mining Com
panies, where they have made sufficient advance %
raise potatoes and other roots thar they have
cason for during the Winter they leave them IN The
ground until Spriog, ~hen raising them from their
hills beds, they found sweeter and every Way
proved. But miners neither farmers nor horiieul-
turtsts.
There are at present working, a. the Ontona-
gop. the Minnesota the Ohio Trap Rock, and the On
tonason Companies; and on Point Keewsinons- the
Chf, North American Copper Falls, and Lsc la Bells
Companies 10 the Iron District the jackson Comps
n.y. To give you more definite idea OF what 10 going
on. had perhaps, better speak of them separately
THr Minnesota CoNPAsY.-S o. Knapp, ESQ
Agent has just flushed the erection Of buildings snd
commenced mining with grest vigOr and much
csss-working from 30 TO 40 men, and raising native
copper In the msss and In the Rock. This 10. the
lease known 7s and the discoveries thus tsr prove
very rich.
THE 0sIo TRAP Rock CoMPASY.-Wm. Ste
phens Esq Agent, 10 working from 20 TO 30 men, aud
making good returns Of native copper In the Rock
The OSroSAeos CosPASY.-Colonel Cushmen'
agent has several men driving new vein. but rails
ing 90 copper yet Col Cushmsn himself has been
obliged 20 80 East on account OF his health.
THE NORTH AMERIcAS-Judge Bacon, Agent,
10 driving Its work with increased energy and greatly
Improved prospects. Is working 49 men, sclading -
miners The main shsh is down SIS feet and he is
sinking 80 feet deeper Also, sr shsti snd ~inxe
10 down l5S feet Opened on the load at the % foot
teNc, GTlt ItStt ana on fnc lphu NJ 41 tt
level drift 1876 feet Vein grows richer rs he goes
deeper. WIN erect bis engine and put his stamps In
motion during tho Winter and Spring, and haul copper
to the landing FOR shipping.
COPPER FALIs.--Joshua Childs, Esq. Agent
This company have force Of IS men, including %
mners and their prospects perhaps we're never more
catering than ct this time there having been decided
improvement In the appearance Of the mine within 'ht
last few weeks With the forcs now employed. they
viii probably ee able in the eoGrse OF the Winter to
arrive At some denn,e conclusion IS 60 the ultimate
value OF the mine. Al depth Of about eighty i've ret
from tn surface tne upper southern shat
they have met with belt 81 sandstone which will net
vary much irou nifty feet in thickness, below which II
was thought by proiessedly learned In &c oosy
and Nirersogy, tha, the vein would extend Up 70
this time the sandstone has beeo penetrated depth
of about hieen teeL through whieh tho vein hiss
tnued uninterrupted carrying smsl sheets ol copper
thus proving almost ccncusivey that the vein " ].
tend Into the trap formation below.
Lac La BxiLv MINING CONTAINS. Nsndle
BAN, Esq Agent--Ihis company IS progressing with
their work but We wsi the arrival OF the Aselt from
the Esss before We shsr visit IL He unfortunae,
detained by u , close OF the navigation
Tar CLirF MISs-Levi Hanna. Esq. Agont.-
This ssn, Of mines will b. better understood by mining
men by entering into 3 somewhat meatc account The
leo 9Th OF the drn Nc L. shsf sorth Is 50 isihom'-no
work doing on IT, No. drift from No sba1s nofth
50 fsthom work doing. These two drss are oO,a
driven north oi the cross that separates IN The
Amysdalodai and greensboro trap short dists1ce ooi
no copper found. No. dir south Of No. SOAR.
fafhorns-no work. and north Of No snat "a sthons
h,,nr in ii Il fsthoms long North OF NJ. shSh m
thu drft elk mea work cCttlng copper. There
arc about 50 At this point averaging inches 10
width OF masses Six men stopping north OF tbs
the losd being Is inches wsds consisting OF stamps
and barrel w0rk-snd iour men are driving north.
the load Is inches vide. principally stamp work
No drift south Of No. shsiI 20 fsiboms snd north
Of No shaft IS fsthoms--ia all II isthoms long -
Of M
four mAn are sinking Wiuxe down 10 No. drf, The
load 10 the Winze st present feet down is 10 d'sor
dered state North Of No shstt in this drlit 81 Lnen
are stopping Tue load Is Is inches wide. principay
barrel and stamp work North Of this between No.
sad Ne. shafts fourteen stoppas. The load
on an average 10 two feet vide consisting OF masses
barrel and stsmp work There 10 about six tons of COP
psr lsoc here really % Be cut up North OF No shs
thons four men are driving north Tho load n ls In