Northern tribune. [volume] (Cheboygan, Mich.) 1875-1885, 1876-01-22
MICHIGAN SILVER.
A Tour Through the OntonSgOn Silver
ry aH Mines, and What the Tourist
Saw There.
,orressp N .ence Of The Detroit Post..

The copper mines are working as usual,
winter making less difference with them,
as the copper is all taken from under
ground, or dark mines, while the iron ore
is generally taken from open, or quarry
mines. The open mines are much trou-
bled with snow, and many of them are
allowed to fill with water in the autumn
and are pumped ont in the spring. The
center of attraction still continues to be
in the silver district of Ontonagon coun-
ty. / have just returned from a visit to
the silver mines, where everything is
slowly pro- crossing. The great want
of the district is money to work
with. What has been done at the four
working mines has been accomplished by
a few men of moderate means, and prin-
cipalIy residents of this city. The only
stamp-mill and reducing works in the
district is small affair, which was built
during last winter while the frost was i'm
the ground and the result has been fire.
quent and annoying stops for repairs.
The mill has now been increased in ca
pacity and, it is thought, thoroughly re-
paired, but the great need of the district
is merchant mill to accommodate the
enormous small mining companies which
are unable to build mill. Almost any
probably all-of the companies Owni Ig
lands through which the vein is known
to run could carry on active mining Ope-
rations if means were furnished for re-
ducing rock as fast as taken out. Such a
mill would cost from $25,000 to $4,000.
Many spectators who have visited the
mines during the past ye,r have said !:
"As soon as you prove that you have a
good vein of silver-bearing rock there
will be no difficulty in procuring money
The Cleveland Silver Mining Company
are now engaged in proving the vein in a
very thorough and business-like manner.
This company have two shafts, one an
'.incline" s.undcrlay'' shaft, following the
course of the vein from the outcrop, and
e..d the other perpendicular or ''down-
right" shaft 800 feet distant from the
'underlay." IL is expected that this per-
pendiculHr shaft will cut the vein at .
depth of 120 feet from the surface and at
point more than 800 feet from the out
crop. Capt. Meilen expects to reach the
vein about the end of March next. Ii
the vein is found TO be as rich at the bot
tom of the ''downright'' as it is at the
outerop and in the g underlay," the value
of the vein will be proved beyOnda doubt.
The Cleveland vein rock has never been
tested, but it looks richer than any rock
yet taken from the vein at other points
where it has been opened, and experts as
sert that the value of the rock cannot be
less than 800 per ton.
The Ontonagon and Lake Superior Sill
yer Mining Company collins have
one '.underlay" shaft down about fifty
feet from the surface, and at distance OF
800 or 400 feet from the Cleveland under
lay The pay rock at this mine also
looks very promising. This company
have just started another shaft. The On
tonagon and Superior Silver Mining
Companies are working small forces in
s'underlay" shafts. At this point (the
two mines are adjoining and worked un-
der one management the hanging wall
of block slate is found to be rich in silver,
and it is the intention of the companies
to work few inches of the slate next the
vein and treat it as vein rock. Recent
explorations demonstrate almost
beyond doubt that the formation i'm
which this silver vein is found is very ex-
tensive. The vein has recently been
found at point about ten miles east and
south from the Cleveland mine, and it
has also been fonnd near Greenland post
office, more than twenty miles directly
east of the Cleveland The value of the
vein rock found at any of these points
has not vet been ascertained, but if the
vein is found to carry silver i'm paying
quantities ut these points splendid field
will be opened for profitable investments.
1t is not expected by those who are the
most familiar with the Iron River fOrma-
ton that it contains any "big bonanzas,' y
but it is thought that large field is about
being opened for investments i'm very
profitable business. If these mining en-
terprises are conducted on business prin-
ciples from the start they will either
prove profitable, or the loss-if the prop
erty is found to be barren-will not be
serious. But if conducted as many of the
first copper mining ventures in this same
ror of
may easily be sqllandered upon really val
liable properties, and the stockholders
find their money gone with no mine or
anything else to show for it. There are
now, at various points along the Trap
good veins, lying idle because, on account
of gross mismanagement, they were un-
able to pay profit.