Evening star., 1895-06-08
and this Mr.. Eldred did, paying for it

ana tms Mr. Eidred did, paying for 1t
81 1865.
1t took a week for the party of twenty
one persons to get the rock up the fifty
foot hill near the river: then they cut tim
bers and made stout wooden railway
track, placed tie rock on the car and
moved it with capstan and chains, as
houses are moved For four miles and a
half, over hills 600 feet high, through val
leys and deep ravines, through thick for
ests, where the path had to be cut, and
tangled III derbrush, the home of pestifer-
GUS mosquitoes this railway was laid, and
the copper boulder was transported; and
when at last the rock was lowered to the
main stream nature smiled on the labors
of tho workmen by sending a freshet to
carry their heavily laden boat over the
lower rapids and down to the lake!
While arranging transportation to Sault
Ste Marie, Mr.. Eldred was confronted by
an order from the Secretary of War to
Gen. Cunningham directing him to sieZe
the copper rock for transportation to
rock have 70 right to it, says Secretary
Porter. "but justice and equity would re-
quire that they be amply compensated for
the trouble and expense Of its removal
from its position on the Ontonagon to the
lake; and for this purpose Gen. c. will
examine into their accounts and allow
them the cost, compensating them fully
and fairly therefor-the m, however, not
to exceed 500. If they set up
claim for tie ownership of the article
itself, that is not admitted or recognized,
and their redress, if they have any, will
be by an application to Congress"
The sum mentioned by the Secretary be-
ing manifestly too small to compensate
Mr.. El'ired fully and fairly" Gen. Cum
ningham allowed the former to transport
the rock to Detroit, and promised that if
the curiosity was ordered to Washington
Mr.. Eldred would be placed in charge of
it. On October II, 1913, the boulder was
landed at Detroit. and placed ON exhibi-
ticn for a fee Of p cents; ana among those
who embraced the opportunity TO visit it
was Henry r. Schoolcraft, who renewed
an acquaintance with the copper monarch
formed twenty-three years previous. After
less than a month of uninterrupted pos
session, United States District Attorney
George c. Bates informed Mr.. Eldred that
the revenue cutter Erie was waiting to re-
ceive the rock for transportation to the
capital; and on November 8 the boulder
started on its long journey, by way of
Buffalo, the Erie canal and New York
city to Georgetown. DC. Mr.. Eldred ac-
companied it as far as New York. and
met 1t at Georgetown with dray. by
which 1t was hauled to the quarterma ster's
bureau of the War Department, and de-
posted in the yard, where it remained un-
til some time subsequent to 1855.
Mr. Eldred now appealed to Congress for
redress; and it SO happened that in the
Senate William Woodbridge of Michigan
was chairman of the committee on public
lands. An exhaustive report was made on
the matter at the first session of the Twen-
tY-elShth Congress, and three years later,
by an act approved January 26 1917, the
secretary of War was authorized to allow
and settle upon just and equitable terms the
accounts of Julius Eldred and sons for
Their time and expenses in purchasing and
removing the mass of nattv copper common
ly called the copper rock. The sum thus
paid was $5,6G4.9S.
From the yard of the old War Depart
ment to the National Museum is not a
long journey for SO Travelled a rock, and we
need spend no time on it.
CHARLES MOORE.