MICHIGAN. 



581 



92 steam-blocks in operation, 29 pan-blocks, 

 2 kettle-blocks ; total number of blocks 121, 

 and 4,500 salt-covers. Estimated annual ca- 

 pacity, 3,400,000 barrels. The following is a 

 comparison of the amount and kind of salt 

 produced in 1880 and 1881 : 



The total amount inspected in each salt dis- 

 trict is as follows: 



Barreli. 



District No. 1, Saginaw County 1 ,087,050 



" No. 2, Bay County 1,112,5-29 



" No. 3, Huron County 826.952 



" No. 4, losco County 147,579 



" No. 5, Midland County 74,53T 



" No. 6, Manistee County 16,042 



Total 2,750,299 



While the average depth of the Saginaw 

 wells is about 900 feet, the Manistee salt de- 

 posit was reached at a depth of 1,964 feet, 

 when 32 feet of solid salt- rock was found. 

 A single Saginaw well has yielded 26,000 

 barrels in a manufacturing season of eight 

 months. 



A " Lumberman's Gazette " writer says : 

 " The salt interest of Michigan can be safely 

 pronounced a permanent source of wealth. 

 Subterranean explorations are being made in 

 widely scattered parts of the Lower Peninsula 

 in Berrien, Gratiot, Muskegon, Alpena, Che- 

 boygan, and other counties with promising 



Erospects. Under a general enabling act passed 

 y the last Legislature, an underground pipe- 

 line, nine inches in bore and twelve miles in 

 length, was laid between the salt-wells of East 

 Ta\vas and the lumber-mills at Oscoda ; it is 

 expected that it will supply brine enough for 

 the daily manufacture of one thousand bar- 

 rels." 



Also : " The best qualities of Michigan salt 

 sell promptly for dairy and family use, and are 

 especially adapted to the wants of packers of 

 meats and fish. The inferior grades are branded 

 as such, and sold for salting stock and hides, 

 and similar purposes, while an increasing mar- 

 ket has opened for refuse salt as a fertilizer. 

 Shipments in bulk and in sacks have recently 

 begun." 



In 1880 the average price of Michigan salt 

 was 75 cents per barrel, and in 1881, 83| cents 

 Saginaw salt averaging 90 cents. 



The Marquette " Mining Journal " gives full 

 statistics of the product of the Upper Peninsu- 

 lar iron-mines for 1881, and also a table of the 

 aggregate production of the mines and furnaces, 

 in gross tons, since 1856, and the value of the 

 same. The product for the last five years is 

 appended, and also the total for the twenty-six 

 years : 



The value of the quartz product of 1881 was 

 $75,713, giving a total production for the year 

 of $20,573,713. 



Six mines raised ore exceeding $1,000,000 

 each, as follows : Republic, $2,337,860 ; Lake 

 Superior, $2,185,578.50; Cleveland, $1,886,- 

 405.50 ; Champion, $1,454,270 ; Chapin, $1,- 

 076,168; Indiana, $1,024,500.50. 



The following table, from the same paper, 

 shows the product of the Lake Superior char- 

 coal-furnaces in 1881, with its value in mar- 

 ket: 



Concerning the out-put of the copper-mines 

 of Lake Superior for 1881, the " Portage Lake 

 Mining Gazette," of January 5th, said : Below 

 will be found the yield of the leading mines of 

 this district for the year ending December 31, 

 1881: 



MINES. Tons. 



Calumet and Hecla 19,462 



Quincy 8,407 



Osceola 2,408 



Atlantic 1,815 



Franklin 1,614 



1'ewabic 1,128 



Allouez 969 



Copper Falls 459 



Hancock 446 



All other sources, including Central, 

 Phoenix, Conglomerate, and St. Clair 

 mines, the Ontonagou district and 



tributaries, about 2,400 



Total 84,108 



Product in 1880 81,500 



Ponndi. 



482 

 1,485 



880 

 1,995 



190 

 1,550 

 1,845 



810 



508 



1,195 



Excess in 1881. 



2,602 



1,195 



Estimating the mineral yield for 1881 at 

 80 per cent ingot, the " Northwestern Mining 

 Journal " (published at Hancock) tabulates the 

 total production of mines named since the be- 

 ginning of mining operations : 



MINES. Tom, tafjot. 



Atlantic 10,587 



Calumet and Hecla 142,127 



Franklin 10,843 



Hancock U0 



Huron 8,9TO 



Osceola 9,928 



Pewablc 12,419 



Quincy 29,475 



Total 226,559 



The writer adds: "At twenty cents per 

 pound, the united product of the above-men- 



