The L'Anse sentinel. (L'Anse, L.S., Mich.) 18??-current, 1915-02-13
SILVER MOUNTAIN
FIELD OF PROMISE.


Secretary John A. Doelle of the Ke-
weenaw Historical society has received
from Former Lieutenant Governor O..
w. Robinson Of Chassell, one of the
Oldest and best informed residents Of
the copper country, the following in
teresting communication:
The possibilities of mineral deposits
In the southeastern part of Houghton
county and the southwestern part OF
Baraga county, region as yet unex-
plored to any extent, / think warrant =
thorough survey by our state geologist
to determine the nature Of the forma-
tion and discover any indications OF
mineral deposits. The region is what
is known as ''Silver Mountain" in
Townships 49 and 80. Ranges IS and S6.
and lies between the well known cop
per and iron ranges, but SO far has re-
ceived little or no attention from the
men Of either of these well-defined
mineral ranges.
I; -. Why it was named Silver Noun
tain by the survey ! have never been
able to definitely determine, unless it
might have been that miners were at
work there when the survey was being
made. It is certain that mining was
being done more than sixty years ago
and that the mineral obtained was sill
yer. An adit was driven from the
western slope Of the mountain towards
the east in the direction Of Section 6,
1896, hundred feet or more and o
shaft sunk to an unknown depth, as it
filed with water and could not be
measured.
Lumbermen working in that vicinity
along in the seventies and eighties fire.
qusntly visited the place, explored the
adit and old buildings and found eyi-
dences that silver had been mined
there. In what had been blacksmith
shop they found many blocks Of maple
wood which had served - molds in
casting rings, crosses and other
charms. These moulds were charred
inside, showing that molten metal had
been poured into them. About 1885 l
met in Barsga q man who said that he
had worked at this mine. that they had
found native silver there in small guam
titles, and did melt It and run it into
rings, crosses, etc. His statements, TO-
Rether with the moulds found by the
.'lumberjacks.'' would indicate that
there had been more or less native sill
yer found there in the veins which they
we're working.
Along in the eighties F. w. Alston
and others homesteaded the rest of Sec
tion /, 1886. exception the southeast
quarter Of the southea It quarter. Mr..
Aston made some explorations on the
surface, but I never heard Of his find
ing any mineral, though he did locate
an immense bank Of kaolin which he
claimed was very valuable for making
the finest quality Of china-ware. He
succeeded in organizing company in
Detroit to take over the property with
the view Of establishing factory at
Barsga for the manufacture Of china
ware. They went 20 far as to buy 9
tract Of land on the shore Of Keweenaw
bay Immediately south Of Baraga village
and to make preliminary survey for
q railroad from Baraga to the bank Of
kaolin on Section !, 1896, distance
Of about twenty miles. 1t was rumored
that $50, 900 had been spent by the
company when they discovered that
the kaolin was valueless for making
pottery and this ended the enterprise.
There are several similar banks Of
kaolin along the Sturgeon river and also
along the Ontonagon river. once had
test made from some taken from q
bank in Town so, Range IS, but found
it without value for making china. al
1t tested over 90 per cent Of the very
finest Of silica, valuable only for scour.
ing purposes.
Going up the Sturgeon river above
the falls to the south and east, there
ID no more cutcrop Of sandstone OF
trap rock, but many lodges Of fine
grained hard formation resembling in
color the iron range still farther sooth.
There are many quartz veins crossing
this formation, and several years ago