St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1891-01-13
} GOLD IN MINNESOTA.


State Geologist Winchell Says So
T. -..He Advocates a New State
s; Park. :,.sys,. q
F There is gold in Minnesota.
Slate 'Geologist Winchell says SO, and
in his annual report deyotes consider
able space to discussion OF the gold
deposits in Northern Minnesota. Prof.
iWinchelE first speaks of the gold excite
imeiit of twenty years ago. which was
the result of some reputed gold findings
| ION Vermilion lake. In 1887 Prof. Win
chell visited the Ropes gold mine in
Michigan, northwest from Ishpeming.
and he was struck with the resem7
blance between the goid-bearing rocks
and rocks in Northern Minnesota. He
then describes the details of number
of explorations made for gold in the
region. ana shows that there is some
positive basis of fact to show that gold
exists in sufficient quantities i'll some
cases.to make valuable low grade ore
that could be probably mined by the
same methods as those employed in the
Black Hills and at the Ropes mine Ill
Michigan. pa,
The report, of course, deals largely
with the mineral deposits OF the state.
He and his son, Horace w. Winchell,
made exhaustive and extended trips in
all the iron region of Northern Minne-
sofa. and large space in the report is
taken up with data on the investigations
into the geological formation of the
country. The most interesting feature
of his report is the advocacy OF a state
park in Northern Minnesota, In the
course of which he saws.
II wish to call the attention of the
regents, and through their reports the
attention of the public and the legiSla-
ture to the pr0priety OF asking reserya-
ton of land for state park III some
section in the northern part OF the state.
The geographic position of Minnesota
ison that border land which exhibits
the transition of the forested area into
the prairie. 1t hence preserves the
faunaI and floral characteristics of both.
and within its territory must be studied
by naturalistS the mutual modltlca-
tions and interchanges which the
near neighb0rhoOd and contact OF
different physical features always i'm
print on the native vegetation and ami
NAL life found therein. BY settlement
and long habitation the natural condl-.
tons are destroyed, and the natural
by an examination of them Ill their
original state, are never known. Hence,
as long as the natural conditions exist,
Minnesota will be visited by students
and collectors interested in natural
science for the purpose of inveStig alton,
and this will bring Minnesota into
prominent recognition in scientific liter
allure, and secondarily, into sci entific
and economic research, 1t hen ce be-
hooves the state to preserve. to such eX-
tent as may be found desirable and
feasible, these natural and aboriginal
conditions. and for this purpose there is
no better method than to reserve from
sale and settlement some considerable
tract where they may not be destroyed.
Es.Again, the state should have large
pubfic park because OF the healthful re-
sort that it would afford for those living
in cities. and for those who, coming
from further South, seek In summer the
invigorating effect of Northern latl-
,tudes. The attractions of multitude
;of lakes, rivers and Fivulets OF limpld
and, pure water are confined. i'll the
United States to the northern tier,
where the tumuli of the glacial epoch
formed the depresSions and natural res
Iervoirs of gravel and sand, such as
mark it's moraineS from Maine to Min
tCnesota. In Dakota these lines of
ltumuli pass across the prairies north
westward to the line of British
America and do not. return again sensi-
bly, within the United States. Hence it
is within Minnesota that exists the last
opportunity to preserve the pristine
conditions of that unique combination
of physical and faunal relations which
alike distinguishes them from all other
natural surface conditions in the United
States, and has attracted to them al
ways the venturesome, wandering ex-
plorer, the artist, the geologist and the
hardy frontier settler. This park should
be located either in the region northeast
of Lake Superior, inclosing some of
the ock-bordered and rock-bOttomed
lakes that are natural curiO sity to
every traveller. or in the area about the
head waters of the Mississippi"