Old Mackinaw Part 18

PERE MARQUETTE, BLACK CREEK AND BIG SAUBLE.

C. Mears & Co., 3 mills 95,000

SPRING CREEK.

Hopkins & Co. 24,000

MANISTEE.

Coles 80,000 McVicker &Ingleman 24,000 One near Manistee 24,000 John C. Haines 55,000 John Stranch 40,000

GRAND TRAVERSE.

Hanna, Lay & Co. 32,000 A. S. Wadsworth 15,000

WHITE RIVER.

Amos Rathbone 24,000

MECOSTA.

Leonard, Ives, & Co. 20,000

MONTCALM COUNTY.

Bruce 10,000 Slaght 14,000 E. Gregory & Co. 20,000

LELANAW COUNTY.

Averill & Son 2,000

BEC SCIE'S RIVER.

R. Gardner 15,000 Chamberlin & Co. 20,000 Name unknown 2,000 Harris & Co. 10,000

IONIA COUNTY.

Estimated Aggregate 100,000 All others, on West Slope, estimated 350,000 Capital Western Slope 2,669,500 Total Capital of State $8,029,500

An intelligent gentleman who, at our instance, visited all the establishments around Saginaw, and procured statistics, reports the amount of lumber manufactured as follows:

Place. No. of Mills. Feet.

Bay City 11 20,000,000 Portsmouth 4 5,000,000 Zilwaukee 1 3,000,000 Carrollton 1 2,800,000 East Saginaw 8 19,750,000 Saginaw City 4 14,000,000 Bad River 2 4,500,000 Rafted Lumber 4,000,000 ---------- Total 73,050,000 Valuation, at $8.50 per M. $620,925

Of the above lumber, 63,000,000 has been shipped; the rest is now on the docks.

Shingles manufactured 25,000,000 at $2.50 $62,500 Lath " 5,000,000 at 1.00 5,000 Oak Staves and shipped 2,000,000 at 30.00 60,000 Add Lumber 620,925 -------- Total $748,425

The supply of pine in some few localities is becoming exhausted, and some few mills have ceased operating. This is the case at Lexington, but the machinery and capital have been taken elsewhere. At the present ratio of consumption, the supply of pine must rapidly become diminished, but profitable employment will then be found in the manufacture of hemlock and hard-wood. Some little has already been done in the way of turning out hemlock. The manufacture of hard-wood lumber is increasing very rapidly.

The copper interest of Michigan was first brought into public notice by the enormous speculations and the mad fever of 1845. The large spur of country which projects far out into the lake, having its base resting on a line drawn across from L'Anse Bay to Ontonagon, and the Porcupine Mountains for its spine, became the El Dorado of all copperdom of that day. In this year the first active operations were commenced at the Cliff Mine, just back of Eagle River harbor. Three years later, in 1848, work was undertaken at the Minnesota, some fifteen miles back from the lake at Ontonagon.

The history of the copper mines on Lake Superior shows that even the best mines disappointed the owners in the beginning. We give the facts relative to the three mines at present in the Lake Superior region to ill.u.s.trate this. The Cliff Mine was discovered in 1845, and worked three years without much sign of success; it changed hands at the very moment when the vein was opened which proved afterward to be so exceedingly rich in copper and silver, producing now on an average 1,500 tons of stamp, barrel, and ma.s.s copper per annum.

The Minnesota Mine was discovered in 1848, and for the first three years gave no very encouraging results. The first large ma.s.s of native copper of about seven tons was found in a pit made by an ancient race.

After that discovery much money was spent before any other further indications of copper were found. This mine yields now about 2,000 tons of copper per annum, and declared, for the year 1858, a net dividend of $300,000. The dividends paid since 1852 amount to upward of $1,500,000 on a paid-up capital of $66,000.

The same has been experienced at the Pewabic Mine. That mine commenced operations in the year 1855, with an expenditure of $26,357, which produced $1,080 worth of copper; the second year it expended $40,820, and produced $31,492 of copper; in 1857 $24,484 of expenses produced $44,058 worth of copper; 1858, the amount expended was $109,152, and the receipts for copper $76,538; the total expense amounts to $235,816, and the total receipts for copper to $153,168, leaving an excess of expenses amounting to $82,648, which is, however, amply covered by the extensive works established above and below ground at the mine.

The Pewabic will undoubtedly take its place among the dividend-paying mines of the present year.

It is scarcely ten years that mining has been properly commenced in that remote region. At that time it was difficult, on account of the rapids of St. Mary's River, to approach it by water with large craft.

Being more than a thousand miles distant from the centre of the Union, dest.i.tute of all the requirements for the development of mines; every tool, every part of machinery, every mouthful of provisions had to be hauled over the rapids, boated along the sh.o.r.es for hundreds of miles to the copper region, and there often carried on the back of man and beast to the place where copper was believed to exist. Every stroke of the pick cost tenfold more than in populated districts; every disaster delayed the operations for weeks and months.

The opening of the Saut Ca.n.a.l has changed all this and added a wonderful impetus to the business, the mining interests, and the development of the Lake Superior country. Nearly one hundred different vessels, steam and sail, have been engaged the past season in its trade, and the number of these is destined largely to increase year by year, an indication of the growth of business and the opening up of the country. For the growth in the copper interest we have only to refer to the shipments from that region year by year. These, in gross, are as follows:

1853 2,535 tons.

1854 3,500 "

1855 4,544 "

1856 5,357 "

1857 6,094 "

1658 6,025 "

1859 6,245 "

The same facts of development would hold generally true, with regard to the other industrial interests of that vast country.

It remains yet almost wholly "a waste, howling wilderness." At Marquette, Portage Lake, Copper Harbor, Eagle River, Eagle Harbor, and Ontonagon, and the mines adjacent, are the only places where the primeval forests have given place to the enterprise of man, and these in comparison with the whole extent of territory embraced in this region, are but mere insignificant patches. What this country may become years hence, it would defy all speculations now to predict, but there seems no reason to doubt that it will exceed the most sanguine expectations.

The copper region is divided into three districts, viz., the Ontonagon, the most northern, the Keweenaw Point, the most eastern, and the Portage Lake, lying mostly below and partially between the range of the two. In the first are situated the Minnesota, the Rockland, the National, and a mult.i.tude of other mines of lesser note, profit, or promise. In the Cliff, the Copper Falls, and others. In the last are the Pewabic, Quincy, Isle Royale, Portage, Franklin, and numerous others. Each district has some peculiarities of product, the first developing the ma.s.ses, while the latter are more prolific in vein-rock, the copper being scattered throughout the rock.

There have been since 1845 no less than 116 copper-mining companies organized under the general law of our State. The amount of capital invested and now in use, or which has been paid out in explorations and improvements, and lost, is estimated by good judges at $6,000,000.

The nominal amount of capital stock invested in all the companies which have charters would reach an indefinite number of millions. As an offset to this, it may be stated that the Cliff and Minnesota mines have returned over $2,000,000 in dividends from the beginning of their operations, and the value of these two mines will more than cover the whole amount spent in mining, and for all the extravagant undertakings which have been entered upon and abandoned. While success has been the exception and failure the rule in copper speculations, yet it must be admitted that these exceptions are remarkably tempting ones. Doubtless there is immense wealth still to be developed in these enterprises, and this element of wealth in the Lake Superior region is yet to a.s.sume a magnitude now unthought of.

The copper is smelted mainly in this city, Cleveland, and Boston, the works in this city being the largest. There is one establishment at Pittsburg which does most of the smelting for the Cliff Mine, we believe; one at Bergen, N. Y., and one at New Haven, Conn. There are two at Baltimore, but they are engaged on South American Mineral. The Bruce Mines on the Canada side of Lake Huron have recently put smelting works in operation on their location. Prior to this the mineral was barreled up and shipped to London, being taken over as ballast, in packet ships, at low rates.

The amount of copper smelted in this city we can only judge by the amount landed here, but this will afford a pretty accurate estimate.

The number of tons landed here, in 1859, was 3,088. The copper yield of Lake Superior will produce between 60 and 70 per cent, of ingot copper, which is remarkably pure. The net product of the mines for 1859, is worth in the markets of the world nearly or quite $2,000,000.

This large total shows the capabilities of this region and affords us some basis of calculation as to the value and probable extent of future development.

Beside the amount already noticed as landed here there were 1,268 tons brought to this city from the Bruce Mines, and sent on to London. The mineral of this location is of a different quality from that of Lake Superior and not near so productive of pure copper. The price of ingot copper in New York the past season has arranged from 20-1/2 to 23-1/2 cents per pound, averaging full 22-1/2 cents.

There are indications that Michigan is slowly but surely taking the rank to which she is ent.i.tled in the manufacture as well as production of iron. The first shipment of pig iron of any consequence was made by the Pioneer Company in the fall of 1858. Dr. Russell, of this city, is turning out large quant.i.ties. His works went into operation about two years and a half ago, but were burned after running sixty days. They were immediately rebuilt by the enterprising proprietor.

The Lake Superior iron has been proclaimed the best in the world, a proposition that none can successfully refute. Its qualities are becoming known in quarters where it would naturally be expected its superiority would be admitted reluctantly, if at all. It is now sent to New York and Ohio, and even to Pennsylvania--an agency for its sale having been established in Pittsburg. For gearing, shafting, cranks, f.l.a.n.g.es, and, we ought by all means, to add, car-wheels, no other should be used, provided it can be obtained.

A large amount of capital is invested in the iron interest in Michigan, as the following figures prove:

Pioneer $150,000 Jackson 300,000 Collins 150,000 Cleveland 300,000 Lake Superior and Iron Mountain R. R. Co. 700,000 Northern Michigan Iron Company 110,000 Wyandotte Rolling Mills 236,000 Eureka Iron Company 117,000 Dr. G. B. Russell's 60,000 Ford & Philbrick's Steam Forge 25,000 --------- 2,148,000

Marquette is the only point on Lake Superior where the iron ore deposits have been worked. There are deposits of iron in the mountains back of L'Anse, but this wonderful region leaves nothing more to be desired for the present. At a distance of eighteen miles from the lake, are to be found iron mountains named the Sharon, Burt, Lake Superior, Cleveland, Collins, and Barlow, while eight miles further back lie the Ely and St. Clair mountains. Three of these mountains are at present worked, the Sharon, the Cleveland, and the Lake Superior, and contain enough ore to supply the world for generations to come.

The mountains farther back embrace tracts of hundreds of acres rising to a height of from four to six hundred feet, which, there is every reason to believe, from the explorations made, are solid iron ore. The extent of the contents of these mountains is perfectly fabulous, in fact, so enormous as almost to baffle computation. The ore, too is remarkably rich, yielding about seventy per cent. of pure metal. There are now in operation at Marquette three Iron Mining Companies, and two blast furnaces for making charcoal pig iron, the Pioneer and Meigs.

The Pioneer has two stacks and a capacity of twenty tons of pig iron per day; the Meigs one stack, capable of turning out about eleven tons. The Northern Iron Company is building a large bituminous coal furnace at the mouth of the Chocolate River, three miles south of Marquette, which will be in operation early in the summer.

Each of the mining companies, the Jackson, Cleveland and Lake Superior, have docks at the harbor for shipment, extending out into the s.p.a.cious and beautiful bay which lies in front of Marquette to a sufficient length to enable vessels of the largest dimension to lie by their side and to be loaded directly from the cars, which are run over the vessels and dumped into chutes, which are made to empty directly into the holds. The process of loading is therefore very expeditious and easy.

The amount of shipments of ore for 1859, from Marquette to the ports below, reaches 75,000 gross tons in round numbers, and the shipments of pig iron, 6,000 gross tons more. To this must be added the amount at Marquette when navigation closed, the amount at the mines ready to be brought down, and the amount used on the spot. This will give a total product of the iron mines of Michigan for the past year of between _ninety and one hundred thousand tons_. These mining companies simply mine and ship the ore and sell it. Their profit ranges between seventy-five cents and one dollar per ton.

The quality of the iron of Lake Superior is conceded by all to be the best in the world, as the a.n.a.lysis of Prof. Johnson, which we reproduce, shows. The table shows the relative strength per square inch in pounds.