The weekly pioneer and Democrat. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1855-1865, 1865-09-22
xsecAsly MPRIErs.
NpNHEE Lx.
p,or, our special Correspondent.

From Our SPecI0A N0
PpKyca RIvKE COPPER MERs,
NopTu SHORE OF LAKE SUPERIOR
September, 1866.
To the Editor Of the Pioneer:
leaving Agate Bay after hearty breakfast
q. bacon and trout, served up in Eenans IN.
approachable style, we bent our oars and ener'
yies TO reach the mouth of French River, in ,ad
vance of the storm which we saw brewing
around the tops of the St. Louis Mountains
As usual in such cases, we reached place o.
shelter, Just as we had got thoroughly soaked
by the shower, Ours was not party to
grumble, however, and the ladies were as hap,
py as 90 many ducks in mill.pond.
ats very funny" said Nelly, wringing Inc
water from the shawl that covered her fa's
head duri NC the deluging shower, its iunny
and strange, bat ] never noticed it before ::
What is 2" all inquired.
WHY. that water should be softer at the
commencement OF shower 'han 81 "S
height" ,,o;.s
:" it is not the case
IN prove it, she shouted.
do so.'
Yon acknowledge tha: it rained soTt water
at the commencement OF the shower
''Certainly."
Wen, it now rams hGTG.
Ind sure enough, it did The skipper said
the shower reminded him OF one that he was
IN EST summer when the boat was filled.
Twice full with the rain IN twenty-five min.
MFG
How did you empty the boat?" inquired
Carrie. ,-
I'VE took reef in the sails and then baileS
ire water out with our shoes"
You'd better take reef in your stories, or
they'll take you where you can't get bas!, j
assoe-ur you" said Carrie, and the ringing
laugh of the merry crowd echoed across the
waters of the Lake shore as if We were well
protected party on wedding tour, instead Of
SO many tired voyagers looking like half
drowned rats-enroute to copper mine.
We at length reach the mouth of French
River, Just as the shower clears of; and under
the guidance of the wide awake and enterpris-
ing Superintendent, Mr.. Salisbury, and his
smiable wife, we march one mile up the River
back from the Lake-and reach the famous
French River Copper Mines, which are on the
North Shore OF Lake Superior, fourteen miles
directly northeast from the city Of Du Luth,
the seat of St Louis county.
As these are the pioneer mines Of Minnesota
and as this State is destined TO be the Miners
Home Of the Atlantic States, We give their his
tory. In 1856 copper was discovered all along
the North Shore of Lake Superior. in quartz,
in ore and in native nuggets To find floating
nuggets in the gravel and sand, and thin sheets
OF the pure metal sticking up through crevices
OF the rocks in river beds, was of such common
occurrence among hunters that they thought
nothing oft; but some gentlemen OF Cleveland,
O., being up here at that time on q visit, they
At once resolved, with the usual enterprise Of
vide awake " Buckeye Boys Ito secure 20
themselves portion of this immense wealth.
Accordingly Land Association was formed,
and 900 acres in the southeast corner Of St.
Louis county were duly and properly entered.
Of this Association, we believe z. B. Carlton
was elected President From the land thus
taken, there have been two copper claims, OF
l60 acres each, staked out and sold 20 two diff
terent companies. The North Shore Mining
Company Zone OF the above) is just back Of
Buchanan, six miles further down the lake
shore. The French River Mining Company
where we now are) was organized in 1865,
and large force of hands set TO work during
the month of November, 1864 showing cor
clusively that live men we're OF the helm of this
enterprise Of this company Col. a. s. San
ford was elected President, and the following
gentlemen FROM Cleveland, H. B. Paine, r. B..
Paine and James Wade, and q. VI. Rice and
Geo. L. Becker of st. Paul, were made Direc-
tors. The capital of the company is $1O0, 600,
and the shares ESQ each. About fifteen hands
are now at work on this ciaim.-s some clearing
mp the beautiful land. some building additional
conveniences for the rising village just started,
and some hard at work with pick. bar and
drill, extracting from the bowels and stomach
Of the earth specimens of real, genuine coppeg-
leads, of the kind. too, from which We used 20
get our old fashioned common cents.
/ number of shafts have been sunk Cd the
claim, and in every instance copper is found in
Quartz and nuggets weighing from one to
twenty pounds. The bed OF French River
running near these shafts is fairly yellow with
pure native copper. The metal sticks up out
of the crevices of the rock, like solder on the
bottom of an old boiler. Copper is found in
hundreds OF places along the North Shore,
and generally in crystallographic veins run
ming parallel with the Lake. at this place it
is found in amygdal0id rock-freely sprinkled
with laumonite. These amaygdaloid veins
are from two to ten feet thick, are from two to
nine hundred feet apart, and often extend for
miles, dipping generally about twenty de-
grees toward the Lake. The veins some
Times crop out," so as to be readily seen by
the naked eye, and sometimes are only discov.
cred by careful and experienced miners. In
vestments, however, are always safe, and thou.
sands of acres are yet subject 70 enuy az the
Du Luth Land Office, which if properly de-
veloped will bring to their owners immense
fortunes within i've years.
The Lake Superior s. Ct Paul Railroad VIII
be completed to Du Luth within tour years
and then, if business demands it, branches VII
be extended back from that point into the IN