The L'Anse sentinel. (L'Anse, L.S., Mich.) 18??-current, 1893-02-11
WHAT RESULTED IN THE DIS.
COTERT OF THE CALUMET d.
HECLA MINES.

! EDITOR IL ANSE SENTlNEL In your
paper of Dec. Bird was published an
article from the Calumet News en-
titled '"The True Account of the Dis
covery of the Calumet u Hecla Lode"
which, with other similar articles, has
b en- going the rounds of the U. p.
press, the purpose Of such articles be
ing to state who was the real dis
coverer of this great lode; but as fur as
/ have observed, the names OF those
whose action led to this discovery have
not been mentioned.
| for the benefit OF those who wish
to know the facts will make state
Aient which think will be corrobor-
ated by Me>srs. John Senter, and ID.
ID. Brockway land / might say +. J.
Hulbef.)
In 1857 the state legislature appro-
priated $1,000 to aid in the construc-
ton of u state road from Copper Has-
Dor to On.onagon. The bill making
this appropriation provided that s. W.
Hill, A.. Conurn and myself he the
commissioners to lay ont aud establish
this road. Mr.. Hill was to have
charge of that part of the road from
Copper Harbor to the Cliff mine, l
from the Cliff mine 10 the Ontonagon
county line and Mr.. Coburn from the
latter point to Ontonagon.
The old road to Portage Lake start
ed ut tile Fulton mine and thence to
the Pewabic via the Dover and Ed
| wards mines. On this route were two
or three meadows or tamarack swamps
difficult to Cross, and after conference
with Mr.. Senter it was deemed advis-
able to change this part OF the road.
In 1858 ] was supervisor of Portage
township and at the annual meeting Of
the hoard at Eag River, in that year,
! secured an app opriation of $1G0 to
/ make the survey of this change and I
was appointed TO look after the work.
In pursuance thereof made contract
with Il. ]. Huber; to make the survey,
which lie completed that month
| October 1852 The road that is now
used between the Dover and the Full
ton road was made on the line, or near
ly 30, Us surveyed 10y him
While making this survey it 50 hap
pened that Mr.. Hubert located his
tent about whore the Calumet hotel
now stands. During u rainy day
while tlis helpers were in the tent
playing cards, Mr.. Hubert went out
exploring with camping AK and
found several rocks, containing copper,
and he became satisfied that there
We're good indications of copper
there.
AT this tine all, or nearly all, ex-
! cept the Heclu, of the land in that vi
cnIty was government land. Some
time after the discovery above noted
Mr.. Hubert interested eastern CAPT
talists who bought up the Calumet,
Red jacket and other tracts in that vi
entity. As lie made the survey. found
the copper, purchased the land and
had houses built aud pnt men to ex
plore there / fail to see how Capt.
Thomas. Mr.. Dollar or any other men
employed by him are entitled to my
special credit for anything they did
there. They were simply hired by the
day 10 explore in the immediate vi
entity If the Calumet lode, and simply
did what other explorers would have
done.
The making of this road resulted in
this discovery, but for which the Cal.
nmet might not have been found for
many years. II might be said that
this lode would have been found had
the road not been built, but / think
this very doubtful for the reason that
on the south the Dover, Rhode Island,
Edwards and other mines had been
worked, and on the north were the
Fulton, Traprock and other mines all
OF Which had sunk much money and
proved Improbable. 1t is hardly
reasonable to suppose that an explorer
would look for pay copper between
these abandoned mines in an unbroken
wilderness.
JOHN @. McKERSAN.
LAnse, Feb. 4. 1893.