The evening Argus. [volume] (Rock Island, Ill.) 1861-1871, 1870-11-17
AN A OF 1Lvn1
Remarkable Discovery on the North Shore o.
Lake superior-An Argsntifsrous Island
Consisting Of 10 Per Cent. Of Orc.
from the Duluth Minnesotisn.1

From the Duluth Minnesotisn.1
We have before alluded to the silver
Island on the north shore of Lake Superior,
in the British POSSESSIONS, just below Ihun
der Cape. and some fifteen miles beyond
Port WIIllam. The Island is quite email
IN Internationally one hundred feet by
forty-snd the most OF it is submerged at
hIsn waller; u small part of one end is about
eight feet above the lake level. This island
was entered by the Montreal Mining Com
psuy, rs q part OF q track embracing 108,.
OUO acres aud the Island was subsequently
purchased OF them by Captain Willlsm B.
rrew formerly Of Portage Lake, and super.
intendent of the South Pewaubic copper
mine, for himself and associates, incluoing
amongst them Major Sibley, of New York,
q brother We think of General Sibley, of ST.
Paul. The Montreal Mining Company first
made the discovery that the Island con
tanned silver, aud by their agents sunk a
shaft on the Island but these knew little OF
nothing about Mining, and the water com
ing In upon them, further working OF their
mine was abandoned as useless. 1t was only
this last hummer that Captain F. and his
company pleted their bargain with the
Montreal company for the Island. and
secured it by paying, or agreeing to pay,
$3.50, 900 tor the entire los, 900 acres.
They went Immediately to work at improv-
ing the mine in q workman like manner"
The first step was to surround the Island
with cribs of timber, filled with stone, to
secure as q break water and icebresker; and
within these cribs a 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 intrusioDs Of the lake. The next
step was to set up q large syphon pump,
worked by steam, by which the inside
was pumped dry, or nearly 90, and it has
since been found that q very little working
or the pumps daily keeps thepislsnd clear CT
water entirely. They then went to work
laying bare the vein, and now have ex posed
seventy feet in length, aud md tito be q
true assure vein with perpendicular walls
the vein of silver ma,rix being cslcareous
spar with some little quartz intermized
The vein is eight feet wide, and eye witnesses
from there state that for one 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 $35 900 in
four days; and up to the latest accounts the
working has been continued at about
this rate. Already 1913 barrels of native
silver, estimated to be worth $4,000 to
100, 600 have been shipped. The yield Of
the mine computed by the ton is not less
than a dollar TO the pound The mine
employs now about forty men. and will
increase their force Immediately. The
''royalty" paid on this to the English
government is quite small-nos exceeding
one twentieth Eye witnesses of inselli
gence, judgment, and experience report tbs,
Captain Frew will probably take out OF
silver, up to the opening of navigation next
spring, from 81 900, 600 to So, 600, 900 in
money value The steamer Meteor con
veyed down the lakes on her trip before last
sixty two of barrels of silver. This silver
island is no ~humbug, but an actual, bona
tide affair, in which the most wonderful
results have already been obtained, and ell
bids fair to make in yield and richness the
most remarkable mining discovery in this
country for many years. Some masses of
silver wen. down on the Meteor larger and
heavier than a man could lift. A part Of
the island vein. say two feet of the eight
feet in width, is wonderfully rich, and it ia
from this portion that the large silver
masses are extracted. Other rich mines of
silver are reputed as having been found on
the main north shore in the range of the
silver island, and Captain Hudson. OF
Portage Lake, has gone east to organize g
company to work them.