The Mining Region Of Michigan

lt is already quite well knewn to tne public that the Legislatura recently took a trip to the Upper Península, for he doublé purpose of getting inforuiation ol the resources and wants of that región, as well as to enjoy the pleasure Buch a jouruey would furnigh. The honorable body were accompanied by members of the press and a number of invited guosts. The whole party, numbering about 200, with fifteen or twenty ladies, laft Chicago Tuesday morning, Aug. 17, and proceeded by way of the Chicago & Northwestern Railway to Negaunee, and thence by the Marquette & üntouagon Kailroad to Maiquette, the headquarters. The journey to this poiut occupied two days and was a very pleasant one. The contrast between the country seen and our own, was specially marked, and the heavycrops of spring wheat in Wisconsin just then being harvested, elicited uiany iiiarks of surprise. The main object of the trip however was to visit the uiiuing country. Aa we had the pleasure of being one of the touriRts, and were stocked with a fund of inforination in common with the rest, regarding this niarvelous región, we will give our readers the benefit of the most interesting portion of it. Rogarding the jouraeyand its incident it is eno ugh to say that so much, at least was very enjoyable. Nobody was injured or disappointed by accident, bad weather, or the slightest inisfortune. The people along the way were kind, furnishing inforination willingly, and of ten times footing the heavy expenses of entertainment. The railroads without exception f urnished free passage, as did the steamboat companies. The good pooplo of Marquette took the party on a tishing excur sion, 42 miles out in Lake Superior, and capped the whole prograinme with a grand reception the night before the departure tor home. Want of space will not permit us to give a history, even brief, of the development of this great mining country, but it may be said that these developments are of a very recent date. The immense wealth of iron and copper ore has been locked up to ruan for these oountless ages, at least, as the world needs it, to be brought to light and put to use. There are no mines in the woild that equal, or can even be compared with these, not only for their productiveuess, but also tfor he quality of the metal produced. Iron was known to the whites as early as 1830, but the first mine was opened and worked iu 1845. Since that time the mines have increaged with great rapidity, till now, 00 or more are successfully worked, besides a large number of openings that have been made and afterward abandoned for want of capital. The total amount of iron ore produced during the year 1873 was 1,178,879 tons, whioh at its value of $7 per ton, amounts to $8," 251,153. One mine alone, the Jackson, has given to the world 1,306,679 tons since the year 1856. The only drawback this business experiences is a lack of coal for smelting. There is an abundance of wood in that vicinity at present, which is converted into coal, and used where it can be. The greater portion of the ore is shipped south on vessels and worked up, meeting the hard coal half way. One extensive furnace near Marquette, turns out daily about 40 tons of pig-iron. THE COPPER MINES. One entire day was spent by the party in visiting the Calumet and Hecla copper mines. These two mines, virtually one, are situated on a vein of copper running north and south through Keweenaw point. They Bre doing an enortnous business, better perhapB thau any other in the country, in which the saine amount of money is invested. These mines were put into operation in 1867, copper having been discovered here two years before by Edward J. Hulburt, who has done so inuch toward the development of the Upper Peninsula. Heavy capitalista were introducëd to the business and their money solicited. The mines were equipped at a cost of $4,000,000, besides an expense of $450,000 in erecting stamp milis. TVork began and for a time proceeded with considerable doubt. The company had organizad with 80,000 shares, at a par value of $25 eaoh. A few timid ones disposed of their property at $5 a share. As the company became better acquainted with their work, profits began to be realized, till now, the stook pays more than $1,500,000 dividends annually, or upwarde of $20 a share ; moreover stock cannot be bought for $150 a share : owners will not aell, so perfectly aatisfied are they with 100 per oent profit. As before remarked, the two mines are in reality one, and although looated on the surface about a mile apart, thedrifts of the two underground run together. This vein of coppor is about fifteen feet thiek and lies at an angleof 30 degrees, extending into the earth nobody knows how farA depth of 1,400 teet hag been attained, and so far there has been no diminution in extent or quality. The ore is the best found in the world and yields about 5 per cent. of pure coppor. The ore is drawn to the surface by steara power in cars running along the iuclined plane which the bed of the vein leaves. The situation of the vein, on an angle as it is, affords greater facility in its working than were it perpendicular. We were specially favored with the privilege of DESCEND1NC1 INTO A MINE. Introductory to this trip to the "lower regious," we were ciad in miners' suits, and armed with two candles each. One was lighted and the other slipped into the capaciou8 pocket of' our coat, to use if necessary. For 800 feet the descent is made on a " man-engine,' which operates somewhat as follows : Tiuibers six or eight inches square are joined together at the ends till the whole ia long enough to reach to the bottom of the mine. This is mouuted on wheels which run upon' a track on the slope of the shaft of the mine. It is conneoted with steam power, and when at work is drawn up about twenty feet and then let slowly back over the same diatanoe. This altérnate niovement of up and down is all it has ; but by ita side is another constructed in the same manner and working in the same way, only that when the first moves upward the other goes downward, and vice versa. Every twenty feet are small platforms on each of thpse timbers, largo enough for a man to stand upon. A peraon steps upon one of these and is let down gently twenty feet ; he then steps upon the opposite platform which is ready to reoeive him, and goes on down. We were preceded in our descent by a miner as guide, and followed by another. On nearing the bottom, the air became a little damp and ohilly, but there were no diippings of water froin over head as we had expeoted. The darkness seemed so intense that our lights penetrated to only a short distance. After leaving the " man-engine" the reBt of the distance downward was traversed by ladders. On reaching a depth of 1,200 we were conducted through the drifts and aaw the miners at work, drilling, blasting, loading and carting ore. The drilling is done both by hand and by steam power. The men at work under ground are mostly Welsh. They seem to like the business, while none of other nationalities can be found that do. Yet they niake money here, for by working only eight hours out of the twenty-four, they earn from seventy to ninety dollars a month. The wages vary because thay work by the fathom. Common truokmen are paid sixty-seveu dollars a a month. There is something impressive about our situatiou as we stop t'or a moment, and look at the faintly glimiuering Iight8 our conipanion curry, at the arched roof of stone overhead, and notice the death-like stillness of the plaoe, broken only by the occasional sbout of a truckman as he pushes his oar-load of ore through the darkuess, or by the report of a distant blast, yet the indescribable beauty of the walls on either side as they sparkle with the crystals of copper there inibedded, restrains any but exclamations of delight. It is with great reluctance that we turn our eyes and direct our footsteps upward bo as uot to miss the train, but each one carries away a piece of rock as a remembrance of the trip. Our party consisted of Prof. C. K. Adarns, of the University, the Hon. E. G. D. Holden, Seoretary of State, the Hon. Chas. W. Clisbee, Reader in the House of Representativas at Washington, C. C. Allison, of the National Uemocrat at Cossopolis, Chas. A. Brodie, the Pree Press representativo, and the writer. That short trip of an hour into the earth, teaohes us more about the practical working of a mine than all we might read in years could, so kind reader, we fear that you will have to go this same journey if you would fully understand what no pen can fully describe. The ore comes from the mines in inasses of several tons in weight, which have of oourse to be reduced to the consistency of powder before all the eopper can be extracted. To accomplish this a machine called a " crusher" is first used, and the rock under its treatment is broken into, piecea of a few pounds weight. These go now to the stamp mili, where the ore ie pounded into powder, when, the copper being heavier than the other material it is easily separated by a í'ree use of water and sieves. Prom here, the oopper is taken to the smelting furnace, where it is converted into ingots, bars and plates, in which condition it is ready for market. It is 8hipped to Eastern cities, and brings from 22 to 25 cents a pound. The furnace at Hancock where the Calumet & Huela mine has its smelting done, turna out about 40 tona of copper daily. Many other things seen on this trip, which are full of interest, might be described. The company left Marquette for home on Tuesday morning, the 24th, just one week froin the time of starting, the greater portion returning Vjy the way of Chicago, while a few took other routes. Resolutions were adopted both by the party as a whole and by the members of the presa, expressing thanka for the kind treatment of the citizens who did all they could to inake the trip enjoyable, and to the railroad companies for complimentary farea. The trip will do much toward strengtheniug the ties of fraternity between the two penínsulas, and thus dispel all ideas of separation. Our legislatura are arouaed to the import anee of this mining country, and to the tact that here is a gteat depot for the products of the southern portiou of the Statu ; henee that it will be for the interest of all to have direct communioation by rail, one with the other. It was pleasing to note the change of opinión iu those who had never been here before. In line the excursión was oue of profit and pleasure.