HISTORICAL SKETCH. 95 



1865, Eames.] 



The Physical Geography ot the district embraced in that portion of the 

 state bordering on lake Superior. A large share of the geological report 

 of Dr. Owen is devoted to this district ; the maps accompanying that report 

 were constructed previous to the linear surveys ; Mr. Clark locates many 

 of the points of interest, giving their section, township and range, especially 

 the entrance of rivers, and prominent points or bays of the coast. 



Meteorology of the district, embracing the carefully reduced results ot 

 one full year's observations, and of several concurrent and parallel months. 



A list of plants and trees of the district, observed mainly between St. 

 Paul and lake Superior, on the meridian 16 west from Washington ; the 

 northern and southern limits of species being noted. 



H. H. EAMES. 



The following year, under direction of Governor Miller, Mr. H. H. 

 Eames continued the prosecution of the geological survey of the state, and 

 his first report, without date, was printed in 1866. Mr. Eames' labor was 

 essentially "prospecting." All other objects but a vigorous hunt for 

 "mineral," were ignored. His first report is a pamphlet of twenty -three 

 pages, and throughout it bears evidence that the writer was convinced, a 

 priori, that the state of Minnesota was one of the richest mineral countries 

 in the world. He discovered gold and silver, but could not yet state the 

 "angle" at which veins containing them occur, but had the "impression 

 that it would be found to be about 85." These "discoveries" led to a gold- 

 mining fever, centering on Vermilion lake, in the northern part of the 

 state, in which many hundreds of thousands of dollars were squandered 

 in the next two years. Several companies began mining, hauling their 

 machinery and supplies from Duluth at great expense. Unscrupulous 

 "assayers," "prospectors" and "geologists" fostered the excitement. A 

 town of mushroom growth sprang up near the south side of the lake. A 

 would-be geologist and "spiritualist," who subsequently aspired to the 

 position of "peat-commissioner" to the state of Minnesota, located the 

 precious lodes at Vermilion lake by the necromancy of spiritualistic medi- 

 ums. The fever spread. The state geologist himself was chief owner and 

 operator of one of the mines. The whole thing very soon collapsed, and 



