IRON COUNTY HISTORY -– MASTODON TOWNSHIP – CRYSTAL FALLS AND MASTODON NEWS COLUMNS [Compiled and Transcribed by William John Cummings] The Iron Mountain Press, Iron Mountain, property adjoins the Shelden and Shaffer Dickinson County, Michigan, Volume 7, find. On sec. 29 the showing is very fine Number 46 [Thursday, April 9, 1903], and promises to devolope [sic – develop] page 1, column 6 into a large deposit. The ore was found close to sec. 30, and one shaft is sunk into Iron County Souvenir. it a distance of fifty feet, from which he has drifted north about 30 feet, all the way in C.O. Stiles and two assistants have ore. The vein runs almost east and west. It been in the city the past week taking orders is supposed that a jasper foot-wall has for an Iron county souvenir, which is being been struck on the south side, but time prepared by that gentleman. This souvenir must determine that point. will have 125 views of the most interesting points in Iron county. All the public The Florence Mining News, Florence, buildings, factories and mines will also be Marinette County, Wisconsin, Volume I, shown. This is somewhat different from Number 6 [Saturday, February 5, 1881], other book souvenirs as it will contain no page 3, column 3 advertising of any kind and no individual write-ups. The price of the book is $1.00 GEORGE RUNKLE [sic – RUNKEL], and orders for 1000 must be had before it who is interested in a property on the S.E. will be published. This is something that ¼, Sec. 29, 43-32, and has been engaged nearly every citizen can afford to buy and it in sinking a shaft to see what could be is without doubt the finest souvenir of Iron found, has struck it big. Just such a thing county ever offered for sale here. The book we love to chronicle. The shaft is 60 feet will not be ready for distribution before June down, and they are working in a hard, blue 1st. – The People’s Mail. ore, the vein of which is 110 feet wide, but of unknown depth. Samples have been sent to Chicago for analysis, and will be made known in due time as to the richness CRYSTAL FALLS in metallic iron, of the find. The Florence Mining News, Florence, The Florence Mining News, Florence, Marinette County, Wisconsin, Volume I, Marinette County, Wisconsin, Volume I, Number 7 [Saturday, February 12, Number 1 [Saturday, January 1, 1881], 1881], page 2, column 1 page 2, column 2 –George Runkle [sic – Runkel] MINING ITEMS. informs us that the “find” at s.e. ¼, sec. 29, 43-32, is fast developing into a mine. It has George Runkle [sic – Runkel], Esq., been ascertained by all explorations, that who has been exploring for himself, Col. the vein, where the testing is being Jas. H. Howe and others, has abandoned conducted, is 110 feet in width. The length, his explorations on lot 3, sec. 20, 43-32, as we stated before, is conjectural, but near Crystal Falls, on the Paint river. He supposed to be extensive. is still continuing his work on sections 29, 30 and 31, in the same township. This The Florence Mining News, Florence, Marinette County, Wisconsin, Volume I, 1 IRON COUNTY HISTORY -– MASTODON TOWNSHIP – CRYSTAL FALLS AND MASTODON NEWS COLUMNS [Compiled and Transcribed by William John Cummings] Number 7 [Saturday, February 12, and the deepest shaft in ore is ten feet. 1881], page 2, column 2 The ore for this depth seems to be rather lean, and by the latest analysis yields only PERSONAL. 47 per cent of metallic iron, and contains but .52 of phosphorus. In the event that –George Runkle [sic – Runkel], Esq., this deposit should increase in its arrived on monday [sic – Monday] from a percentage of iron and that it still continues business trip to Iowa. He left on Tuesday to to run low in phosphorus, it is quite evident attend to his mining operations on the Paint that it will be a very valuable mine. On the river. s.w. ¼ of sec. 31, eight test pits and shafts have been sunk along the formation, The Florence Mining News, Florence, revealing ore for a distance of 600 feet, Marinette County, Wisconsin, Volume I, which according to a recent analysis Number 8 [Saturday, February 19, contains 65 per cent of metallic iron and 1881], page 2, column 3 .336 of phosphorus. The width of this find has not been determined, but will be in a The explorations which are being very short time. The stripping is from six to conducted by Mr. George Runkle [sic – twelve feet. Three of the shafts are in the Runkel] and Col. J.H. Howe, (under the ore – which is a soft hematite – for a superintendancy [sic – superintendency] of distance of 25 feet. In all these the former gentleman,) in the neighborhood explorations, considerable water is of the Paint river in 43-32, are looking encountered, but it is the intention of the most promising. The main shaft on the ore owners to procure a steam pump as early bed, on sec. 29, is now about 50 feet in the as possible. ore, which is, we are informed, denominated a red specular. An upright The Florence Mining News, Florence, steam hoisting engine and plant has Marinette County, Wisconsin, Volume I, arrived, and will soon be placed in position. Number 10 [Saturday, March 5, 1881], Beside the convenience of hoisting, with page 3, column 3 rapidity, it will enable the management to keep the shaft free from water, which –OUR old friend, Capt. Wm. H. seems to come in quite fast. As we stated Morrison, formerly in the employ of the before, the distance between the hanging Menominee Mining Company, has taken and foot wall was 110 feet and the length charge of Messrs. Runkle [sic – Runkel] as far as traced was enough to warrant & Howe’s mining camp, at Crystal Falls. calling the deposit a mine. The ore taken Billy, all hands join us, and throw an old out of this deposit is hard enough to scratch shoe after you. glass. It runs high in metallic iron and low in phosphorus. On the s.e. ¼ of sec. 30, We have credible information, that the which is about one mile east of the former survey for the extension of the railroad explorations, a well defined vein of hematite from Florence, further west, will be ore, of a slaty formation has been found, 32 commenced in a very short time. The feet in width and which has been traced for survey will probably follow a westerly a distance of 1500 feet in length. The course to section 24, 40-17, and then depth of stripping is from four to thirty feet deflect northward. 2 IRON COUNTY HISTORY -– MASTODON TOWNSHIP – CRYSTAL FALLS AND MASTODON NEWS COLUMNS [Compiled and Transcribed by William John Cummings] The Florence Mining News, Florence, have to be exercised in the selection of the Marinette County, Wisconsin, Volume I, most economical route. Number 10 [Saturday, March 5, 1881], page 3, column 4 The Florence Mining News, Florence, Marinette County, Wisconsin, Volume I, George Runkle [sic – Runkel], Esq., Number 16 [Saturday, April 16, 1881], General Superintendent of the Chicago, page 2, column 2 Bellevue, and Western Railroad, returned on Saturday last from Chicago, to C.H. Sloan has sold out his mining superintend the mining operations, with interest at Crystal Falls to George Runkel, which he is interested, in the vicinity of James H. Howe and others for $2,000. It Crystal Falls, on the Paint River. As soon is a valuable property, and everybody as he can procure a house he will remove thinks that Sloan sold out remarkably his family to Florence and reside here, until cheap. he gets the new town of Crystal Falls started. As the probability is that within a The Florence Mining News, Florence, radius of two miles, six or seven good Marinette County, Wisconsin, Volume I, mines will be opened by fall, and as the Number 16 [Saturday, April 16, 1881], river will admit of several good water page 3, column 3 powers, within a short distance, which will in a measure be utilized very soon, it would A preliminary railroad survey was seem that the location and surroundings, commenced by the C. & N.W. Ry will require a town of no small size. A blast company, on Monday, from Florence, furnace will be erected, as soon as a northwesterly across the Brule river. railroad strikes there. There are thousands of acres of fine hardwood timber in that AT Runkel et. Al.’s explorations, near region. the ever beautiful Crystal Falls of the Paint River, six men under charge of Capt. The Florence Mining News, Florence, W.H. Morrison struck for shorter hours and Marinette County, Wisconsin, Volume I, liberty one day this week. Their places Number 15 [Saturday, April 9, 1881], were filled instanter [sic – instantly], and the page 3, column 4 new men will have to work ten hours a day, or no pay. Such is the edict promulgated THE C. & N.W. Ry., have concluded to by the chief Kahn. begin a preliminary survey from this place immediately. It was contemplated to The Florence Mining News, Florence, commence surveying after the snow has Marinette County, Wisconsin, Volume I, disappeared, but orders have been Number 18 [Saturday, April 30, 1881], received this week to begin right off. It will page 3, column 3 probably take all summer to establish the most feasible route to Crystal Falls and TWO engineering parties are engaged also to Iron River.