The Yale expositor., 1915-08-26


Mines and today no other state produces IN such
vast quantities such a diversity of mineral prod
ucts. While Michgan's fame as mining state
rests mainly on her vast deposits of copper and
iron ores she produces in addition large num-
Der Of other mineral products, among Thea more
important of which are coal, salt, gypsum, clay.
marl limestone glass. whetstones and scythe-
stones, gem stones and silver Prior 10 1896
considerable amount of gold was produced from
quartz veins in the vicinity OF lshpeming
Michigan produces small quantities of oil and
gas Many of the farmers in the southeastern
part of the state and some other places obtain
sufficient natural gas from shallow borings for
domestic purposes. II is the belief of many geolo-
gsts that Michigan may in time become an i'm.
portant producer of oil and gas.
Copper.
The copper industry in Michigan began as early
1S45. The mines located on Keweenaw
point and southwestward in Ontonagon county.
Michigan has the distinction of being. all years
considered, the largest contributor in metallic
copper, of exhibiting the largest copper mining
operations of attaining the lowest cost per ton
of ore handled, of exploiting with profit ores of
lower grade than mined elsewhere. and of
paying larger total dividends than any other min
ing district in the world. The annual output of
refined copper is valued at from $24 900, 900 to
100000, depending the price of the metal.
Copper occurs in native FORM mainly in con-
BlOmerateS ana DeuS. me famous Calumet
and Hecla copper lode Is three miles long and
twelve to fifteen feet thick, and is mined at a
depth Of about one mile. From the mines the
copper ore is hauled to the mills, most of which
are located on the lake. In the mills the copper
is separated from the rock, from whence 1t is
sent to the smeters where II is refined and cast
into shapes for shipment. Great piles of copper
ingots are familiar and characteristic sights on
the docks of Torch and Portage lakes
There is vastly more copper in the ground in
Michigan than has been mined, and Michigan will
produce copper for many, many years to come.
With the gradually declining OF the ores in
creasng depths Of mines, ETC.. the question with
the mining companies relates not so much to ex.
haustion of the copper deposits as to the margin
of profit that the deposits may be forced to yield
on exploitation
Iron was discovered in the Lake Superior re-
gion in 1874 near Negaunee by William, A. Burt
who was in the employ of DR.. Douglass Houghton
the first state geologist OF Michigan. For nearly
half century. prior to 1901 Michigan held first
place In the production of iron ore. Since that
time the production of Minnesota has been much
greater than that OF Michigan The main centers
OF iron mining are Ishpeming and Negaunee on
the Marquette range; Norway Iron Mountain.
Crystal Falls and Iron River on the Menominee
range. and Bessemer, Wakefield and Ironwood on
the Gogebic range
AS old mines abandoned new mines are
started on new discoveries OF ORE and although
Michigan has been mining iron ore for nearly
seventy years there still remains I'm the ground
ready for mining almost, II not quite, as much
iron ore as has been produced I'm all preceding
years. In other words, more ore Is deyeloped and
discovered each year the average than IA
mined that year and at the present time the out
look Is exceedingly encouraging for an indefinite
long and prosperous period OF iron mining