National opinion. [volume] (Bradford, Vt.) 1865-1874, 1870-11-25
An Island of Silver,

We have alluded to the silver island
on the north shore Of Lake Superior, in
the British possessions, just below Thun-
der Cape, and some fifteen miles below
Fort William. The island is quite small
in dimensions-say one hundred feet by
forty-and the most part of it is sub
merged at high water a small part at .
one end is about eight feet above the .
lake level. This island was entered as a
part of the Montreal Mining Company's
tract, embracing los, 600 acres and the
island was subsequently purchased of
them by Captain William B. Frew, for
merly of Portage Lake, and superintend
ent of the South Pewauble Copper Nine
for himself and associates, including
amongst them Major Sil,les, of New
York, brother, we think of General
Sibley, of st. Paul. The Montreal
Mining Company first made the discov-
cry that the island contained silver, and
by their agents sank shaft on the island
but these knew little or nothing about
mining, and the water coming in upon
them, further working of the mine was
abandoned as useless 1t was only this
last summer that Captain F. and his com
pany completed their bargain with the
Montreal company for the island, and Sc
cured it by paying, or agreeing to pay,
$3.50, 600 for the entire 10S, 900 acres
They went Immediately to work in i'm
proving the land in workman-like
manner" Their first step was to sur
round the island with crib of timber
filed with stone, to serve as a break
water and ice-breaker and within these
cribs a coffer-dam was built and puddled
with clay, having the effect of making
the whole interior of the island water
tight, at least from the intrusions of the
lake The next step was to set up
large syphon pump, worked by steam,
by which the inside was pumped dry, or
nearly so, and it has since been found
that a very little working of the pumps
water They then went to work laying
bare the vein, and now have exposed
nearly seventy feet i'll length, and find it
/ to be true fissure vein with perpen-
dicular 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-quarter of this width it will
average 70 per cent. of pure silver. On
the first trial after the water was first
gotten out, SIX men took over $50, 900 III
four days ; and up to the latest accounts
the working has been continued at about
that rate Already 1913 barrels of native
silver, estimated to be worth S75, 600 to
Sl00,0 900 have been shipped. The yield
of the mine computed by the ton is not
less than dollar to the pound The
mine employs now about forty men, and
will increase their force Immediately
The royalty paid on this to the Brit
ish government is quite small--not eX
ceeding one-twentieth. Eyewitness
of intelligence, judgment and experience
report that Capt. Frew will pro ably
take out of silver, up to the opening oi
navigation next spring, from 81, ,000,0N
to So, 0O0, 600 i'll money value This sill
yer island is no humbug, but an actual,
bona fide affair in VIII. ii the most won
derful results have been attained, and all
bids fair to make il yield and richness
the most remarkable mining discovery in
tins country for many years. Some
masses of sily er went down on the Me
teor larger than n man could lift. A part
OF the island vein, say two feet of tht
width, is wonderfully rich, and it is from
this portion that the large silver masses
are extracted. Other rich silver mine,
are reputed as having been found on tho
main north shore of the silver island
and Captain Hodson, of Portage Lake
has gone East to organize Il company to
work them. - Dm,,H WinResotidn