No. 6.] DOUGLAS — LAKE SUPERIOR COPPER MINES. 335 



Tlic paid-iijD capital on the same mines amounts to the trifling 

 sum — 



Dollars. 



Calumet and Hecla 800,000 



Quincy 200,000 



Pittsburgh and Boston 110,000 



Central 100,000 



Minnesota 436,000 



Franklin 370,000 



Pewabic 235,000 



National 110,000 



2,361,000 

 Increase of dividend over assessments, 9,449,000 



There is, of course, another side to the picture. Of 111 mining- 

 companies formed, only the eight above enumerated and the 

 Copper Falls Company have paid dividends. Many of the com- 

 panies were organised to work locations where there was no 

 copper at all, and others failed through ignorance and bad man- 

 agement. The total amount levied, as far as can be ascertained, 

 has been 19,296,500 dols. 



All the copper produced in the Peninsula is smelted at Hancock 

 on Portage Lake, or at Detroit, branches of the same establish- 

 ment. Detroit takes the mass copper from the Keweenah and 

 Ontonagon Districts, as the furnaces there are constructed to 

 receive it. The roof of the reverberatories are lifted, and masses 

 of 10 tons lowered on to the bed, when the roof is replaced, 

 lilted down, and the fires lighted. In the Hancock establishment 

 only the barrel and stamp work of the Portage District is treated. 



The mineral from each mine is smelted apart, and the copper 

 returned in ingots; 18-00 dols. per ton being charged for the 

 firat smelting, and 12 00 dols. for every ton of slag and coarse 

 copper re-smelted.. 



In the Hancock establishment there are seven reverberatories 

 and two cupola furnaces. 



The copper is smelted without any flux in the reverberatories, 

 in charges of 16 tons. Eight to ten hours are occupied in run- 

 ning down, two to three hours in poling, and three hours in 

 ladling out. When pressed for time nine charges are smelted a 

 week. 



The product is about 78 per cent of the copper as ingot, a rich 

 slag which is returned to the reverberatory, and a poorer slag 

 which is re-smelted in Mackenzie's blast-furnace with lime as a 



