The Idaho world. [volume] (Idaho City, Idaho Territory) 1864-1918, 1870-12-08
From the Duluth Minnesotian.
AN ISLAND OF SILVER.

We have before alluded to theshver isianu
| of the north shore of Lake Superior, III inc
british possessions, Just below Thunder cape
and some fifteen miles beyond Fort william.
The island is quite small in dimensions-say
one hundred feet BY forty-and the most OF !.
is submerged at high water; smaii pa,s O.
one end ia about eight feet above the iesei'
This island was entered by the Montreal MIN
inc COMPANY, as part OF tract enoracii,e
102 ono acres: and the island was subsequently
purchased of them by Capt William b. REV
fformerlv of Portage Lake, and Superntend-
emf of the South Pewaubic copper mlne), ior
himself and associates, including amongst tneiii
Major Sibley. of New York, brother, we De-
Iieve. of Gen. Sibley, of st. Paul. The Mon
treal Mining Company first made the discovery
that the island contained silver, and by tneir
AGENTS sunk shaft on the island; but these
knew little or nothing about mining, and, the
water coming in upon them, further WORKING
Of their mine was abandoned as useless. III
was only this last summer that Capt. frew ana
his Company completed their bargain with the
Montreal Company for the island, and secured
it by paving, or agreeing to pay, s25O ,OUo ior
the entire los, 900 acres. They went lmmedl-
ately TO work at improving the mine In work
manlike manner Their first step was to sur.
round the island with cribs of timber hlled
with stone. TO serve as breakwater and Ice
breaker: and within these cribs a Golfer dam
was built and puddled with clay, having the et-
feet of making the whole interior OF the Island
nearly water tight at least from the intrusion
of the lake. The next step was 10 SET up
large syphon pump, worked by steam, whereby
the inside was pumped dry, or nearly so, and
it has since been found that very little work
ing OF the pumps daily keeps the island clear
of water entirely. They then went to work
LAYING bare the vein, and now have it exposed
seventy feet in length, and find it to be true
fssare vein with perpendicular walls-the vein
of silver matrix being calcareans spar with
some little quartz iutermxed. The vein Is
eight feet wide, and eye.witnesses from there
state that for one-quarter Oi this width 1t Will
average 10 per cent of pure silver. On the
irst trial after the water was first gotten out,
'ix men took out over $50 900 in four days, and
up to the latest accounts the working has been
continued at about this rate. Already l23 bar
.es of native silver, estimated 10 be worth nj
most or quite 100000, have been shipped. by
he ton the yield of this silver mine is estimat-
ID at 81 900, or 81 10 the pound. The mine
employs now about forty men, and will soon
Increase their force. The royalty" paid on
his to the English Government is quite small,
lot exceeding FIVE per cent. Eye.witnesses of
Intelligence. judgment and experience, repor:
hat Capt. Frew will probably take out. Of sill
er, up TO the opening Of navigation next sea-
on, from 81 900, 900 TO So 90 900 in foin value
he steamer Meteor conveyed down the lakes,
ii her trip before last, 62 barrels OF silver.
This silver island is no humbug. but On &c.
ual, bona fide affair. in which the most won.
erful results have already been obtained, aud
II bids fair to make it, in yield and richness.
he most remarkable mining discovery in this
ountry for many years. Some masses OF sill
er went down on the Meteor heavier than
nan could lift A part of the island VEN, say
NO feet Of the eight feet in width. is wonder.
ly rich, and it is from this portion that the
irge silver masses are extracted. Other rich
hines of silver are reputed rs having been dis
overed on the main north shore, in the range
the silver island