Mower County transcript. [volume] (Lansing, Minn.) 1868-1915, 1873-03-13
TIN.

TIN.
shores Of Lako Supcrior-Result or
tho Most Recent Exploratluns-8p
% men: s%f%itted tor A:..y-A Yield Of
Cent. Of Good Metal.
From tho New York Herald.
10 the discovery of the mineral de-
posts on the shores and beneath the
bed OF Lake Superior there seems to
be no end. The extraordinarily rich
mines Of rich copper of that region
have attracted the attention of the
world, while its mountains of unsur-
passed IRON ore are nearly as widely
known. More recently exceedingly
rich deposits of silver have been found
and profitably worked on the north
shore. Reports of gold discoveries in
the Immediate vicinity of the lake, at
various points about it's westerly end,
reach us, with every evidence of credi-
bility.
Added to all these is the recent dis.
covery of tin ore in the same prolific
quantities anu richness that character.
ize all the deposits of that wonderful
country. This discovery, the latest
and as yet the least developed of any of
the mineral discoveries OF the region,
promises to be the most important aud
valuable, because of the scarcity of the
metal on this continent, and its univer-
sal use in this age of the world. There
have been several slight traces of tin
ore found in various localities in the
United States and Mexico; but none
of them have developed the metal in
sufficient quantities to repay the cost
Of mining. The deposits which have
been SO recently discovered ore virtual
" lne3haustible, and according to the
analysis OF the ores that have been
made are, like the other metallic de-
posts Of the Lake Superior region, of
unexampled richness.
A few years ago vein of virgin silver
was discovered on nearly submerged
islet, just off the entrance to Thunder
Bay, on the north shore of the lake.
This discovery was followed by the
formation of q company, with ample
capital, that is now working ut that
point one of the most successful silver
mines in the world. The discovery
stimulated the zeal of EMPLOYERS, with
whom the whole north shore was soon
covered. One of these parties, follow
ing the coast down to the southeast
ward, in the vicinity of Otter Head,
on the main land, north of Michi.
picoten Island, came upon a &c.
ries of well defined veins of
mineral deposits, cutting through
the lofty cliffs that line that coast. aud
losing themselves in the fathomless
depths of the lake. These veins yield.
ed an exceeding hard, dark and heavy
ore that was unknown to the explorers,
but was supposed to be iron. Speci.
mems were secured for assay, but when
tested for iron failed to yield that met.
al. Traces, more or less, OF copper
and silver, were found in some Of the
specimens, and some did yield a fair
show of iron, but not of sufficient per.
centage to account for the high specific
gravity OF the ore. The assayers to
whom the specimens were submitted
were either wholly unacquainted with
tin, or else, because that metal was
SO completely unknown on this con-
nent, they failed to suspect its per cent
age, and therefore made no tests for Il :
and so the value of the discovery was
for long time unkno IN. Some assays
that were made of the product of these
veins did produce a white metal which,
as silver was the metal sought, was
taken for silver without much scrutiny.
But the later and more thorough an
alyses, made by Professor Williams. of
the Missouri School of Mines, at Rolla.
Mo-; by DR.. Aug. F. Jennings, chem
list and assayer Of the Detroit Mineral.
ogical, Mining and Assaying Associa-
ton, and by DR.. Torrey OF the United
States Assay Office in this city, estab
lish the presence of tin in prolific
quantities. DR.. Torrey says:
The ore is true tin stone or cassit
erite, mixed with quartz; some of it is
massive, but considerable portion of
the specimen examined is in the form
Of small, translucent, quadrangular
prisms, some of which are perfectly
terminated. The average of the sam.
pies yielded 1913 per cent. of metallic
tin. It would be easy to concentrate
the pulvelized mineral to considera-
bly, higher percentage of metal"
Dr. Jennings analysed great num-
Der OF specimens, producing an aQgre-
gate average yield of 28.7 per cent. of
metallic tin. Some of his specimens
yielded as high as ST.. In reporting
his analysis he says:
"The ores examined are free from
any injurious minerals. and especially
wolframite, which is often associated
with tin ores, and whenever present
always depreciates the value of the
mining property and product. The
specific gravity of wolframite so closely
opportunities the oxide of tin that any
amount of mechanical washing cannot
separate the two satisfactorily. The
results of my investigation have con-
vince'1 me that the metal produced
from b ese ores cannot be excelled as
regards its purity, nor in the cost OF
working"
The location of this wonderful and
most timely discovery as already stat
ed, is on the north shore of the lake. in
the province of Ontario. The precise
point is about midway between the
Sault st. Mary Canal and Thunder
Bay, Immediately opposite Michipico.
ten Island.
The tin-producing region, so far as
explored and surveyed, extends along
the lake shore from Otter Head SOUTH
easterly for distance of about twelve
miles. The first discoveries were made
near the mouth of the Puckersquaw
River, eight miles below Otter Head.
since which time new deposits have
been successfully discovered, until now
not less than fifty well-defined assure
veins of ore, with multitudes of feed !.
ers, have been brought to light, spread
ing like vast network of mineral over
the whole area about from q point
three miles below the Fucker.
squaw to the Rideau River, eight or
ten miles above, and running back
from the lake across the lofty cliffs in
land as tar as my explorations have
been made. The exceedingly rugged
and PERCEPTIONS character Of the coun.
try renders inland travel almost an i'm
possibility, SO that explorations have
been mainly confined to the coast
proper, though some of the large veins
have been traced several miles inland.
while the Indians report even richer
lodes at a still greater distance from
the lake. These veins can be traced
with the naked eye from cliff to cliff.
across the rugged highlands and be.
meath the transparent waters of the
lake, until they are lost in it's great
depth.