Dodgeville chronicle. [volume] (Dodgeville, Wis.) 1862-current, 1871-12-15
MINING DEPARTMENT.

we concluded TO open PAIN LOT our
selves to another Indian trail that nay
guide said lay to the east of US trail
that led from q dauah through theIndian
Reservation to Penokee This is the
present hunting ground Of the ChipDe
was.
Our new path, bending around to the
east, lay across innumerable streams flow
ing from springs rising in the Penokee
elevation, along whose southern flank
we were travelling. The course of these
streams was neareiy north and south,
and appeared as We were crossing them,
to be grouped into ranges. But very
little rock could be seen along those
small streams, but broken, detached
pieces, exposed by the washing of the
water Among these pieces | found
sand stone and lime stone the rep
resentatives of the Potsdam sandstone
and lower Magnetism lime stone, at the
lead district by far the larger portion
however, were plutonic and metamor-
phic rocks.
The almost imprevious forest that
we had to encounter along this route,
and the depths of this mari that covered
the face Of the rock, prevented, for
several days, chance to obtain any
Information as to the mineral resources
of that region. The unbounded ag-
ricultural resources, however represeu-
ented by the character and depth of
the soil, and sub-soil, together with the
rank vegetation through which and over
which we had to pass, could not fail to
call forth the wonder and admiration
of one who is not an agrlculturist. If |
were writing for an Agricultural de-
partment, instead of a mining depart
ment. could astonish your readers
with information and statistics in re-
ference to the agricultural resources
of that part of our State; that we had
not even hoped for. But this I must
leave for some other person or for some
other tim..
1t was not until we reached Bad
river, that chance was foud to form
any idea of the character of the rock,
or mineral bearing features of the
strata Here short distance below
the Penokee Gap, (Which is a deep
gorge cut down into the elevation to
depth of about three hundred feet,)
we COMMENCED our Investigations down
that stream towards lake Superior.
The strata here are no longer horizontal
but are dipping alta considerable angle
to the north, or towards the basin OF
Lake Superior, and are com posed OF
slate, syenite, and other azoic rocks.
Although there is decline, or axis
Of the surface of over one thousand
feet from the Penokee range to the
lake (and the urface presents com,
parat lively gentle Gcejlvliy). ct tfere
are evidences that this slope was once
furrowed with ridges running, parallel
to this elevation, although they are now
hid in great measure by the over lay.
ing drift and mari.
In passing down Bad river, these
ridges are distinctly seen crossing the
bed of the river, and in some Instances
rising in the lodges along its banks
Farther to the east, these ridges rise
above the drift and mari in places,
and become prominent features Of the
topography of the country. From these
and other facts gathered along this
course, it is evident that there is d
gradual sloping down of these ridges to
the west. The Penokee iron range
itself, the summit and center of these
subordinate ridges, although distinct
elevation, that can be seen as such for
a great many miles in the dis
lance slopes down and terminates in
range 1 west. On the relation OF these
facts to the axis of elevation running
north from the lead district, comment
is unnecessary. Let your readers take
one of Chapman's sectional maps, or
a better one if they have il at hand,
and ask why it is that the mineral belts
in the lead district. and those ridges to
the north of it, and the Penokee iron
range, and the ridges to the north of
it. on the south shore of Lake Superior,
all terminate along this line. In con-
necticn with these facts let us remem-
| Der that these elevations and ridges on
the south shore Of Lake Superior, are
in tina Azoic formations, the strata that
underlies the stratifed rocks Of the
lead district. To obtain knowledge
of these rocks, and 10 study the lines
of phsyieal disturbance which they
may possibly present, was the object
of my visit to Lake Superior. TIE facts
in connection with these things will
appear in my next. j. VI