Ashtabula weekly telegraph. (Ashtabula, Ohio) 1880-1886, 1880-07-23
"IrANKo ON TUE WING.
HANCOCK, LANsE AND OTHER POINTS or
iNTEHEHr-iHON AND COPPER MINES
JOuRNALfsTIC AND POLITICAL



little town, midway between Keewenaw
Bay and Lake Superior Shaking the
red dust from my feet at Negaunee. I
take the nOrthward bound train on the NJ.
II. q o. X. r. and arrive at L'Anse, dis.
lance Of 80 miles-riding most Of the way
through a wild unproductive country-in.
tcrsperscd with beautiful lakes and rocky
cliffs. where I saw for the first time the
blue waters Of Keewenaw Bay. L'Anse is
situated at the head Of this bay and pos
sesses many advantages over most Of the
lake ports. II has a natural harbnr and
outlet for the lumber which lies in an inn.
penetrable forest few miles back. and
only lacks the right kind Of business men
there 10 place II among the first towns
along the shore. But the great difficulty
is, l learn, that most Of the real estate
about the place is owned by spectators
who have put up their corner lots 80 h ph
as to keep out business enterprises Of
many kinds. Il is the county seat Of Ba
raga county and contains about 500 in.
habiiants Here the little steamer Ivan.
hoe was waiting for the train. to carry
freight, mail and passengers to Hough.
ton and Hancock, distance OF 40 mil es
through Portage river, and lake,-a cir.
cuitous route until Houghton is reached
a town Of 2SOO population located on
side hills quite resort for tourists and
is the home Of Representative Hubbell,
the most northern Congressman in the
United States, Notwithstanding the large
Republican majority which he receives |
hear that there is a sort of discomfort with
him personally at home, which should
not exist in this stalwart district. just
below on the other side Of the river lies
the lively little town Of Hancock, another
side hill enterprise and contains a pOpu
lation Of over 5000. 1t is connected with
Houghton by long toll bridge. This is
the copper town Of this northern peninsu.
la. Here is where passed the day allot-
ted me in visiting many points Of inter
est to be seen in the copper region. or
the many mines hereabouts the Quincy is
one Of the oldest and best. Through its
gentlemanly superintendent, Mr.. Corey, | |
was permitted to visit the mine and ex-
anime its ponderOus machinery An in
vitation was extended to me to be lowered
into the bowels of the earth about half
mile, which invitation | very promptly
declined-On account Of my wife and nu-
merOus progeny. | next went into the
smelling works conducted by the Cooper
Bros, which is one of the mOst interest |
ing features Of The place, These works
are independent of the mine, only convert. |
ing crude copper into ingots ready for ship |
ment on contract, The daily average ca
pacity of these works were 80 tons-and |
producing the toughest and best copper |
in the world. The celebrated Calumet
and Hecla mine, 10 miles above, is by far
the richest vein ever struck In this coun-
try. (See daily quotations OF its stock in
New York; For want Of time did not
go there. Last month this mine produced
1855 tons of copper ore. Most of the
mining enterprises on this peninsula is |
conducted with eastern capital and brings |
the investors handsome returns. Then |
again have seen where hundreds of ven
turesome men have staked and lost their |
last dollar in some of these iron or copper
mines, just as may be seen all through the |
oil regions Of Pennsylvania. To-day / |
visited pit where an average shrewd |
man sunk s16, ,OOO-besides involving his |
best friend in one of these enterprises,
To the craft l would say who are con.
templating a tour to Hancock, don't fail
to call on Ed. P, Kibbee of the Northeast
ern M'RiHg journal. He is a native of |
Michigan, but of Vermont ancestry. He
prints a neutral paper for some reason,
but is personally an outspOken, rOck-root- |
ed Democrat The New York Sun is his |
guide and stay, as he walks through the |
valley in the minority. A more gentle !
manly and companionable person can not
be found here to pilot you through the
many mines and mills of Hancock To |
him our party is indebted for various and |
sundry favors.
To sum it all up, the resources and |
wealth of the iron and copper region of
Michigan is enormous and will continue |
to be for ages so long as our Republican
governWent will continue to protect the |
iron interests in the way of protective |
tariff as it has wisely done for many years.
Just as soon as Fernando Woods idea
prevails in Congress ON the tariff question
then the millions Of capital now employ
ed here will be swept away and thousands
Of labOrers scattered through the county
as common tramps. And yet Fernando
is Democratic reformer. The drouth
may come, grasshoppers and Colorados
strip every green leaf-they heed it not,
nor care but little of its effect here, but
when some reformer in QaRssess sits up
TO tinker with the tRFiH the whole iron
interests-.pap psIalists as well as labOrers |
Wgtc.l, and pray that all such wild schemes |
may be thwartod, Adieu, HANK.
Hancock, L. s., July %, 1880.
Mr.. G. II. Coon kindly furnishes us
with the following, taken from the enum.
orators record in New Lyme;
Population, p,,,,..,.,u,.., .893-1S70-70S |
occupied houses. s.,,,,.,,,,...,...... 1876 |