Wausau pilot. [volume] (Wausau, Wis.) 1896-1940, 1906-11-06
A LETTER FROM JAY McCROSSEN
HAILEYBURY, Ont, Oct. 81, 1906.
To THE EDITOR, WAUsAU PILoT,
Wausau, Wis.

hAlIEYBUR4, Ont, Oct. ~, 1906.
To THE EDITOR, WAUsAU PILoT,
Wausau, Wis.
Dear Sir 1T occurs to me that it may
interest some of my friends and ac-
qnaintances in Wausau, to hear some
thing of the Cobalt mining district in
which | have now spent several months
time; and with this idea in mind | take
the liberty of submitting letter to the
editor of the PILoT for publication.
1t is surprising that so little is known
Of this truly wonderful part of the
world. | believe | am correct in saying
that the news of gold and silver dis
coveries in Montana, California, Neva-
da and Alaska spread like wildfire over
all parts of the globe, and yet here is
land to which no other has, so far, com
pared in the richness of its silver de-
posits-and almost unnoticed by the
outside world. Nature has performed
such wonders here as overturn all prey
ious theories of our geologists; certain
formations of rock, which were for
merly declared to be foreign to all
mineral deposits, have proven to be
rich with silver and gold; veins have
been discovered which are almost
beyond the comprehension of men who
have lived in mining camps all their
lives. And yet these facts are practi-
caily unknown; comparatively speak
ing, the mining fever does not exist;
men come calmly into the camp to
satisfy themselves that what they have
heard is not true, convince themselves
OF their error, and go away with stories
which are not believed There is none
of the rush and excitement, none of the
wild and lawless element so character
istic of most mining camps, but a
steady going community in which law
and order are remarkably well pre-
served. The reasons for this state of
affairs are very apparent. The Cobalt
region is very different from the ordin-
airy mining districts of which we read;
it is more open, and not at all noun
famous country; furthermore, there
have been small settlements all through
the country for centuries. The charac-
ter of the country, therefore, does not
invite the rough element which seems
to predominate in most mining camps
Then again, the fact that no intoxicat
ing liquor is sold in Cobalt, accounts, in
a great measure, for the existing con-
dition of things. The miners are, as a
rule, an easy going set of fellows who
have dritted here looking for work, and
are not the hardened, experienced men
who usually work in mining communi-
ties.
Cobalt is situated in the wilderness of
Northern Ontario, country of beauti-
full lakes and great forests. 1t is on
the Temiskaming and Northern Ontario
railway about three hundred and forty
worthy fact that the extension of this
railroad north led to the discovery of
the mineralzed district instead of the
mineralized district necesitating the
building of the railroad For years,
Indians, traders and prospectors had
travelled over the country unmindful
of the great riches beneath them, and
not until October, 1908, were there any
discoveries of Importance. At that
time the railway construction crew was
cutting through the ledges of slate rock
in the vicinity of what is now the town
of Cobalt, and "LaRose'' the blacksmith
of the party, discovered the first valu
able nugget of silver. Specimens of ore
were subsequently sent to the provincial
geologist who made his Investigations
and delivered a report which was in
strumental in leading spectators into
the field. Among the pioneer capitalists
who entered the district was MIR. Z. F.
Earle, of New York, who purchased, at
the time, eight or nine separate mining
claims comprising an area of seven
hundred acres. This property is now
known as The Nipissing, Earle, Ameri-
can, or Standard Oil company mine
and is, without question, the richest
property in the district. Within the
past two months the stock in this com
pany has advanced over twenty dollars
per share, the advance being partly due
to the discovery of a vein of almost
pure silver five feet in width, the most
remarkable vein ever uncovered. Quot
ing from William Starr Bullock report
ON hn IL
general character of the Cobalt ore de-
posits, Never before in the history of
silver mining has ore been found, in
quantities, which will run from 1000 to
5000 or 5000 ounces of silver to the ton
Mining men of experience were slow
to believe such tales until they came to
Cobalt and saw for themselves. In any
other silver camp, ore which will run
500 to $3.50 ton is considered high
grade, but here there are thousands of
tons of seconds lying on the ore dumps,
and still in place in the wallings, which
will assay fully 500 on the average"
1t would be too long task to give
complete resume of the mines in the
district and discuss fully their merits
and dement's. |, therefore, shall men
ton only few in 6 general way. /
enclose two copies of Mr.. Bullock's
little book in which may be found a
reliable statement of the conditions
here, and clear, concise review of the
several workings.
In the immediate vicinity of Cobalt
are located The NipiSsing, The LaRose
or Timmins, The Buffalo, The McKin-
ley ard Darragh. O'brien, Trethewey.
and Silver Queen mines, all of them
shipping properties. just outside of
this circle are the DrummOnd, White q
Hargrave, Temiskamingue. Jacobs,
Lawson, Silver Leaf, Foster, University,
Kerr Lake and the Mcleod -Glendenning