The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1870-11-10
AN ISLAND OF SLL YER.


REMARKABLE DISCOVERY ON THE NORTH SHORE
OF LAKE sUPERIoB-AN ARGENTIFERoUs
ISLAND CONSISTING OF SEVENTY PER CENT. OF
ORE.
From the Duluth Minne8otidn, oct. %.
We have before alluded to the silver island
of the north shore of Lake Superior, in the
British possessions, just below Thunder
Cape, and some fifteen miles below Fort
William. The island is quite small in dimen-
sions-say one hundred feet by forty-and
the most of it is submerged at high water;
small part at one end is about eight feet
above the lake level. Thisisland was entered
by the Montreal Mining Company, as a part
of tract embracing 1913, 600 acres; and the
island was subsequently purchased of them
by Captain William IS. Frew formerly of
Portage Lake, and superintendent of the
South Pewaubic copper mine), for himself
and associates, including 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 q 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. 1t was only this last summer that
Captain L. and his company completed their
bargain with the Montreal company for the
island, end secured it by paying, or agreeing
to pay, $3.50, 900 for the entire los, 900 acres
They went Immediately to work at inn
proving the mine in ''workman-like man.
ner" Their first step was to surround the
island with cribs of timber, filed with stone,
to serve as a broakwater and ice-brealIer;
and within these cribs coffer-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 intru-
sions of the lake. The Next step was to set
up large syphon pump, worked by steam,
by which the inside was pumped dry, or
nearly so, and it has since been found that a
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 seventy feet in length, and find
it to be true tissure vein with perpendicular
walls-;he vein of silver matrix being calca-
reous spar with some little quartz intermixed.
The vein is eight feet wide, and eye-wit-
nesses 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 over $35, 600 in four
days; and up to the latest accounts the work
ing has been continued at about this rate.
Already 123 barrels OF native silver, estimated
to be worth S75,0 TO 100000, have been
shipped. The yield of the mine computed by
the ton is not less than dollar to the pound
Inc mlne employs now ABOUT 1ofty men, and
will increase their force Immediately. The
''royalty" paid on this to the English Gov
ernment is quite small-not. exceeding one
twentieth. Eye-witpesses OF intelligence,
judgment, and experience report that
Captain Frew will probably take out
of silver, up to the opening of navi-
cation next spring, from $l,0O0,00O to
$4,000, 600 in money value The steamer
Meteor conveyed down the lakes on her
trip before last sixty-two barrels of silver.
This silver island is no humbug, but an
actual, bona fide affair, in which the most
wonderful results have already been obtained,
and all bids fair to make in yield 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 vein, say two feet Of the eight feet in
width, is wonderfully rich, and it is 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 Hodson, of Portage Lake, has
gone East to organize a company to work
them