Dodgeville chronicle. [volume] (Dodgeville, Wis.) 1862-current, 1867-04-25

were discovered, Wnlle the WnOle SOuCu-
ern face of the bluff on the Aztec loca-
ton has been worked in and out. To-
wards Portage, on the South Pewabic
location there is most singular exca-
walton, which if it be not the work Of
the ancient miners, it is difficult to i'm
agine how it has been formed. A vein
Of Gale spar, three to four feet wide,
earring copper, has been discovered
running across the formation, but COW
cred with soil about twelve feet deep,
and under the soil, close to the top of
the vein, a gallery seems to have been
excavated, which has been traced to a
distance of 500 feet; small portion
Of the vein has been left standing,
so as to form an arch for the sup
port of the superintendent earth.
Captain Frue, the agent of the mine
after careful examination, thinks that
this is natural excavation resulting
from the combined action of air and
water; but frankly owns that if this
is so, he is unable to explain why the
surface of the vein was not first worn
away. The Isle Royal lode was found
we'll marked by series of ancient pits
extending a distance of half a mile.
On the north side of Portage Lake, on
the Mesnard location, ancient diggings
were discovered, in one of which was
found mass of copper weighing eigh-
teen tons, which had been hammered
smooth all over. The Calumet lode
was partly discovered by means of an
ancient pit, which, on being cleaned
out, proved to be sixty-fve feet in di-
ameter, with an average depth Of six
teen feet. About three hundred pieces
of copper wire were found at the bot
tom of this pit, the largest weighing
about three pounds and, also, eviden-
ces were discovered that the Jumps OF
vein matter had been pulverized to
clean the copper, in the shape of a
strata of sand about two inches deep,
three feet wide. and six feet long. A
number of fiat blocks of the conglom-
crate were also found, which had evil
IDENTIFY been used as anvils on which to
pound the stones and small pieces Of
vein matter. The South Cliff vein, On
Keweenaw Point, was also found te
have been largely worked by these an
cient miners, and at the Garden City
mine it was intended this summer fairly
to explore an ancient pit which exists
in the location, and of which the diam
eter is about ninety feet, and the deptf
certainly not less than thirty, since il
sinking shaft near, it was necessary
> to timber up the sides of the shaft fo
that depth before reaching the sole
rock. The Central vein was discoveret
+ in 1858, by means of an ancient pit
= from which was taken a mass of cop
: per weighing forty-ive tons, which ha'
been hammered smooth. These work
> ings have been found in great number
:. scattered all over the mineral range
| and in places where the pits themselve
q are not visible, having been filled wit
sand and vegetable matter, large pile
of stone hammers have frequently bee
;, discovered. From the pits at the Min
: nesota mine over ten cart loads of ston
/ hammers were taken away, and there
= no doubt that much larger quantit
- of hammers are to be found on th
q workings of the Rockland. Thes
= mauls or hammers are mostly made {
n greensboro or porphyry pebbles, an
i are of various sizes, some of the large
: ones weighing as much as forty pound
- Round the middle of the pebble Sill
f gle or double groove is cut, evident
# for the purpose of attaching the witt
n by which the hammer was swun
Some of the small hammers were I
. doubt welded in one hand, as the
% % weight does not exceed two or thru
r. pounds. Most of the hammers four
IL have their ends Clipped and broken
70 use, but occasionally large numbers
rs new unused ones have been found in
20 pile ready for use when wanted. {
If the Mesnard location there is an ii
,,onsa baan of hou1dorc which a