Ashtabula weekly telegraph. [volume] (Ashtabula, Ohio) 1853-1873, 1860-02-18

passed through the crowd came into the
hands Of lts Rev. bwuer more than hun
dred dollars better than il Ieft him The
whole aiFalf scarce occupied an hour, but a
deal Of hn and noble feeling, found then
and there, expression.
The weather for the last four days has
been delightful, warm as spring ! and doors
and windows arc allowed to stand inviting
" open. The sleighing is impaired, but not
spoiled the boys say it is "prime s0sstiug,"
aud the diamond icicles which aiaged our
roofs have gone with a crash, leaving the
shingles peverty-stricken and bare. And
such ieisles as they we're Many Of them
more than a foot in diameter at the head,
and six or eight feet iu length Often, it
becomes necessary to chop them of, to pre-
vent breaking Of the caves. Three days
agoit rained for a short time, and that sage
individual, "the oldest inhabitant," looked
into the sky as if bewildered, and said be
never knew the like at this season Of the
year !"
AT the Mines active preparations are bC .
ing made to take out great quantities of
copper another season. The stamp-houses
are clattering night and day, and the tram.
roads are kept cleared of snow for the de-
scent Of the cars. Two enormous masses
of copper were shipped late in the last sea-
son; one from the Quincy, weighing Sl4O
lbs. snd one from the Franklin, weighing
S642 lbs, being the largest ever taken out
10 this region. The Quincy niue last year,
averaged product of 81 tons per month.
From the Pewabiewere shipped during the
season near 900 tons, and all these mines
will double the quantity another year.
This copper is loaded spon scU@s at our
wharses, the stamp work being in barrels;
il is then towed to the entry by steam, (as
much as hundred thousand dollars worth
often on single scow, and there it is ship
ped on the steamers lying outside the bar.
Accidents to miners are of frequent oc-
currence, and many are fatal in their effects
But this is not surprising to one who knows
their apparent reeklessness Of life. Blast
ing by gunpOwder is going on within the
mines continually. Holes are drilled into
the rocks and filed with powder, fuse
is laid, and the workmen ascend the shafts
to await the result. Often the powder fails
to ignite, and without applying water to it
as should be done, the workmen proceed to
remove the charge with an iron pick, near
ly every blow striking fire, and the conse-
quences "a just what a person might ex-
pect. These miners always work in coup
les, so when one is injured his comrade suf
fers too. You can scarcely meet COM
pany of dozen miners without seeing one
or more who have suffered mutiIation or in
jury, most commonly of the eyes. The
average duration of life among these people
is only % years; for this there are a variety
OF reasons. The labor CT ascending the
ladders in the shafts is very exhausting, and
injurious to the lungs, and the atmosphere
in which they labor is deleterious in its ten
dency. Their mode of life at home also
goes far to hasten decay ill-fed, ilI-housed,
and Incorporate in habits, it is no matter
of astonishment that funerals are of so fire.
quent occurrence among US, for about three
thousand of our people are of this mining
class.
l suppose you learned from your exchang-
es that the steamer Lady ElgiR met with
oaaidonf m haH oh l..
trip, and was detained at Waiska Bay until
she could be repaired. Not until the first
week in Dec. did she arrive at our harbor
Portage Lake was frozen firmly over and
the freight could not be landed Therefore,
she proceeded to Copper Harbor, and went
into winter quarters. Her officers aud men
arrived at this place a few days before
Christmas, on their way home to Chicago
via WauSau. This journey must be made
from hence on foot as far as w and the
baggage is drawn by dogs The snow was
very deep, and the cold intense. Unused
to this mode of travel, their progress was
very slow, and tleiee before arriving at
nearea place of supply, they sent back for
provisions. Our old rOyaguers had laugh
at this, of course, but doubt whether it
would have been echoed by any of the par
ty, had they chanced TO hear it.
The sleighiDg between this place and Eag-
le River, Eagle Harbor, and Copper Har-
Dor, is very fine, and frequent visits take
place between our inhabitants and theirs,
rs there is a regular line of stages on the
route. Gentlemen also pass over the trail
on foot, which lies between us and Ontona-
gon, distance Of 20 miles and occasion
ally we exchange ciVilities with Marquette,
In the same adventurous way.
Vale Mo.R
TIE Norfolk Herald rebukes one Of its
Southern eOadjntOrs fer Pablshi6g its pre-
tended lists Of White and Black NeW-York