Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-12-16

the Mackenzie and other rivers into the
Arctic ocean.
The country here seems high. 1t looks as
though it were the crown OF mother earths
head, and here about Sudbury and all ths
way along Georgian bay and Lake Superior
the old lady's head is covered with gigantic
wens in the shape of rocks. There are some
farms, but they lie between the stones. The
same character of country extends Tor
many miles northward, save that the rocds
are in the woods.
Ground Smooth by Glaciers.
The soil Is so thin In most places that IL
can be ripped off like strip of carpet, and
almost everywhere the Scared rocks show
out above it. Half the rocks one sees are
boulders: some the size of an elephant, ana
others approaching that OF great apart
ment house Even the fat rocks are ground
smooth and sees. the work or the
glaciers everywhere. Indeed bed rock Is
close to the surface.
| of the world is the oldest formation known,
and that rocks which are found FAR down
| in other parts of the continent mere ne at
| the surface. One well-knoWn man VINO y
something of an authority on the minerals
of this part OF the world believes that this
is why the cobalt and nickel lie at the sur
face The nickel he supposes 10 De tns
core of the world, saying that II one coulo
get at the heart Of old mother earth ne
would find that it is made of nickel steel.
l doubt whether the southern part of New
Ontario will ever be worth much for farnn-
!, ing although the land between the rocks
/. said to be rich. The whole country,
however is filed with minerals. This ls
especially so about Lake Superior ana
Georgian bay, and above these no one
knows how far northward. l have met
number of explorers who have crossed the
country from here to Hudson bay Ihey
say there are evidences of gold, silver, cop
per and iron all along the way. There are
Immense beds of gypsum near James bay,
and also signs of petroleum and gas.
These explorers, however, have only gone
along the streams over two or three known
traits so that the region is unknown ana
unprospected. The Canadian geological
survey has made some explorations and re-
ported thereon, but no one has any idea
what the country really contains. so far
two of the best mineral regions have been
discovered through railroad cuts. The new
cobalt silver mines. which may possibly
yield $50 600 coo or more within the next
few years, were discovered by the Temi-
skaming railroad builders in excavating the
roadbed about Cobalt lake, and the nickel
mines hare, which are now supplying more
than half the nickel Of the world. were
stumbled upon by the Canadian Pacific rafi-
way while grading it's tracks Twenty-Five
years ago.
Prospecting in Canada.
Prospecting here is not like the business
as carried on IN the Rocky mountains.
There one can go around toting his pack on
horseback or donkeyback and chip the rocks
with his hammer. Here the country -
wooded and there is so much muskeg thar
1t is impossible TO make ones way through,
except upon foot. The prospector carries
his blanket, provisions and tools on his
back holding thems there by g. wide strap
about his forehead. He has often to un-
cover the soil; and. in the cobalt region,
make trenches here and there, stripping the
earth from each likely spot 10 see If the rich
silver veins will not show out In the rock.
One indication of cobalt silver Is known as
cobalt bloom. This is beautiful pink
which the cobalt in the rock takes on when
exposed to the weather. Where there is
much of it 1t looks for all the world just
like the rouge which our society bellies put
on their cheeks in a vain attempt to ind
tate nature.
In prospecting for nickel the men keep
their eyes open for what the Germans call
iron hat (eisen hut) This is red coating
of iron rust covering the hillside or the
rocks which indicates that the mineral,
which may lie below, contains nickel and
copper.
another letter was found in a swamp Tho
nickel cropped out the edge and was
followed under the water. The swamp was
then drained and the largest ore bed OK
nickel ever known was discovered. There
are other swamps about here which may
be standing on nickel. Indeed, the nickel
deposits of this country seem almost In
exhaustible 1t is estimated that there are
more than half billion tons In sight and
the metal is now found throughout ter
ritory about twice as big as Rhode Island
Indeed the most wonderful metal basin
in the world is that which contains Lake
SUPERIOR This lake Is the largest body or
fresh water on earth. 1t is almost as big
as the state of Indiana, arr in some places
IT is about a thousand feet deep. This
vast body Of water seems to lie In q basin
of valuable ores. There is copper all around
II and iron mines both sides of II which
are of enormous extent. The greater part
of the Iron used by the steel trust comes
from Lake Superior, and indeed 1t is safe
to say that most of the tracks over which
our railroads go are composed of Lake Su-
perior ore.
/ will not speak OF the vast bodies of
ore on the United States side. Those on the
Canadian side are known to be of vast
volume. Canada has ranges of iron noun
tains which are said TO be a continuation Of
the Minnesota mines which now lead the
world as iron producers. The Lake Su-
perior Company is shipping ore from some
of these mines, and Is using some from the
to make the steel rails for Cenada's new
railroads. In addition there are other
ranges of iron farther north. which are said
to be of great value
It is the same with copper There Is q
belt of that metal running four hundred
miles along Lake Superior and the Geor9-
ian bay and extending northward to the
height of land It is estimated to cover
an area half as great as Ohio, and there y
no considerable portion anywhere In 1t Y
which copper -bearing rocks are not found.
One square mile OF this country, which IN
cludes the Bruce mines and other properties.
yielded more than 100000 worth OF cop
per between 1870 and 1915.
FRANK q. CARPENTER.