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 $100 a share in one 

 fiscal year. 



