The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1870-11-11
An Island Of stlver-Remarkable Dis
cOvery on the North shore Of Lake
Eun

Superior.
From ihe ryluth Ninnesotlan, October 2sth.
We have before alluded to the silver
island of the 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
dimensions-say one hundred feet by forty
and the most of 1t is submerged at high
water n small part at one end Is about
eight feet above the lake level. This island
was entered by the Montreal Mining Com
pany as o part of q 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 cop
per mine, J for himself and associates, in
cludinc amongst them Major Sibley, OF
New York, brother, we think, of General
Sibley, of st. Paul. The Montreal Mining
Company first made the discovery that the
island contained silver, and by their agents
sunk shaft on the island. But these knew
little or nothing about mining, and the
wate.' coming in upon them, further work.
ing of their mine was abandoned as useless.
It was only this last summer that Captain
f. and his company completed their bar
gain with The Montreal company for the
island, and secured it by paying, or agree
ing to pay, $3.50, 900 for the entire los, 900
acres. They went Immediately to work ut
improving the mine in workman-lke man.
ner. Their first step was to surround the
to serve as q breakwater and ice breaker ::
and within these cribs q Golfer dam was
built and puddled with clay, having the
effect of making the whole interior of the
island nearly water-tight. at least from the
intrusions of the lake. The next step was
to set up a large syphon pump, worked by
steam, by which the inside was pumped
dry, or nearly 30, and it his since been
found that very little working Of the
pumps daily keeps the island clear of water
entirely. They then went to work laying
bare the vein, and now have exposed seven.
ty feet in length, and find it to be a true
fissure vein with perpendicular walls-the
vein Of silver matriX being calcarecus
The vein is eight feet wide. and eye-wit-
nesSes from there state that for ne-quarter
of this width it will average 20 per cent. Of
pure silver. On the first trial, after the
water was first gotten out. six men took
over s35, 900 in four days, and up to the
latest accounts the working has been con-
tinued at about this rate. Already 1913 bar
rels Of native silver, estimated to be worth
S75, 900 to 800, 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
l''royalty" paid on this to the English Gov
ernment is quite slnall--not exceeding ono.
twentieth. Eye-witncsses Of intelligence,
Judgment. and experience, report that Capt
Frew will probably Ia he ont of silver, up to
the opening of navigation next spring, from
81 900, 900 to 50, 900, 900 in money value. The
steamer Meteor conveyed down the lakes
on her trip before last, sixty-two bar
rels of silver. This silver island is no hum.
bug, butan actual bona tide affair, i'll which
the most wonderful results have already
been obtained, and all bids fair to ma Ike IL
WELD and richness the most remarkable
mining discovery in this country for many
years. Some masses Of silver went down
on the Meteor larger and heavier than
man could lift. \ part OF the island yeln
say two feet of the eight feet in width, |:
wonderfully rich, and it is from This por
tion that the large silver masses are eX'
tracted Other rich mines Of silver are re-
puted as having been found on the main
north shore in the range OF the silver island
and Captain Hodson, Of Portage Lake, In!
gone East to organize Il company to Worf
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