New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1851-12-19
The Lake Superior Copper Region.

Few have an adequate idea Of the m.h-
eral wealth Of the Lake Superior country, particd-
lary in the form of copper and iron. The iron ores
are exceedingly rich running up, is understood'
10 so or 60 per cent, and the mines would no doubt
be extensively worked, were IL not for the insane
policy of our Government, which substitutes English
iron the product of cheap capital and pauper aoor
for iron which everywhere abouncs In our own
country, ard no where in form so inviting as on
the south shore OF Lake Superior. But fortunately
the great copper interests of that region are pa cd
BIZ the bounteous hand OF Providence altogether BE-
yond the reach of the free trade chimeras OF hr'
Walker That this is so is co.clusvely eSta0lIs lel
by the success of the Boston and Pittsburgh Mining
Company usually denominated the Cliff Nine. TAat
ne cost the proprietors only $4,000 AMI Ia ieiS
il paid the stockholders profit Of S6O,OOO, anu In
1850 $s4 LOCO and this year it pays again proht OF
see COO being in all S20i,O00, or $4,000 more than
the whole cost OF the mine, and that too, IN three
wears with all their land, steam'e engines, and o'heF
paraphernaa Of mining paid for, and with conslc-
cradle surplus tas We underStand) left as working
capital and to cover contingencies. 1t Is believed
that the Cliff Mine will prove good for an income OF
of 5000 per anIum for an indefinite period oil time
and this is a sufficient expression Of our sense o.
what may be done on Lake Superior.
But while many are aware of the success OF the
Cliff Nine and admit the facts stated yet they doubt
whether other enterprises will be equally prosper
GUS They think, profess to think that the Cliff
Mine is an exceptional case but this IS grave
error and will stand revealed as such in less than
two years, within which the Minnesota Northwest
and North American Mines will be brought up 10 the
dividend-paying point.
But our object is not to speak of these mines par
culary, but rather anew TO call attention TO the re-
gisn generally where, with careful management and
patience. enterprise and capital may be confident OF
a rich reward. There are very many new mines,
which, if properly conducted, promise IN re" years
to repay their propretors quite largely any that
are now prominently known to the public. Among
these we can mention the Windsor, the Norwich,
the Bohemian, the Adventure, the Aztec, the Doug
lass Houghton, the Copper Falls, &C. The last
named is situated in the vicinity OF the Cliff Nine,
and on the northern face of the mountain, and only
two or three miles from Eagle Haibor, where there
is good pier, alonside of which, steamers and other
craft can lie to receive the copper In this respect
the Copper Falls Mine has decidedly the advantage
of the Cliff which delivers 1t copper at the mouth oil
Eagle River, where there is no harbor whatever,
and where the Company is obliged TO carry the cop
per out in scows and deliver board steamers in
the Lake This they cannot always do by reason of
storms. The mine which is being worked under the
superintendent OF sW Hail. Esq ~. S. Assistant
Geologist) has every indication OF great richness
On the Company's land are great number OF an
ciet pits and excavations in which copper is found
Nothing can be more curious or interesting than
these ancient pits diggDgs II may seem difficult to
believe that there was race of men engaged extern
svely in mining for copper on this continent long
before it was discovered by Columbus, and yet such
was undoubtedly the fact The forest trees growing
on the entertainments, and some trees growing in the
pits themselves, will caryu back in some instances
two or three centuries, and how many predecessors
they had which grew and fell on the same spot. no
can tell. In these pits stone hammers are found
in great abundance, from a single pound up to
weight which no single man could WELD. No metal
tools of any sort discovered. How the ancienis,
with such simple means, could make such extensive
excavations and to what use they applied the vast
amounts of copper which they mus, have obtained
is difficult now to conceive. But the existence OF
these pits may always be taken as proof conclusive
that there valuable copper veins below.