The Superior times. [volume] (Superior, Wis.) 1870-1912, 1882-04-08

| almost exclusively 10 the valleys OF she nu-
me:ous streams emptyng into the lake,
The drift soil prevails through the high
lands, elevated six hundred to one thousand
feet above the level of the lake; also over
the high grounds west of Chengwomigon
Bay, at the height of three hundred to six
hundred feet. ard the higher points of the
neighboring Apostle Islands.
"The trap soil, which support a growth
of sugar maple, oak, and other hard woods.
are next, in richness to the a!luvia lands.
They are found chiefly on high ridges and
slopes, which, at the east and west ends of
the district, are only a short distance from
the lake shore; but on the waters of Bad
River and the Brule, they reccede three
fourths of the distance back towards the
sources of their various branches.
The red clay and mari lands, occupying
the high plains skirting Lake Superior, are
characterized particularly by the prepond,
erance of oxide of iron, from which they
derive their color, and which amounts to
four and half per cent, or nearly one halt
of the weight of the saline matter it is al.
ways a retentive soil, from the abundance
of argllaceous earth w ich enters into it's
composition; hence, these red clay and
mari lands are often wet, particularly when
defended from the direct rays of the sun by
the dense growth of cedar, balsam, spruce,
birch, and hemlock that usually covers
I them. Still these lands are not so wet but
that by clearing and judicious system of
! husbandry, they would soon become suffic-
icntly dry 70. most kinds Of crops and gard
en- vegetables. They may be compared in
quality to the red lands of MARYLAND and
! Virginia, which border the Potomac River.
in Montgomery and London counties, which,
by deep subsoil poughing and proper
system of drainage, produce wheat crops
that can hardly be eXcelled. The larger
portion Of the Lake Superior basin is occu-
pied by these red clay and mari lands. The
general elevation of the red clay plains
above Lake Superior is about two hundred
feet. They are, for the most part, level,
with a gentle slope towards the lake, cut,
however, into deep, abrupt gulIies in the
immediate vicinity of the streams.
''The bulk of the land as yet cultivated in
this country, is what is known as the red
clay soil; and it has proved productive in
the highest degree. Vegetables of the lar
geSt size and finest quality are grown in it;
and for the production of wheat, rye, barley
and oats, it cannot be surpassed; forty
! bushels of wheat to the acre is the average
OH thesh lands, and in many instances they
have Welded fifty bushels"
In the immediate vicinity of Superior the
soil is Of this red clay variety, and to un.
derstand its productive qualities one should
| see the crops on the ground at harvest
time, as the writer did last season But
we have for twenty miles around Superior
three kinds of land, not differing materially
! in productiyencss, if properly titled. These
are the red clay, which is so much imprec
mated with lime, that it almost comes I'M
der the denomination of mari. The tama
rack swamp, which is mixture of red clay
with large portion Of decayed vegetable
matter, which with the action of water has
changed It's color 10 black. and will be our
best meadow land And what is usually
! termed the hard wood land, generally con
tanning a mixture OF sand or gravel, and
/ bearing the oak, ash, elm. sugar maple.
yellow birch, &c. This soil, producing as
! it does luxuriant grasses, will make stock
growing a profitable source of income 10
the farmer.
OUR MINERAL RESOURCES.
Perhaps in this connection we can DO No
! better than to again copy from a review OF
! this subject. published some time since, and
which still holds good. The article SAYS:
/ a pramiacnt resource of this portion oI
| the lake region is its valuable mineral de-
posites. Beginning at the Michigan State
line, q heavy copper bearing trap range
extends from the lake shore in q southwest
! direction, crossing Bad river and confirm.
/ ing southwest as far as township ~ north
range 2 west. between the Ncmakogan
and the Tetogotic rivers. This range offers
every inducement to the opt rating miner
! In the rear of this range, and extending
! through a district Of country parallel, and
nearly as far to the westward, is the iron
bearing range, which promises to be ar
unlimited source of wealth to this part o
the State.
From the Apostle Islands starts anoth
er copper range, not yet fully explored
running in a southwest direction, parallel
with the two ranges previously mentioned
and which in time will prove to be equally
valuable.
Three other ranges of this character, in
the vicinity of Flag. Cranberry, and Iron
rivers, affording exposures of rock in very
few places, but from the finding of masses
of copper in the vicinity, it is safe to con
clude that they, too, are valuable. These
ridges are considerably depressed when they
cross Iron river, but rise again before they
reach Brule river, and attain, in tie
vicinity Of that stream, an elevation q
from eight hundred to one thousand feet
above the level of the lake. with abundan,
exposures and valuable indications Of THEN
mineral wealth. This belt Of trap widen>
to the westward until reaching the western
boundary of Wisconsin, and upon It's south
western extremity, near the headwaters o.
| Iamarack creek, good specimens of copper
are found in the bedded rocks at the sur
face.
The range that has been most extensive
ly explored rises in township As, range 2
between Poplar and Aminicon rivers. The
size and uniformity of these veins, and the
quality of the imbedded rocks. are shown Oh
Copper creek where the vein is cut across b!
this stream in sections II and 15 township A
range II. This vein where it shows in the elf
on the east bank is twenty feet wide, Between
the foot and the hanging walls. besides Stat!
vein stone, easily worked, there are two well de
fined quartz veins of sixteen and twenty-tou
inches thickness respectively both bearing native
copper.
There is no doubt that the mineral range in thu
vicinity of Superior is as rich in copper as tn
more eastern portion of it. Copper may poSslbl.
not be found in as large masses as at the Mime
sofa Mine, but we feel justified in saying tina
when properly worked the veins at this end o
the range, will turn out as well those of an,
other locality on the lake.
Parties who have explored the mineral rang,
on the North Shore predict that copper mining
destined TO be. ome the great source OF wealth {
! that section. They represent that locality a
Astounding in rich veins; not, as they are gene
rally found, in ore. yielding only q small pc
centage, but in masses of almost pure metal N
specimens found, justify the assertion, that as ia
as surface indications can show, that locality i
as rich in mineral as any in the world.