Holmes County Republican. [volume] (Millersburg, Holmes Co., O. [Ohio]) 1870-1895, 1870-11-24
A SOLID SILVER ISLAND.
A Whole Island Of Silver on the North
Shore ofIake SUPERIOR Millions Being
Taken 0ut--The Most Remarkable
Discovery of the Ace,

| tdNcH OuI-- ne mOst nciHdthoute
Discovery of the Age.
From the Duluth Minnesotian, Oct. s9th.
We have before alluded to the
Silver Island of the north shore OF
Lake Superior, in the British pos
sessions just below Thunder Cape
and some fifteen miles beyond Fort
William. The islands, quite small
in dimensions-say 100 feet by 40
and the most of it is submerged al
high water-a small part at one end
is about eight feet above the lake
level. This island was entered by
the Montreal Mining Company as a
tract embracing 10s,0O0 acres, and
was subsequently purchased Of them
by Capt. W. B. Frew formerly OF
Portage Lake and superintendent OF
the South Pewabic copper mine for
himself and associates, including
among them, Major Sibley, of New
York, a brother, We think of Gen.
Sibley of st. Paul.
The Montreal Mining Company
first made the discovery that the
island contained silver, and by their
agents sunk 4 shaft on the island; /;
but they knew nothing about min
ing, aid the water coming in upon
them, further working of their mine
was abandoned as useless. 1t was
only this last summer that Capt. 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, 900
for the entire 10S,000 acres. They
went Immediately to work at improv-
ing the mine. Their first step was
to surround the island with cribs of
timber, filled with stone, to serve as
breakwater and ice-breaker; and
within these cribs a cofferdam was
bdilt, and filed with clay, having the
effect of making the whole interior
of the island nearly water tight, at
least from the intrusion of the lake.
The next step was to set up two
large syphon pumps worked by steam
by which 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
land clear of water entirely.
Then they went to work laying
bare the vein; and now have expos
ed seventy feet in length, and find it
to be true fissure vein, of silver
matri-, being calcareous spar with
some little quartz intermixed. The
vent is eight feet wide, and eye-wit-
nesses from there state for one quar-
ter of this width il viii average sew
enty per cent. of pure silver. On
the first trial, after the water was
got .en ouj. six men took out $685.
600 worth of silver in four days, and
up to the latest accounts the work
ing has continued at about this rate.
Already one hundred and twenty
three barrels of native silver, said
to be worth $4,000, to 100000,
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 the Company will increase
their force Immediately.
The royalty; paid on this to the
English Government is quite small
not exceeding one-twentieth. Eye
witnesses of intelligence, judgment
and experience report that Capt.
Frew will probably take OUT of sill
ve-, up to the opening of navigation
next spring, f,om 81, 100000 to $3,-
100000 in money value!
The steamer Meteor con-
veyed down the lakes on her
trip before last, sixty-two bar
rels of silver. This Silver Island
is no humbug, but an actual bona
tide affair, in which the most won
derful results have already been oh
tanned, and all bids fair to make it
in yield and richness the most re-
markable mining discovery in this
country for many years. Some mass
es of silver went down ON the Meteor
larger than a man could lift. A
part of the island vein, say two of
the eight feet in width, is wonder
fully rich,a it is from this portion
that the large silver masses are ex-
tracted. Other rich mines of silver
are reported as having been found
on the main north shore in the
range Of the Silver Island, and
Capt. Hodson, of Portage Lake, has
gone East to organize a company to
work them.