The Albany register. [volume] (Albany, Or.) 1868-18??, 1874-10-23
The Mineral wealth of Michigan.

When the mineral resources of this
region are taken fully into considera-
tion, the extent of its wealth is simply
amazing. We doubt whether there is
anywhere else i'll the United States as
much material to be found, in so small
circumference for the building up of
powerful community, unless we ex-
cept some of the auriferous or argen-
tiferous districts of the West. And
these latter even do not afford SO wide a
scope for the exercise of business gen.
ius and enterprise. They are neces-
sarily selfish and restrictive in the de-
velopment of business, only SO far as
precious metals become a currency in
aid of business. They are not material
which can be wrought into ships and
bridges and buildings, or give mechan-
ical life to hundreds of thousands of
adjustments throughout the country.
We are, therefore, a handspring par
excellence of the life, energy and wealth
of the country.
Our iron ore and pig iron, our cop
per, our rown-stone, our galena, our
slate, our malachite, our silver, and our
forests of timber, place us in the front
rank as a people having extraordinary
means of wealth and prosperity. Mis-
souri, is the only State which can boast
of as numerous and powerful resources;
but she is far behind US In market for
her minerals. We have more direct
and cheaper means of transportation to
the great consuming centers of the
munication by laks with eight leading
States-in short, with nearly every
State which enters into the business
heart of the nation-juxtaposed by
such railway connections as give us un-
limited intercourse with all the i'm
portant manufacturing cepters through
out the country.
Being so situated, and having all the
wealth which, SO to speak, we may see
proper to dig for, the south shore of
Lake Superior is destined to command
position as important to the people of
the future as was the west shore of the
Mediterranean sea to the people of
the world at the commencement of the
Christian era. There is but one thing
to prevent an early and complete devel-
opment of this stage of being. That is,
the competition which is going on in
other new districts-not sufficiently
strong in one or half-dozen points to
materially affect us, but all having, as
a common purpose, the same object in
view, to meet the demand, throughout
the country, for the minerals which
this district is richest in.
Wonders have been accomplished
here in a few years. Yet but one
third of an active business life time has
been spent in opening up enough ca
pacity in iron mines to supply half the
wants of the nation, and but little
longer in developing enough of the
copper region to supply every demand
of the country. But this is not a tithe
of what c.n be done, as the territory
containing these minerals is as yet but
specifically examined, and no estimate
can be made of their unlimited extent
and value.
One of the most promising of the late
developments is the slate, which is
acknowledged to be the finest in the
world and it exists in such quantities
and is situated in such a manner as to
be regarded the most economical to
mine of any known.
The galena, or silver lead, which has
so long laid without commercial value
for want of being energetically handled,
will soon be made available. It is of
too much importance to be entirely
and forever ignored. And the mala-
chite and photographic limestone and
the brown stone of the region are des-
tined to occupy a position as the best
of their class wherever such materials
are used throughout the country.-Mar-
Qatette Mining Journal.