The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1886-10-28
Nlanitomof pilot.
A PREHISTORIC PEOPLE.
THE RACE WHO WORKED THE COPPER MINES
OF MICHIGAN.

ell W dlIl DlllIIle-
sofa call attention to fact not gener-
ally known that wise old DR. Franklin,
while arranging the treaty between this
country and England, after the Revo-
luton, SO drew the boundary lines be-
tween the late hostile powers as to in
clude IN the United States the great
mining regions on the southern shore
of Lake Superior In these days,
when every week gives fresh informa-
ton concerning the boundless wealth
IN iron, copper, and silver of this Won
derful world the remark is often
heard that the treasures here entomb-
ed are scarcely yet unlocked-so it
would seem upon cursOry ezamlna-
ton Of the copper and silver mines
which fringe the bleak shores Of the
great inland fresh water sea. Such is.
however, not the fact There is indu-
bitable evidence that long before the
first red man hunted in the gloomy
forests that gridle these wild and lone
ly shores-long years before the first
Jesuit launched his boat upon the
waves of the Getchee Cameo, perhaps
before adam delyed and Eve span"
a race of men, In numbers as the sands
on the shores, toiled and hammered
and beat the copper-pure native cop
per-not only into implements of war
fare, but without doubt for transpor-
tation to other lands. A civilization
must then have existed far superior
to any since known among the native
tribes north of Mexico. Thousands of
years ago race of people worked the
copper mines in the upper peninsula.
They worked the native copper and
We're so far advanced in the mechani-
cal arts as to be able to handle masses
Of ore weighing many tons. Their
implements were fashioned to do skill
full work. In working the copper mines
of today these implements are found at
a great depth, showing that ages have
elapsed since this prehistoric race ex-
listed. The geological formations bear
evidence that thousands of years have
passed since these people have disap-
peared. Who were they? Whence
came they? and where did they 90?
Their unfinished work has been laid
before scientists, their tools and nipple
ments OF stone and copper are to be
seen In museums and collections in
Milwaukee and other cities, and yet
no one can give any reliable data of
the existence or extinction of these
people Of the long ago.
The southern shores of Superior
| were first explored in 1641 by two
Jesuit priests. Small bands coutinu-
ed to explore the region until 176O.
La that year Alexander Henry visited
| the region. He soon became familiar
with the fact that copper existed in
the country. He published book on
the subject and described his explora-
tons. That a prehistoric race had
worked these mines was not discover
ed until the middle of the present
century. The ancient excavations are
found in all parts of the peninsula
There is scarcely vein of copper in
| the whole district that does not show
evidence of ancient workings. In
places they even extend in the rock
| from three to sixty feet The method
| of mining was to heat the rock with
fire and then by pouring on water and
pounding with their stone hammers
| to disintegrate and separate the ore
A careful search of all the old records
| shows that the Indians who were
| found in the country were ignorant of
! the mines and the uses of the metal
In 1917 SO. Knapp was prospect
ing on the range near Rockland, a
small town in Ontonagon County,
Michigan. He opened a test pit, the
surface outcropping of copper-bearing
rock giving evidence Of hidden trea-
sure, and when eighteen feet from the
surface he discovered mass of nearly
pure copper weighing more than six
tons. This is regarded as the most
wonderful mineral discovery ever
known, from the fact that the copper
was almost pure and showed conclu
sively that it had been worked and a
bandoned by prehistoric race This
mass had been raised several feet
and secured there upon timbers.
These had decayed and the mass re
manned IN its place supported by the
| soil. 1t mad been hammered all over,
| until its surface was perfectly smooth
In this pit. as IN many others, there
were found great numbers of stone
hammers, bits of burned wood, and a
copper chisel. Over this mass, draw
ing It's life from the soil, stood hem
lock tree which showed 1926 distinct
annual rings of growth; this was
standing by the stump of much
larger tree which had grown, died and
decayed since this pit had been dug,
and this mass had been raised from
its bed and brands beneath it had been
burned and the soil gathered above it
in the long lapse of ages.
In the bottoms of all the pits or dig
gings large numbers of stone ham
mers and copper chisels are found.
| The hammers consist of small bowl
ders of trap rock weighing from three
to thirty pounds. A groove around
| the stone shows where the handle was
tied'on with withe. These "diggings"
are SO abundant in the copper region
as to cause no surprise. After the
discovery of mass copper there We're
many more of similar nature in diff
! ferent localities, extending over a vast
area. The existence of these ancient
diggings' was suggested by depres-
sions in the ground Later. enormous
masses of copper were found at Rock
| land, and for many years great wealth
flowed in upon the owners of the Min
nesota and National mines.
Even on the desolate Isle Royale
multitudes of hammers, etc. have been
found, An old mining captain, speak
ing of this mystery of the ages, said
to the writer that thousands and thou
sands of men were engaged in mining
in that unknown epoch of human exist
ence, ages before the days of he Pna-
raohs, or even before the birth of
abraham Haran-Terah- Sot," the
worlds gray fathers In speaking
further upon the subject, this gentle
man, Capt. Parnell, said that some
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