Telegram-herald., 1890-12-09

" Assher rhsss - 0ie2xinsas - otA~x
sissrsl we4lth Esss&ts "a


every pouna II gela miasd fEem tae
foeks ass t2ken Thousands - STERLING
from sonseoay's poeketi ana he afy
sslls dug Tor petroleum ishs eoantry
over, are samittea - have cost more
taan the worth Of rs aoHing ones.
The awkward facts, however should
net discourage general mining expioF2-
toss aud operations. except wnsn puF-
sued ia geological districts, which pre-
elaas even golden hope. Aud such :
tae case WITH Allegsn as 4 pfospe I've
eil hela. To dig Tor gold and silver "a
tas ro<ks about Grand Rapids n0uta
not be more ridiculous from = scent nc
standpoint. as TIE various state repolas
AID nilnerAiosiesl surveys u Michigan
amply demonstrate. The uouele Il,
that many business men have 40 faith
in geoi0gy, or thes are wholly ignorant
OF toe sclence, or they are reck!essly led
Oh by schemSrs-
The mineral resources Of the old VOL
VERNE state and At great public ex-
psnsel, have already been authori-
lively surveyed and substantially loca-
TED; aud tins both by able prospecting
anu numerous bOFlngs. MhO ought hot
by tins time 10 know that our copper,
IRON, gold and silver Gelds are wholly
contined 70 the upper peninsula Aud
although coal may ~ scattered about
IA detached beds outside of the Jackson
anu Corunna districts, what Michigan
schOol-0oy should not be possessed OF
the knowledge that no workable de-
t,sss ard fHTAYUnnFlf
sIate7
But il may be said of gas and oil that
authoritative explorations and intorma.
ton are not suficient-that the chances
warrant further and costly test oprs-
tlons.
We think directly opposite is the
case. In other words, that both geoi-
ogy and ample shafts have demon
strated that there are no economic de-
posltes, or reservoirs, OF either natural
gas or petroleum IN the rocks OF Mlehi-
gan; or, If perchance gas, that II can
only be found in the Trenton lime
stone, 1000 feet and over below the sur
face. Now Is this at ali disputed by the
partial success at Port II uron.
Again, it is claimed that, (science and
surveys 10 the contrary, petroleum
has actually been discovered and
Struck" both at Allegan and RosconI-
mon. Perhaps-but as Billie Patterson
was hit, and IN no other way. AS DRIFT
coal and iron-rocks are bespattered
over the State, so, lnconsequentlal, de-
! tached coal, oil or gas basins may be
| found: but even such "finds" call for
! the most thorough investigation. They
are highly suspicious, as legitimate
mining investments. Capitalists las a
rule) might as well plant orange trees
in Kent or Allegan, expecting TO get
rich from the fruit.
The general and wholly established
| facts al, that certain rocks bear GER
tam products, as some trees yield ap-
piles and others peaches or cherries.
And the general boundaries OF the min
eral-bearlng transformations have been
surveyed and 'staked out" the same
as farms, by sections and "mets and
bounds" These on the Upper PENN
sula are fully established: First, the
| Huronian system, IN which all the
large deposites of iron are found, sec
| ond, the Lower Sllurian, yielding our
building sandstone; third, the Copper
Bearing Rocks, on which the Calumet
and Hecla mines are located; fourth,
the Lanrentian formation, which, IN
Michigan, affords no valuable material
at ali.
Here we have the Michigan copper
and iron fields fenced in, as a farmer
his wheat and pasture lots, his orchard:
and his meadows; and nobody need to
| mistake where to go. tor the respective
crops. Just so of the later discoveries
OF gold in our Northumberland is, a:
far as the geOlogists and mlneraloglsts
have explored. And the coal and
gypsum beds of the Lower Peninsula
are similarly and as authoritatively
located. 1t is too late III the day fol
capitalists or prospectors to bankrupt
themselves by getting lost-as by Dor
ing for oil at Grand Rapids, Allegan, ol
anywhere else in the State. And 10 ge
natural gas, IN paying quantities at
even tnen,, we must 20 so many thous
and feet down into the Trenton lime
stone, that the enterprise resembles toe
much the South sea Island Bubble.
But has Michigan no petroleum NJ
more than she has Niagara Falls with
in her borders, or orange and lemon
groves in full bearing. OIL IS no NOR,
the product of Michigan rocks than tha
pumpkins will grow on Canada thlstle
although, like coal, copper and iroI
detatCh-meets beyond their vast anC
natural beds) gas and Oil, may be wide
ly struck in superficial. trlfiing deposits
But generally this gas is bag produc
ton, while the petroleum is apt to be
long TO what is known IN Pennsylvanl;
as the "sslting process which, how
ever, il Is saio not the case st Allegal
and Roscommon.
Oil has been found in different rocl
formations, tas, indeed, have iron; cop
per and gas, and IL some cases, IA
away from the coal measures; but un
less geology is q grand le-and It IS on
of the most glorious and practical o
sciences-the old Wolverine State cal
never be metramphosed or speculatec
Into a petroleum region.
And the state reports and bulletin
would long ago have furnished the Al
legan folks, and all the rest of to-
world, with this highly authorized we'll
established and valuable information
Grand Rapids must also content hersel
! with bracklsh, OdoriferOus water-ths'
! Is. this side of the greatest Trenton
limestone and the eternal sulphur beds
Frsternslly,
FARMER REYNOLDS.
POSTSCRIPT TO ABOVE.
IL may not be generally known tha
citizens of various counties IN Michigan
, bave already expended, aud they ar
stVl extending valuable time. labor an'
thousands of dollars IN utterly bin,