The Manitowoc tribune. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1866-1878, 1870-11-24
SILVER.
A Whole Island of Silver en- the North
Shore of Lake SuperiOr-Mflii0ns are
Being TAX en- Out-The NJ Ost Remark
able Discovery of the Age.

We have before alluded TO Silver Island
OF che north shore of Lake Superior, In
the British possessions, just below Thun-
der cape, and some fifteen miles beyond
Fort William. The island is quite small
In dlmentions-sa one hundred feet by
forty-and the most Of il is submerged
at 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 part of tract en-
braclng los, 600 acres, and the island was
subsequently purchased Of them by Capt
William B. Frew formerly Of Portage
Lake, and Superintendent Of the South
Pewabic copper mlneJ for himself and
associates, including among them Major
Sibley, of New I ork.a brother, we think
Of General Sibley, of st. Paul.
The Montreal Mining Company first
made the discovery that the island con-
tanned silver, and by heir agents, sunk a
shaft Oh the island; but these knew lit
tie Or nothing about mining, and the
water coming in upon them, further
working of their mine was abandoned as
useless. 1t was only tnis last summer
that Captain Z. and his company had
completed their bargain with the Montre-
al Company for the Island, and secured
it by, paying, or agreeing to pay, $3.50, 900
for the entire l0S,0 900 acres, They went
Immediately to work at improving the
mine in work fian-lke manner. Their
first step was to surround the island with
cribs of timber filed with stone, to serve
as break water and ice breaker; and
within these cribs cofer-dam was built,
and pudded with clay, having the effect
of making the whole interior of the island
nearly water-tight, at least from the in
trusions 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 working of the pumps daily keeps
the island clear Of water entirely. Then
they went to work laying bare the vein
and nov have exposed seventy feet in
length, ard find it to be true assure vein,
with perpendicular wals-the vein of
silver matrix being ealcareous spar with
some little quartz intermixed The vein
is eight feet wide. 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
gotten out, six men took out $35, 900
worth of silver in four days and up to
the latest accounts the working has been
continued at about this rate. Already
one hundred and twenty three barrels of
native silver, estimated to be worth $75,-
900 to 100000 have been shipped The
yield of the mine, computed by the ton,
is not less than q d0{}ar pound The
mine employs about forty men, and the
company will increase their force imme-
diately.
The royalty paid on this to the Eng
llsh Government is quite small-not ex
ceeding one twentieth. Eye witnesses Of
intelligence, judgement and experience
report that Capt. Frew will probably take
out OF silver up to the opening Of navi ga
ton next spring, from 81 100000 to 81,
600. 600 IN money value.
The steamer Meteor conveyed down
the lakes on her trip before last, sixty
two barrels of silver The silver island
is no humbug, but an actual bona tide at
fair IN which the most wonderful results
have already been obtained, and all bids
fair to make it in Weld and richness the
most remarkable mining discovery in this
country for nlany years. Some masses of
silver went down on the Meteor larger
and heavier than man could lift. 4 part
of the island vein, say two feet of the
eight in width, is wonderfully rich, and
it is from this portion that the large sill
yer masses are extracted. 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 company to work them.-
Duluth Nmnesottdn.