The Nevada journal. [volume] (Nevada City, Calif.) 1851-18??, 1857-11-27

remarkable object in the geography of
Lake Superior is Point Kewenaw, ex-
tending out into the lake some 70 miles,
in form like the beak of an eagle. The
spine of this peninsula is elevated some
five or SIX hundred feet, composed of
copper bearing rock, which extends to
an aggregate length of 16O miles. In
very ancient periods of time mining was
carried on extensively along this range,
and excavations have been found two
miles long. ana from 20 to 80 feet deep.
This mining was by open cuts like quar-
ries, for the miner had no means of pen
etrating deeply into the earth, nor means
of raising large masses, had they SO pen
etrated. The copper found there is
well known to exist in its native form,
and in masses from minute specimens to
those of 500 tons. The implements and
tools made by them of this metal, were
constructed without melting it, by sim
ply beating it into form in its cold state,
and there are no signs whatever that
they had any idea OF melting copper
Their mode of mining was to build fires
to soften the rock, and then break out
pieces Of metal by means of large stone
hammers; wasses of five or six tons are
found from which pieces have been bea-
ten, and the rest left in place.
At the Minnesota mine those miners
had gone down in one place % feet, and
recently, upon opening their excavation,
a mass was found, which had been rails
ed upon skids by means of wedges,
weighing six tons. The opening had
been filed up by rubbish as the miners
advanced, and thus with the accumula-
ton Of centuries in addition it was not
easily perceptible. Trees of full growth
covered it when again found, and the
proof that this was real excavation for
mining purposes was afforded by burnt
wood, stone hammers, and the like
This is a sample Of those ancient works
scattered along line of $50 miles,
Some few cavities have been found like
a room, in the face of rocky blufs-pla-
ces where a dozen men could easily
work
The miners tools were hammers of
hard stone, 5 to % pounds in weight
wooden shovels of cedar, used for scra-
ping dirt, as shown by the form to which
they are Worn; copper implements like
the quarr*man's CAD, to be used as cold
chisels, driven by the stone mauls; spear
heads, copper knives and chisels, and
the like. Upon blocks of timbers are
still to be seen marks of these axes and
chisoIs.
These tools and marks they have left
give hint toward proving the connec-
ton Of the people who mined that cop
per, with the ancient Mexicans; for the
copper tools, as depicted in Squire &
Davis work, correspond to those of
Lake Superior. Again, when Col. W.
first saw the cuts upon the timber at the
Lake, he saw at once they must have
been made by an instrument like the
copper axe Of the Ohio mounds An
other fact was noted, that in the copper
tools found in the Ohio, are seen spots
OF native silver-a well known fact in
relation to Lake copper-and this proves
5hat. both the Ohio people of the Mound
Epoch did not possess the art of smelt-
ing copper, else the silver would have
been melted-and that they did derive
their copper from the lake. Now,
Squire work seems to prove the Mexi-
can and Ohio race of people the same;
the form OF their mounds, pyramids, &c
being the same, leads to this interfer-
ence-and these acts equally tend to
show the identity of the miners of Lake
Superior.
In regard to the period when the min
ing operation was in progress, he said
that the timber growing in the excava-
tons is Of full size and age. He had
counted 2S0 rings of annual growth
But this does not carry us back as far
as we can go with safety. There Is
plenty Of evidence that these ancient
trees are of second growth, as least since
the mines were deserted This carries
us back at least 600 years. 1t must,
however, not be forgotten, that the spe-
cies Of tree does not Immediately sue
coed. but others take its place. The
miner, of course must cut the timber,
and thus we may with confidence carry
back our date to thousand or twelve
hundred years ago. Again, judging
from the amount Of work done, aud their
want Of facilities, their labor must have
extended through period of five hun
dred years. From the fact that no re-
mains Of houses in that severe climate
are found, no roads or other improve
ments made by permanent inhabitants,
the conclusion seems inevitable that the
mines were wrought only in the sum-
mer, and that by some people who came
hither for the kpurpose, and departed
with the approach of winter. The peo-
pie, he is Of the opinion, dwelt in Ohio.
The mounds and mines are of the same
age. The Indians of our age could not
have been the miners, nor have they
any tradition whatever relating to the
mines.
Another gentleman describes pit on
Portage Lake, twelve to fifteen feet
deep, where chisels, many stone ham
mers, stones used forsharpening gads,
skid charred by fire, &c, were found