62 ALEXANDER AGASSIZ 



bottom, and the lighter, non-copper-bearing particles 

 will stay on top. There are three principal methods by 

 which this pulverization at the mill may be accomplished ; 

 by a series of rollers, by batteries of small stamps, or by 

 great heavy stamp heads. 



Agassiz reached Calumet early in March, and at once 

 found himself confronted with a multitude of difficul- 

 ties which taxed his strength and ability almost to the 

 breaking point. In order fully to appreciate the difficulty 

 of accomplishing what he succeeded in doing while at 

 Calumet, one must realize that the Keweenaw Peninsula 

 was then more inaccessible in summer than Alaska is to- 

 day, while during the long severe winters it was prac- 

 tically cut off from the rest of the world. For Green Bay 

 was the terminus of the railroad, from whence it was a 

 long and trying sleigh-ride of many days to Calumet. 



Some extracts from an official report on the Calumet 

 Mine, written soon after his arrival, may give an idea of 

 the conditions there : — 



"When it was decided to give the lessees notice that 

 their lease would terminate on January 1, 1867, an as- 

 sessment was levied to carry on a certain amount of 

 Company work, such as buildings and fitting up neces- 

 sary machinery to proceed at once with work on taking 

 possession and have no delays. It was understood at 

 that time that the lessees were to make an open quarry 

 above water level, at a point commencing about 1600 

 feet north of the south boundary of the property. This 

 plan was carried out unfortunately only just far enough 

 not to obtain any receipts from the quarry, and in such 

 a way as to compel very expensive running to protect 

 the mine and render it safe hereafter besides subjecting 



