Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1892-06-24

subject and described his explorations.
That prehistoric race hal worked
these mines was not discovered until
the middle OF the present century. The
ancient excavations are found In all
parts OF the peninsula. There IL
scarcely vein Of copper In the whole
district that does not show evidence OF
ancient workings. Ia places they
oven extend In the rock from three TO
sixty feet The method Of mining was
81 heat the rock with fire ana then by
pouring on water aud pounding win
their stone hammers TO disintegrale
aud separate the ore. a careful search
Of all tho old rec Iris show that the In
disns who were found In the country
were ignorant Of the mines and the
uacs OF the metal.
In 1871 ). o. Knapp was prospect
ing on the range near Eockland,
small town iu OntOnagcn county,
Michigan. lie opened test pit. the
surface outcfopping Of copper-bcaring
rock giving evidence Of hidden treas
ure, and when eighteen feet from the
sur ace he discovered n mass OF nearly
pure copper weighing more than SIX
tons, This IA regarded as the most
wonderful mineral discovery ever
known, from the fact that the copper
was almost pure and showed conclu.
Hively that II had been worked aud
abandoned by a prehistoric race.
This mass had been raised several
feet and secured there upon tmbers.
These hal dec1yed aud the mTss TO.
mHined In It's place supported by the
soil. II had been hammered all over,
until itH surface was perfectly smooth.
In this pit, as In many other, there
were found great numbers OF stone
hammer, bits Of burned wood and
copper chisels. over this mass, draw
ing Its life rom the soil, stood hem
lock tree which showed S2j distinct
annual rings Of growth, this was
standing by the stump OF much
larger tree which had grown, d,and
decayed since this pit had been aug,
anu this mass had been raised from its
bed and the brands beneath II had
been burned aud the soil gathered
above II In the long lapse OF ages.
! In the bottoms Of all the pits or
diggings large numbers OF stone ham
mers aud copper chisele are found.
| The hammers consist Of small powders
OF trap rock Weighing from three u
| thirty pounds. A groove around the
stone shows where the handle was tied
on with withc. These "dlggings''
aro ~ abundant In the copper region ns
to cause no surprise. After the dis
covery OF the mass Of copper there were
many more Of similar nature IN
different localities, extending over a
vast area. The existence Of these
"Rnciont diggiugs" was suggested by
deprcssions In the ground. Later,
enormous masses Of copper were found
At Rockland, aud for many yeAra great
wealth flowed In upon the owners oil
the Minnesota and National mines.
Even on the desolate Isle Royal,
multitudes Of hammers, etc., have
been found. An old mining captain
speaking Of this mystery OF the ages,
said to the writer that thousands and
thousands OF men were engaged IN
mining In that unknown epoch o.
human existence, Rges before the day
OF the Pharaohs, or even before tn,
birth Of Abraham Hsran.rcrah
3ot," the worlds gray father..'
In speaking further upon the
subJco this gentleman, Captain Paw
noll, said that something must have oc
CARED to disgust those odd fellows
they threw down their hammers nnt
quit work suddenly. Perhaps Il
question OF labor and capital was ever
then brewing mischief; ifeo, II mus
have been a successful strike, for tn,
toiling thousands quit work for good
Everything points to the fact tina
work was stopped nj moments no
ticc.
The six.ton mass OF copper found by
Mr.. Knapp was Afterwards, witt
with great difficulty, raised, taker
down the Ontonagon River, and sen
TO the Smlthsn ninn, whore II still re
mains II | nm correctly informed
These facts highten the Interest Ia
that fascinating excitement OF ex
ploriug and prospecting for new
treasures In this still wild and un
known portion OF tho North west:
There can be no doubt that vast nn,
untold wealth In silver, iron and cop
per yet await the energy and toll o
men, hacked by the capital, pluck an,
enterprise OF other men who have al
ready reaped tho fruits OF Industry IL
other fields. Some will win and other
will fail. II might not DO amlss I,
state that up to 1850 over $3.50, 90
OF copper ore hal been produced by IN
!