Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1879-06-25
A Bonanza in Wisconsin.

We published last week an account
Of the discovery of surface indications
of a silver bonanza in the Penoka
range, a ridge, or divide, in the north
west part of the State: running parallel
with the coast line of Lake Superior,
and about thirty miles distant. The
Wisconsin Gen traI Railroad crosses
this range aud its spurs extent west
ward towards the Minnesota line, while
it spreads out to the eastward, and
runs into the hills and broken country,
contains excellent iron ore, and copper
has of course been loug we'll known.
In fac; it has been conceded that the
iron ore is superior to any other found
at the West. There does not, either,
appear to be any good reason why sill
yer should not be found in the Penoka
range as it is on the north shore and
islands of Lake Superior. The anne
thysts picked up on the shores of the
Lake are coored with both silver and
iron. the different varieties being dis
tlnSutSDeu Dy tnelT cOlorS.
A late st. Paul newspaper adds to
the rumors which are current in regard
to recent silver discoveries, aud locates
the bonanza at Lac Court grizzlies, the
"Contarelle," Of wildcat bank times in
this State 1t would, by the way, be
curious circumstance and strange
coincidence, on the assumed site of the
mythical bank of Contarele, there
should be found silver bonanza with
wealth enough to redeem not only all
the issues of all the banks which sprang
into existence under the Wisconsin
banking law!
The story told by the St. Paul paper
is that single old Indian ard two
young ones have known Of this silver
deposit for many years, and that re-
Gently they divulged the fact of its ex-
istence to some residents of Eau Claire
including banker there, who furnish
ed the money to pay the Indians for
the revelation, at to buy 10 900 acres
of land where the silver ledge was ex-
posed by the Indian guides to the white
spectators and explorers. The; story
has all the usual Establishments, in
Guiding description of the supersti-
tious rites observed by the Indians
when they led the white adventures
to the vicinity of the bonanza. This
silver tract is in Barron county.
The story published by US last week
aas to effect that an Idaho mirer had
been for year exploring Penoka
range from points on the Central Rail
road, and had finally struck lead, had
succeeded in interesting Chicago capt.
talists, and that they had taken mining
machinery to the spot and would open
the newly discovered silver lodges and
ascertain. their value. This is evident
ly different story from that which or
iginated at St. Paul, and a different
location for the mine is given.
Still another story, also, has been
published, of silver discoveries in the
same range, east Of the Central road
and towards, it not across, the Michi-
gan boundary. The reader will also re-
collect the published accounts of dis
coveries of gold and silver on the Memo.
monee river, in Wisconsin, and on the
Michigan peninsula last winter.
These numerous reports show a sin
gular unanimity and likeness to each
other; they are spontaneous and Of
widely different origin, and there is
reason to believe that they are found
ed upon facts. Still it is likely that
there is more wealth in the wheat. fields
and the pine forests than in the mines,
and that the profit of extracting it from
the soil will prove to be greater than
in smelling it from the rocks Sunday
Telegraph.