Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1854-04-14

IN the ground, and wiIhal pointed ia
the main from whence they came. y
lie also reports as among the " com
modiIIes' they saw " copper in great
abundance" This was upon our
own shores.
In 1913, some curious discoveries
were made IN the Lake Superior re-
glon. Mr.. Knapp, Of the Vulcan
Miding Company, worked into an
old cave which had been excayaied
centuries ago. Thus led them TO
look Tor others of The same sort, and
they iound a number of sinks ia the
earth To a great distance. By dig
g'ng into them, they we're found TO
have been made 10y the hand of man.
Masses OF copper were found weigh
ZIG eight or ten tons. which had been
/ got out and left there trees had
grown up over them of very large
/ growth, and had died and decayed
many years since, at the same place
trees were now standing of over
three hundred years growth Tools
were also found, some of which
were of copper, and some that re-
senbled wedges, mallets, and ham
mers, similar to those used by black
smiths. The Chippewa Indians all
say that this work was never done
10y the ludlans BY whom then was
II done ? Is the curious inquiry.
When did these ancient miners
work, and who were they l. ii
possible they were the forefathers OF
ihe present race Of indians: 1t is
possible; savage man IN all countries
Is wreck Of former civllization.-
] he d, scendanis nf the GREEKS aud
Romans are mol like their ioiefalhers /;
we know them to he wrecks Of for
mer clvlllzitlon Tribes aud men,
separated from communication and
contact with others of their species.
soon degenerate aud dwindle INTO
the savage state. Ii is, therefore.
quite possible that the old copper
nucfs of Lake superior region,
were The lorclaihers of the present
race Of Indians.
Copper was well known to the ma
tons ol antiquity, and the frequent
mention OF brass by ancient authors
must be often understood as having
reference to copper. Such Is un-
donbledly the meaning as il occurs
In Scripture, which describes "a
land whose stones are iron, and out
of ~hoSc hlIls ihou mayest dig brass"
Brass bctng iaciluuus metal, the
base OF which is always copper, tie
latter metal alone must have been
the mlnerainaica produc, alluded To
here. The chef sources of the
great wealth of the PhoraoIs were
mInes OF Nubia aud Ethiopia, winch
we're productive Of copper on brass ia
great abundance bcfnre iron was
known IN Africa The earliest KNOW I
cage which Tie Greeks possessed Of
the working of the ores of tins met
al IS attributed To- Cadmus, who, ar
rv1ng wih other emigrants in Greece
IN lo9l, before Christ, opened the
hrsi copper nine in the mountains
ct Ihrace. The Etrurians, by their
knowledge IF mining, supplied Rome
with the copper from which was coin I
ed all the money winch circulated IN
Rome through several succeeding
centuries la The museum at C0pea-
hagen various tools and implements
OF copper edged with iron, are ex-
hhbIted as found in Denmark, and
presumed TO have been made at a
period when steel appears 10 have /
been more precious than gold.
Copper was obtained in England I
AT Cornwall about tho close of the +
fifteenth century. In the year lIl2 .
The copper manufacture was brought
TO great perfection IN England aud
continued to increase, hucluatIng,
however, much Of late years under
the competition of the South Amer
lean markets. In lSOS there was a
great depression and check IN the (
production of copper throughout
England, part of which was caused .
by the importation ni the foreign ar /
ticle. Very large quantities were
brought III which were taken by the
British cruisers. and the prizes bro't
into England. and also by inporla-
lions under licenses from the British
and spanish governments. The an
t,1ui,y oi the copper mines in Eng
land is as much IN obscurily as all
others. Swords and other articles
have been found and thought to be
OF British manufacture but at what
period is not known. The earliest
inhabitants of that island, of whom
we have any account, certainly wore
upon their arms and legs massive
rings. probably Of this metal, but
whether II was OF their own smelt-
ing, or obtained from visitors is not
clear, though Cesar says expressly,
that the Brlons made use OF inpor-
ted copper