Year: 1870

4 A Whole Island OF Silver on the n Orth


shore of Lake supertOr-1EilliOns OF
silver Being Taken Out-The Most


Remarkable Discovery OF the Age.
We have before alluded to the Sill
yer Island of the North Shore of Lake
Superior, in the British Possessions,
fifteen miles beyond Fort William.
The island is quite small in dimensions
say one hundred feet by fOTty-and
the most of it is submerged at high
Water-a small part at one end Is
about eight feet above the lake level
This island was entered by the Mon
treal Mining Company, as part Of
tract embracing 10S 600 acres; aud the
island was subsequently, purchased Of
them BY Captain Will B. FreW (for-
merly of Portage Lake and superin
tendent of the South Pewabic Copper
Mine) for himself and associates, in
Guiding among them Major Sibley Of
New York, a brother, We think, of
General Sibley of st. Paul. The Mon
treal Mining Company first made the
discovery that the Island contained
silver, and by their agents sunk
shaft on the Island; but these knew





water coming in upon them, further
working of their mine was abandoned
as useless. 1t was only the last sum-
mer chat Captain E. and his company
completed their bargain with the Mon
treal Company for the Island, and Sc
cured it by paying, or agreeing to pay.
S259, 600 for the entire los, 900 acres.
They went Immediately to work at
improving the mine in a workman
like manner" Their first step was to
surround the Island with cribs of tim
Der, filed with stone, to serve as a
breakwateT and ice breaker; and with
in these cribs a coffer-dam was built,
and puddled with clay, having the ef-
feet of making the whole interior of
the Island nearly water tight, at least
from the Intrusions Of the Lake. The
next step was to set up two large sy-
phon pumps worked by steam, by
which the inside was pumped dry, or
nearly so, and it has since been found
that a very little working of the pumps
daily keeps the Island clear of water
entirely. They then went to work
laying bare the Vein: and now have
exposed seventy feet In length, and
find it to be a true fissure Vein, with
perpendicular Walls-the Vein, or Sill
yer matrix being calcareous spar with
some littlo quartz intermiXed. The
Vein is eight feet wide. and eye-wit-
nesses from there state that for one
quarter of this width it will average
seventy per cent. of pure Silver. On
the first trial, after the water was got
ten out, six men took out over $35, 600
worth of silver in four days; and up to
the latest accounts the working has
peen continued at about this rate. Al
ready one hundred and tWenty-three
barrels of native silver, estimated to
be worth $4,000 to 100000; have
been shipped. The yield of the mine,
computing by the ton, Is not less than
a dollar to the poundl The mine en-
plOys now about forty men, and will
increase their force Immediately.


The royalty paid on this to the
English government is quite small
not exceeding one-tWentieth. Eye
witnesses of intelligence, judgment
and experience report that Captain
FreW will probably take out of Silver,
up to the opening of navigation next
spring, from $1,000, 600 to 3, 100000 IN
money valuel The steamer Meteor
conveyed down the Lakes. on her trip
before last, 62 barrels of Silver. This
Silver Island is no humbuR, but an
actual b621a tide affair, in which the
most wonderful results have already
been obtained, and all bids fair to
make it in yield and richness the most
remarkable mining discovery in this
country for many years. Some masses
of silver went down on the Meteor
larger and heavier than a man could
lift. A part of the Island Vein, say
two feet on the eight feet in width, is
wonderfully rich, and it is from this
portion that the large silver masses
are extracted. Other rich Mines Of
Silver are reputed as having been
found on the Main North Shore in the
range of the Silver Island, and Captain
Hodson of Portage Lake has gone
East to organize company to work
them.


Much excitement exists around the
shores Of Lake Superior over this
wonderful development of argentifeT-
Gus wealth. And doubtless, now that
the mind of the experienced mining
world in this quarter is directed to the
subject, much prospecting" will en-
sue and further discoveries be made.


Il is already mooted In Duluth to
make an effort to reap some of the ad-
vantages from this wealth of silver, by
being its winter supply point, through
the construction of a practical wagon
road for one hundred and fifty miles
down the North Shore, through St
Louis and Lake 1nties. to the inter
national line and beyond. The next
Minnesota Legislature will be applied
to for an act authorizing State road
in that direction, and the issue of
county bonds by Lake and St. Louis
for its construction. Duluth 5liVHes0-
LaH