226 ALEXANDER AGASSIZ 



Writing to Murray in January, 1888, Agassiz says : 

 " We ought to have made millions by the rise in cop- 

 per ; it unfortunately caught us with a fire in the mine, 

 which is still burning, and I have had the satisfaction 

 of seeing others reap the benefit of a state of things for 

 which I had been hoping for five years. It is aggravat- 

 ing to have things happen as one anticipates, and then 

 when the time comes, to be knocked out of time by 

 such a disaster as has hit us. However, better luck next 

 time." 



By October he writes from Calumet: "Everything is 

 humming here, and if we keep on as now, no accidents, 

 we shall nearly catch up all our copper allowance 1 by 

 January 1, and after that are sure of $30 to $35 per 

 share as long as the syndicate lasts — two years at $35, 

 and then from $40 to $50 ! 2 after the equipment is in. 

 It begins to look as if I might yet have my [exploring] 

 steamer." 



Still another fire further crippled the mine ; early in 

 1889 he writes : " Calumet is at last put out again, but 

 I fear the damage of these successive fires has been very 

 great and will use up much of the profit." A few months 

 later he says : " I find things at the mine in much bet- 

 ter condition than I feared the fire would leave them 

 after being closed so long. So I shall go back greatly 

 relieved and trust this will be the end of our burning. 

 It 's getting to be worse than the fire of the Vestal 

 Virgins. " 



But to turn back again to his more congenial fields; 



1 Refers to an arrangement with a French syndicate that attempted to 

 control the copper market of the world. 



2 At its most prosperous period, Calumet paid S100 a share in one 

 fiscal year. 



