The Grand Haven news. [volume] (Grand Haven, Mich.) 1858-18??, 1861-01-30
Total, H.. .slo,75o,7ls

Total, ---.----- .$16,750,71s
This statement would show a much
larger amount if the value of the plaster,
ashes, &c, sold, were included.
Hereto we subjoin few interesting
facts relative 10 our vast copper resources.
The copper mines of the Upper Peninsn-
Ia were discovered as early rs 1640, by
the French Jesuits, who reported the fact
to the head Of their order in Paris; and
in consequence, DR.. franklin, in 1888,
when he was negotiating our treaty Of
peace with the British Government, care
fully insisted that the line which was to
divide the British from the American pos
sessions on the North, should run to the
North of Port Royal, on Lake Superior,
for the purpose, as he afterwards stated,
of securing the rich deposits of copper
that were known to exist on that Island.
When Gen. Cass visited this country in
1922, he discovered that wonderful mass
of native copper now in the Patent Of
flee, at Washington, weighing about three
tons, lying on the bank of the ontona-
gon river, having been transported thith-
er, several miles from its native bed, with
the evident intention of conveying il down
that river to the lake, but by what race
of men it will probably never be known.
There are traces showing beyond doubt
that the copper mines in those regions
were worked some three or four centuries
ago, for trees whose ages can be calcula-
ted, are found growing in the "pits by
them excavatcd, showing great longevity
even of period dating back at least
three hundred years. The history of
these ancient miners, even the Jesuits, rs
early as l640, failed to discover. The
implements employed in their labors of
mining, consisting of copper chisels and
spears, are found in great abundance and
varieties under the roots of those venera-
ble trees.
Michigan came in possession of the
Upper Peninsula, so called, in this way:
In 1885, when the people of the then
Territory applied to the Congress of the
United States, TO be admitted as n State
into the Union, the Congressional delega-
tion from Ohio resisted the application
most strenuously for reasons probably best
known to themselves. A compromise,
however, was finally effected, whereby the
Ohioans agreed to relinquish their opposi-
ton, on condition that Michigan should
allow the northern line of Ohio 10 be car
ried six miles further north than IL had
been originally located. To this the del
egate from Michigan objected, but The
whole controversy was finally settled by
giving Michigan what is now known as
the Upper Peninsula, in lieu Of the rich
belt,six miles in width traversing her,whole
southern border. Long and loud was the
wall sent up by every Michigander when
the swap was made known to them
They denounced the Upper Peninsula as
an "American Siberia" land of snow
and ice eternal, and entirely .uninhabit-
able! But amid this denuneiation Of the
masses, few were ready 10 admit that o
"few specimens" of copper had been seen
there, but little, indeed, did the most sage
ones dream, at that time, that they were
getting second California by the trade.
The Indian title to this region was extin-
tinguished in 1s43. The State survey
thereof was made in 1874. The first
successful working of the mines COM
menced in 1913, by number of gentle
men from New York and Pittsburg.-
They organized two companies, known
as the Cliff and Minnesota companies. 10
The Cliff company invested at first
100000 in labor and machinery, but
that sum was found inadequate to do n
paying business, and mining was only
found profitable after a further Investment
of $4,000.
The Minnesota company at first invest
cd 100000, but only after an Investment