Northern tribune. [volume] (Cheboygan, Mich.) 1875-1885, 1880-03-13
CSpper Nb:Hiur.

Tie first lass Of copper found in the
l. Ie Superior country was discovered i'm
the :apids of vie OntOnagOn river in
1865, by Alexander Henry, who cut of a
portion weighing p1OGt I'D pounds. III
1920 the spot was visited BIZ Gen. Cass
ahd Dr.. HOuSntOn, who also took away
some specimens. IL was finally claimed
1y James l.. Paul, our oldest resident,
vino succeeded in removing il to the
mouth OF the liver i'm 1913, and was then
take. to Washington, Wnere it still re-
mains. The mass was pure copper and
weighed about 5000 pounds.
The largest mass of pure copper was
taken from the Minnesota mine, i'm On
tOnasOn county, the rough weight was
40 tons. The thickeSt part OF this mass
was little over seven feet. Ii required
the labor of 20 men during a period Of
% months. Over II tons of copper chips
were taken from it during the dividing
process. The Cliff mine developed one
mass weighing q little over $50 tons.
Masses of sc to 100 tons were somewhat
frequent occurrences, both in the Cliff
and Minnesota, in their earlier working.
The phCeDiX has turned out a number
o. large masses, the largeso weighing
Oyef 2Oo tons. The Central has also pro-
Guced large amount of mass copper,
the largest Of which wejg led over 200
tons. A mass was found at the surface
of tn s mine, partly mined by primitive
lace, that weighed 80 tons. Masses OF
so to 1C0 tons nave been found in the
Copper Falls and National mines. Mas
SeS OF from l to so tons have been found
ill all the mines that have been worked
to any extent, except the Calumet and
Hecla, the SchOOlcraft and OsceOIa. The
largest piece found in the Calumet and
Hecla, weighed less than a ton. Mass
copper is being found in the MinOng
mine on Isle ROyaIe. The largest piece
found so far weighed about three tons.
Ii IS stated in regard to the mining
dOle by the primitive races, that at only
one point on Isle ROyale The amount Of
labor performed by those ancient men
FAR exceeds that of one of our oldest cop
per mines on the south shore o. Lake
SuperlOr-a mine that has been con-
stantly worked with large force for
over 2 years; OF stated in another form,
thai it would have required a force OF
100000 men 30 years with their means
OF working) to 10 an equi, alent amount
OF work. The store hammers which thew
used weighed from 10 to so pOunds-the
chief tool with which the labor was per-
1Ormed, anG many masses, taken from
various mines in tie 0DtOna9On district.
have Deel rems' kable fOf these stone
hammer marks upon the surface. The
discovery OF this old work was the dis
cOVerv OF tie mines. HaGcilets. knives,
spears and fish hooks are frequently
eOund made OF copper by The present race
OF Chippewa Indians. On the trap RANGES
O: the s0pth sh0re a1cie.lt mining WO. ks
are numerous; their ifst discovery was
made in 1913, and mass OF copper was
found at the Minnesota. at tie bottom of
pit s .eet in depth; the mass was ten
feet To- 9, three feet wide aud two feet
tiIick, ald weighed 6 tons. On digging
out t;e pis, wlich was filled 70 the top
with earth END decompOsed vegetable
matter, tie mass was found 60 rest on
sticks OF oak timber. and had been raised
aDOut i've Jeet by the ancient miners.
There was over tea cart loads of stone
hammers at this pit and others along
the same lode, and at the National line.
-OaiOIGGOR Miner.