About the same time a gentleman named Everett obtained half a ton of it, which the Indians and half-breeds carried on their backs to the Carp River, and transported it to the lake in canoes.
It was smelted, but was so different from that of Pennsylvania that the iron-masters shook their heads. Some declared that it was of no particular value, others that it could not be worked.
The Pittsburg iron-men pronounced it worthless. But Mr. Everett persevered, sent a small quantity to the Coldwater forge, where it was smelted and rolled into a bar, from which he made a knife-blade, and was convinced that the metal was superior in quality to any other deposit in the country.
The Jackson Company was at once formed for mining in the iron and copper region. The copper fever was at its height, and the company was organized with a view of working both metals if thought advisable. A forge was erected on the Carp River in 1847, making four blooms a day, each about four feet long and eight inches thick.
Another was built, in 1854, by a company from Worcester, Mass., but so small was the production that in 1856 the shipment only reached five thousand tons. The superior qualities of the metal began to be known. Other companies were formed and improvements made; railroads and docks were constructed, and the production has had a steady increase, till it has reached a high figure.
There are fourteen companies engaged in mining,—two have just commenced, while the others are well developed. The production of the twelve principal mines for the year 1868 will be seen from the following figures:—
| Tons. | |
|---|---|
| Jackson, | 131,707 |
| Cleveland, | 102,213 |
| Marquette, | 7,977 |
| Lake Superior, | 105,745 |
| New York, | 45,665 |
| Lake Angeline, | 27,651 |
| Edwards, | 17,360 |
| Iron Mountain, | 3,836 |
| Washington, | 35,757 |
| New England, | 8,257 |
| Champion, | 6,255 |
| Barnum, | 14,380 |
| —— | |
| Total, | 506,803 |
The increase over the previous year is between forty and fifty thousand tons. The yield for 1869 was about 650,000 tons. The entire production of all the mines up to the close of 1868 is 2,300,000 tons.