The Superior times. [volume] (Superior, Wis.) 1870-1912, 1885-01-24
4 LOST NINE,
4 Very Good bu: Rather Fisay
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his good luck to be one of the men
who held Calumet and Hecla stock be-
fore the Agassiz process for reducing
copper ore was discovered, which dis
covery increased the value of copper
mine stocks five hundred fold, and
/ placed Calumet and Hecla among the
greatest wealth producing shafts ever
dug into mother earth.
In conversation with reporter
day or two age, he told the following
fascinating story: Copper is un-
doubtedly good thing. No man who
was ever lucky enough to get into
some Of the Michigan mines on the
ground floor can gain say that, but
silver is a better thing, for all that,
and as sure as my name is Leopold
some time or another there will be one
/ of the biggest strikes of silver made on
/ the north shore Of Lake Superior ever
heard of in America. 1t will Guido
the Rocky Mountain finds, Just as our
copper gets away with the Arizona
mines. OF course, you know that
where copper occurs silver is also like
ly to be found, and that this is more
than theroy the frequent discovery of
silver in Northern Michigan, and es-
pecially on the north shore, proves
You know there is an island Oh Lake
Superior called Silver Island, on
which silver is very proftably mined
Did YOU ever hear the story ofthe lost
silver mine?o
Never" said the reporter
well, it is good enough to print, T."
said ALr. Leopold 1T is current
tradition at Cntonagon, Hancock,
Houghton, and especially at Duluth,
and while YOU can hear it Il good
many ways, | believe you Will find
this about the truth of it. About SIX
ty years ago all Of the country north
Of Duluth was wilderness. There
were a few Hudson Bay company's
posts scattered about the lakes and
rivers up there, and the rest Of that
part of British America was the home
Of the rowing Indians and nobody else
The story was current then that some
where down along the northern shore
of the lake there was q mine where
virgin silver was to be found in Jumps.
One day party Of Indians-this is
the cold truth, which you can find Oh
record in books printed years ago
one day party Of Indians came into
port on Lake Winnipeg to trade, but
instead Of furs they had solid ingots Of
silver Every one of the party was
provided with bricks worth hundreds
of dollars. You may believe this caus-
ed a sensation. 1t proved that the
rumors current 50 long had some foun-
dation. The Indians were strangers
at the post They belonged to a diff
ferent tribe from any ever seen there
before, and they pointed out vaguely,
in southeasterIy direction when ask
ell whence they had come. OF course
they had the usual carouse, ana at last
they loaded up with guns, calicos,
beads and whisky, and started for
home. Two Frcnchmen, who were at
the post, tracked them like a pair Of
detectives, and after about 100 miles
further than It. Louis to Chicago
through incredible hardshiPs and suf-
ferings they at last tracked them to
earth. According to the story the
home of these Indians was in the
range of hills between Crooked Lake
and Superior, south of Pigeon river,
in what is now the state of Minnesota.
They did more than this, they found
the Indian mine and It's wealth was
beyond all the stories told of it. In
grotto of rotten rock the virgin
silver was to be seen veining the
sides in every direction. The two men
marked down the position Of the mine
as closely as could be, taking mum
Der Of land marks, 50 that there could
be no mistake. The mine stood at the
head ola long serpentinc ray Inc which
treuded southeast Then they load
ell up with all the silver they could
carry and started back All this time
the Indians knew nothing Of their Wis
it. Well, they toiIed along for days
and days, borne down by the weight
Of metal. and at last one Of them sick
ened and died on the road. Winter
was coming on and the remaining ex-
plorer struggled onward after burying
his companion, and now and then
stopping and cacheing some more sil-
yer, until at last he got back to the
post. The work and the exposure
were to much for him, however, and
in couple of days he too, sickened
and died. lie gave the most explicit
instructions 10 his companions at the
post as to how the mine was to be
reached, and you may believe that the
search made the next summer was an
exhaustive one. The body of the 9th
er explorer was found, as was also the
silver hidden on the road, but the