The union Democrat. [volume] (Sonora, Calif.) 1854-1946, 1870-11-26
AN ISLAND OF SILVER.
Millions Eein= Taken out-Tae HOST Re
mnrknb.e DiseeNery of the !Nye.

z
markab,e Discovery of the Age.
We have before alluded to the Silver ISL
and Of the norsh shore of Lake Superior. in
the British possessions, Just below Thunder
Cape, and some fifteen miles beyond Fort
William. The island is quite small in
dimensions--say 100 feet by ia small
part at one end is about eight feet above the
lake level. This island was entered by the
Montreal Mining Company as part OF tract
embracing los, 900 acres. and the island was
subsequently purchased Of them by Captain
William b Frew formerly of Portage Lake
and Superintendent of the South Pewabic
copper mine1 for himself and associates, in
Guiding among them Major Sibley, of New
York. a brother, we think, of General Sihey,
Of ST. Paul.
| The Montreal Mining Company first made
the discovery that the island coutaiaed silver.
and by their agents sunk shaft on the ISL
and but these knew little or nothing about
mining. and the water coming in upon them,
further work on the mine was abandoned as
useless. 1t was only this last summer that
Captain f. and his Company completed their
bargain with the Montreal Company for the
island, and secured it by paying. or agreeing
| to pay. $3.50, 600 for the entire l0S,G00 acres
They went Immediately to work at improving
the mine in o "workmauliLe manner"
Their first step wGS to surround the island
with cribs of timber. filled with stone, to
serve as n breakwater and icehreaker; and
within the cribs cofer-dam was built aud
puddled with clay. having the effect of max
ing the whole interior OF the island nearly
water-tight, ct least frcm the intrusion of the
lake.
| The next step was to set up two large sy-
phon pumps worked by steam, by which the
inside was pumped dry, or nearly So and it
has since been found that a very little work
ing of the pumps keeps the island clear OF
water entirely. Then they went to work lay
| ing bare the vein !; and now have exposed
seventy feet in length, and find it to be a
true fssure vein, with perpendicular walls
the vein of silver matrix being calcareous
spar with some little quartz intermixed. The
vein is eight feet wide, and eye-witnesses
| from there state that for one-quarier Of this
width it will average 20 per cent. of pure
silver.
On the first trial after tie water was got
ten cut, six men took out $50, 900 worth of
silver i'll four days and up to the latest ac-
counts the working has been continued at
about this rate. Already l23 barrels of ma
tive silver, estimated to be worth S75, 900 to
500, 900, have been shipped. The yield of
the mine. computed by the ton, Is not less
than dollar to tle pound. The mine en-
;. poys about forty men, and tie company will
increase their force Immediately.
The royalty" paid on this to the English
Government is quite smail--not exceeding
one-twentietE. Eye-witnesses of intelligence,
| Judgment and experience report that Captain
Frew will take out Of silver, up to the ope-
ming Of navigation next spring, from 81 ,O00,-
| 600 to s., GOO, 900 in money value.
The steamer Meteor conveyed down the
lakes on her trip before last sixty-two barrels
of silver. This Silver Island is no humbug,
but an actual bona fde affair, in which the
wonderful results have already been obtain
ed, and all bids fair to make it in yield and
richness the NEST remarkable mining 6iscove-
ry in this country for many years. Some
masses of silver went down on the Meteor
larger and heavier than man could lift.
A part of the island vein, say two feet Of the
| eight feet in width, is wonderfully rich, and
it is from this portion that the large silver
masses are extracted. Other rich mines OF
silver are reported as having been found on
the main north shore in the range of the Sill
yer Island, and Captain Hodson, of Portage
| Lake, has gone East to organize company
to work them.-Dulutb MnncsotiGR, Oct. %