New-York daily tribune., 1854-09-14


ing and a reform in this particular j. urgently
ouired from motives of humanity, il no-huZ else.
The DIRTY condition Of the houses naturally induces
disesse and tso thee ises Of Cho'e-a occurred
the day of our eiTlvAl-creatng some alarm among
The miners. Tue miners them-elyes are mainly re-
rponsible for thr state Of things for II : lri - IN
duce a Cornshma1 to live otherwise; bu. the Con-
pany should build larger and batter houses, more
widely separated, and prevent thai herdng Of human
beings which inisnibly results in misery, filth ali
disease.
Nearly Eve hundred persons are living at present
on this j. cation. over three hundred Of them being
me IN the employ of the Company, under the drec-
lion Of Superintendent, aided their respective de-
psrimeats by the clerk, physician and the mining
captsins The employees are classed according 10 the
work. into mirers, wheelers ard surface men. The
miners do the Giifting and s:Opng in the VEN, the
proper nOrkRg of the mine; the wheeler. convey
ihe veinstone on barro through the e5es to
The shafts, when it is hosted up ard handed TO
the surface-men, wno turn, ssaup and wash It thor
ouglly before barrelng and sending !. away. The
surfaeenen alsO conduct the farming operations and
procure timber, immense amounts 0 winch are used
for We ,Ous purpOses--2O0, 600 eei Of round timber
alone being annually consumed III the mines.
The nDels divided into three brigafes. alter
na'eiy relieving e?ch .er GTd working eigtt hou-s
e1eh thus ken Y the work 'o-'tanty p-ogressiny
brigade was dc'ceDcing as we reached tie SHAFT,
and its members present. a truly agula- appear
ance. Aner scanning the necessary habilmerts, we
spidly followed on their track and spen several
hours in urde-gro and explorations.
The Inre at precep. con ans three shaI. and nine
Levels two OF the former being sunk in the valley on
the vein a1d the third On the summit OF the clif
Ley coupec ed al rec dlar depths by levels some of
which oxtId along the vein for & dstsnre OF eleven
hundred feei The usual error has been committed
in stOpBg noarly a. fast as the shafts and levels
were opened, the VEN having been nearly worked
oN to depth Of FIVE hundred feet ard length OF
nearly one thousand, leaving future operations TO be
conducted at great depths under uniayOfable, II noe
dangerous conditions.
The pumps being out Of order when we descended,
tie water shOwerId down tie shaft at a rate which
made amateur mining rcry disagreeaole, and after
examining the various shafts, levels and slopes, we
2 adly returned TO the surface. The ladders in the
fhafts have iron TJunus, and landing places, or
rests sre placed at regular distances cOnvenielces
entirely wanting in the Minnesota mine, the mining
achihery also IS generally better, more durable. and
Descending to the bottom Of the shaft five hundred
end sixty feet below the surface and passing through
the iOWeIt level examined the sltuation and APP
peaTance Of the vein along s course, and then sue.
cessyely entering and passing through each level and
stope as we gradually neaTed the surface, obtained
correct ideas of the character OF the vein and the
mode Of working it, and OF the extent richness and
general condition of the mine 80 much Stopping has
been done that the vein is rarely visible except neIr
The ends Of the levels, aud from the bottom "a the
surface the mosi of l. has been worked over and the
copper taken ont. Tne VEN varie ia tbicknes from
n g inches 10 four or five feet sometimes becoming
very pCor and almost thinning out II u hard, dark
trappous rock passing through trap OF an amy gda-
To- al chara ter Fewer MASSES are found than at the
Minnesota, but the stamp work is better and more
reliable, and the stamping and washing facilities are
very effective and complete
The copper is disseminated through the venstons
in native state in particles varying in size from the
G1est powder TO masses of many tuns weight. One
Of the latter lying in stope between the sixth and
seventh levels is twenty-five feet long of very
irregular shape being ten twelve feet WIDE IN places
and from few inches 10 three feet thick lie weight
=. oted afy ~ Or
are now eating il up; this slow and expensive pro-
cess and they pre- good stamp or barrel work, to
lighting these huge Jumps of native metal. These
large are cut into blocks weighing from 1000
10 900 lbs which then taken TO the shaft
bostld by large cable 10 the surface, Hn1 shipped
in that shape 10 the furnace.
This mine has produced the largest mass ever found
its weigh being about one hundred and slXty tuns
and though il may not genere'y show so many or %
h wv masses the Mime lota ct its character DO
a. and stamp mine, and its vast annual
yield Of copper, gives 1t The proud position 0l the
great leading mine Of the country.
The working expenses Of such mine im nense.
The consumption Of candles alone rates rom 200 70
| 400 bs. PEI week while the amount of powder an-
nually burned is almost unknown over slOO OOO are
annually paid out for wages and supplies, ana the
slIpries and incidental expenses swell the amount to
a yeTS large
A fine view of Kewecna Point can be obtained by
climbing the flagstaff on the cllh neaf the mine
Both the ranges are visible throughout their whole
course the north showing as line OF perpendicular
frownirg cliffs, and the south rolling away 70 the
south east and terminating in the high rounded cone OF
Mount Houghton, which shoots up sharp and clear IN
the distance The Dterv snDg valley shows map,
ard several pretty mining villages peep up through
the wilderness Of birch ana pine forest which covers
its surface Far the south the waters Of heweena
end La ADse Bays glitter in the like polished SUI
ver while further yet on the distant shore of Michl-
gan the outlines OF the Huron MOuntains cut clear,
and scarcely blue against the sky. Away to the north
the great lake rolls mp like silent world, while the
outlines of Ise Royal though il is fifty miles dstant
show as clearly if but five miles away. Almost
under foot lay IS the Cinine Village, It's inhabitants
creeping about like pigmes, and lis noise coming Ike
q funt murmur TO the ear. Heavy clouds rolled over
poIs Of the lake and shore, and refreshing sho "ers
W. falling in different directions. Much rain has
fallen in the country this summsr, and the forests
lcok fresh and green as with US in May.
We visited the North American mine, close 0y,
working the Cliff vein and really owned by that
/ Company. Although bat lately opened, II has pro-
duee some large mas ), aud is taking high rank
among the newer mines Two slafts and three levers
nave been pc, tally opened aud in one Of the lower
stopes q yeIy largo mas Is said to be exposed The
impro, ements are yet ulfnishcd e'd some time VIII
elat se before the mine is fli-ly in progress
Sever n new and thriving. but less important mines
exist in the vicinity bu, having no time to visit them,
we bade adeu this part % the range and started Tor
;he Copper Falls Mine, Via Eagle River.