The Calumet news. [volume] (Calumet, Mich.) 1907-1938, 1910-09-17
CHARACTER OF
Big LAKE LODES
HOW COPPER WEALTH HAS
BEEN DEVELOPED - RICH
NESS OF THE FAMED
BALTIC AMYGDALolD.

The peninsula OF northern Miehi-
gan, which projects into Lake SUI
perior. is practically the only To-
eanty in the world where copper oc-
ours in a native state in sufficient
quantities TO make mining profit
able. In many mines deposits OF
nearly pure copper are found about
thirty or forty feet below the out
crop OF a vein, but these are rarely
of more than very few feet in depth
and are merely the result of the chem
ical breaking down of the ore through
the action of the surface waters. In
the course OF this process the copper
is dissolved and re-deposited, leav-
ing the vein matter above in a rotted
condition. But in the Lake Superior
region pure copper is disseminated
through the rock in two distinct for
nations. The first of these, in point
of richness, is the conglomerate; the
second is the amygdaloid A con-
clomerate vein very much resembles
a pudding stone. Only two of these
conglomerate lodes have been mined
10 any extent, namely, the Allouez
and the Calumet and Hecla, and Of
these only the latter has proved prof
liable. strangely enough even this
vein has not been a success on the
Centennial property Immediately ad-
joining
History OF Baltic Lode.
An amygdaloid vein while not near
" as rich has the compensating quail
ity of being much more reliable.
These veins. when once found, may
be followed to a great depth with
very little variation. both in value
and in general width and direction.
The reason for this is apparent when
we consider the different manner in
which they have been formed An
amygdaloid vein is a sort of lava
or igneous rock which either has
been forced up through a fault in
the earths crust or has been poured
over the surface and then folded IN
Until the arrival of the Baltic lode
the Osceola and Kearsarge had beer
the most prominent amygdaloid veins
in the Lake Superior district. They
still rank ahead OF IL in the value OF
their output although recent devel'
opments have shown that the Baltic
Is not only uniformly richer, but eX'
tends along the peninsula TO a mucl
greater length than any other lode
The general direction is southwest
paralelling the eastern sandstone an
the dip varies from SO 10 70 degrees
It's width averages about 30 feet ant
IL carries between twenty and thir
" pounds OF copper TO the ton, max
ing II far richer than the veins OF
n similar nature now being worked 81
proftably by the Calumet and Hecla
and the Osceola. II was first To-
Gated in 1882 by a diamond drill OF
the property of the Baltic mine from
which Il takes it's name, but owing e
ignorance of its angle of inclination
the next drill failed 10 find it and i
was not until 1899 that production
from Il at this point was commenced
Meanwhile the Trimountain to thu
south Of the Baltic had discovered th'
lode and also the Champion 10 tn
south Of that BY 1902 these three
mines were producing and had made
such showings that the Copper Rang
company was organized and acquired
control OF all three and later also o
the Globe next below them on which
the Baltic lode has also been 10
Gated Under the management of W
A. Paine these mines with a tota
mineral acreage of about $500 acre