PREVIOUS WORK OF FELCH MOUNTAIN RANGE. 375 



The following- abstracts of the published literature upon the Felch 

 Mountain range are given as far as possible in the author's words: 



1850. 



Burt, Wm. A. Geological report of the survey, "with reference to mines and 

 minerals," of a district of township lines in the State of Michigan, in the year 184G, 

 and tabular statement of specimens collected. Dated March 20, 1847. Thirty-first 

 Congress, first session, 1849-50. Senate Documents, Vol. Ill, No. 1, pages 842-875. 

 With maps. 



The earliest mention of the part of the Upper Peninsula included 

 within the Felch Mountain range was made by Burt in describing the dis- 

 tribution of the talcose and argillaceous slates of the area covered in the 

 course of his land survey in 1846. He states that the argillaceous slates 

 "are developed in parts of township 42, ranges 29 to 30 west" (p. 846). 



The existence of the iron ore in this area was discovered by this 



explorer. 



The first bed discovered of this ore was found while traveling from the Pesha- 

 kumme Falls, near the Menomonee River, east to Fort River, before it was surveyed 

 in May last, but was not discovered again during the survey. It is believed, however, 

 that this bed of iron ore is not far distant from the corner of townships 41 and 42 N., 

 between ranges 29 and 30 W. It was found in a low ridge about 3 chains wide, 

 course WNW. This ridge appeared to be nearly one mass of iron ore, stratified and 

 jointed; consequently it may be quarried with ease. This ore has generally a granular 

 or micaceous structure, but specular varieties sometimes occur; color, iron black, pass ■ 

 ing into a steel gray; luster when fresh broken, metallic, but soon oxidizes when 

 exj)osed to the atmosphere. This is supposed to be an extensive and rich bed of iron 

 ore. The variation of the needle was taken on the east side of the ridge at the cross- 

 ing of a hunter's trail, and its north end stood S. 82° E. Three or 4 miles west of 

 this, on the north side of a ridge, near a cedar swamp, the variation was N. 45° 30' 

 "W. Probably iu this vicinity may be found another extensive bed of similar iron 



ore (p. 849). 



1851. 



Foster, J. W., and Whitney, J. D. Report on the geology and topography of 

 the Lake Superior land district. Part II. The iron region, together with the general 

 geology. Dated November 12, 1851. Thirty-second Congress, special session, 1851. 

 Senate Documents, Vol. Ill, No. 4; 406 pages; with maps and plates. 



Foster and Whitney, in sketching the distribution of the rocks of their 

 Azoic system, which comprises "for the most part gneiss, hornblende, 

 chlorite, talcose and argillaceous slates, interstratified with beds of quartz, 

 saccharoidal marble, and immense deposits of specular and magnetic oxide 

 of iron" (p. 8), after describing the, main area of these rocks to the north- 

 west and north of the Felch Mountain range, say: "Another arm about 



