THE MINING GAZETTE (under various names) of Houghton County, Michigan Copyright © 1999 by Dick and June Ross. This copy contributed for use in the USGenWeb Archives. ************************************************ Copyright. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://www.usgwarchives.net/mi/mifiles.htm ************************************************ PORTAGE LAKE MINING GAZETTE, Apr 1, 1875 Lost Saturday, on the ice, between Houghton and Hancock, a lady's fur victorine, made out of mink, darkish color. The finder will please return the same to Thomas JENNINGS Houghton, and receive a reward. Died: At Essex, N.Y., March 2, Jane Chambers FAULDER, wife of James B. ROSS. Last Thursday afternoon Mr. Wm. WASHBURN, of Hancock, met with a serious accident, receiving what it was for some time feared would prove fatal injuries. Mr. WASHBURN had just returned from Houghton, and was about to hang up his overcoat in the stairway, when, by a miscalculation or mis-step, he lost his foothold and fell headlong down stairs, striking on his face, bruising and mangling it badly. Notwithstanding the grave fears at first entertained of a fatal termination, we are happy to say that Mr. WASHBURN is now out of danger, and in a fair way to a speedy recovery. PORTAGE LAKE MINING GAZETTE, Apr 8,1875 At the usual entertainment of the Atlantic Literary Society, on Friday evening last, Messrs. Jas. DUNSTAN, W. BMLEY, Wm. HOSKING and Miss C. BARRY gave interesting readings. Mr. Con D. MURPHY gave an address on the 'Benefits of Literature", and Mr. Vivian PRINCE gave one on 'They Say". The singing of Messrs. SMITH and BENNETTS gave great satisfaction The West Point examination at Ishpeming last narrowed down to a contest between Dr. OSBORN's son, of Calumet, and a young gentleman named BURT from Marquette. There were four gentlemen on the board of examinees, two of whom were for young OSBORN and two for Burt. Result: no appointment. PORTAGE LAKE MINING GAZETTE, Apr. 15, 1875 Mr. George DADDOW, from Cornwall, England, asks through the New York Herald the whereabouts of his brother William, who was last heard from among the silver(?) mines of Lake Superior. Information can be addressed to the care of the Herald office, New York. The election under the new village charter of Red Jacket was held last Saturday, which resulted in placing in office the following gentlemen: President - Peter RUPPE, Jr; Recorder - J.H. KERWIN; Attorney - John POWER; Marshal - John O. PEARCE; Trustees - Martin FOLEY, Henry NORTHEY, George WERTIN, Michael BORGO, Joseph HERMAN, Daniel D. MURPHY; Treasurer - Joseph WERTIN, Jr.; Assessors - Joseph HERSCH; Richard BASTIAN. Hancock's orthographic contest, last Friday evening, afforded great interest, and brought to the surface a number of good spellers. A young gentleman named WILSON, living at Quincy, won the prize Died: At Lincoln, Nebraska, Apr 1, 1875, Mr. Thomas SMITH. The deceased, for a number of years, was engaged in the drug business at this point. His large circle of friends on the lake will receive the announcement of his death with sorrow. PORTAGE LAKE MINING GAZETTE, Apr 22,1875 A relic of pioneer days in this region was discovered some days ago east of Trap Rock River, in the shape of a tumbled down cedar bark covered shanty, which contained beneath the ruins the remnants of a table, cooking fixtures, the skeleton of a pair of snowshoes, a few empty bottles, and one half of a newspaper bearing the name of the New York Courier, dated August 20, 1813. The many friends of Mr. Peter DEAN, who at one time resided in this district, will regret to learn that in an unlucky moment he allowed his name to be used as a candidate for mayor of Duluth, and by a still further stroke of ill fortune he was duly elected. Next Friday evening, Mr. and Mrs. James BLANDY, of this place, celebrate the tenth anniversary of their marriage. The occasion is known in the calendar of married people as the "tin wedding." PORTAGE LAKE MINING GAZETTE, Apr 29,1875 Mr. Prosper ROBERT, who took the contract for supplying a certain line of timber for the proposed new bridge across Portage Lake, at this point, informs us that he will be ready to deliver all the timber he agreed to on the opening of navigation. Last Friday morning James BRYANT and Edward CARTER attempted, in the Calumet & Hecla mine, the dangerous experiment of firing off a hole the second time that had missed the first, and the result was a premature explosion, which injured both men very much about the face. CARTER, it is feared, will lose both his eyes, while BRYANT will probably lose one. The Hon. Jay A. HUBBELL, M.C. from this district, has appointed Master Frank C., son of Dr. R. H. OSBORN, Calumet, to West Point. PORTAGE LAKE MINING GAZETTE, May 6,1875 Mr. W. P. SUMNER, formerly a resident of this section, opened a fancy confectionery establishment in Detroit, the other day, which is puffed to the skies in the papers of that city. Probate Order: In the matter of the state of Columbus C. DOUGLASS, deceased......the petition, duly verified, of Lydia B. DOUGLASS, asking that the last will and testament be allowed........... The Lake Superior Ship Canal chaane1, at its shallowest point, has eleven feet of water. The water in Lake Superior is now at its lowest point, and as spring advances its depth will be increased by at least one foot and a half more water. This highway is in as good condition as it was last fall, so that steamboat men can use the canal without any fear. PORTAGE LAKE MINING GAZETTE, May 13, 1875 Mr E.F. SUTTON, of the Houghton mine, advertises in today's paper a list of household goods, which he will sell cheap, as he is about to break up housekeeping. On Sunday morning last a man named Isaac JOHNSON, a Swede, was found dead at Manhattan, about a mile from the Cliff mine. He had come by the stage from Calumet to that point on Saturday. A coroner's inquest was held over the body, and the verdict was, "Died from unknown causes." He appeared to be about 35 years of age. He had no friends in this section, and was buried by the county in Clifton cemetery on Monday. Wooden Wedding: Mr. and Mrs. J. B. STURGIS will receive their friends at the Douglass House next Monday evening, it being the anniversary of their fifth year of married life. The Hon. Thos. D. BRADFIELD, representative from Keweenaw and Ontonagon counties, and family, passed through here last Friday, on his way to his home at Copper Falls. The doctor is more than delighted at his escape from Lansing. Dr. A. OVERFIELD has vacated his office in the postoffice block, and can now be found in the front rooms, lately occupied by Dr. D. C. GRANT, over the drug store on the comer of Shelden and Isle Royale streets. Last Monday afternoon a little son of Mrs. Allen McINTYRE, of this place, while sitting on the edge of HENNES' dock, fell into Portage Lake and was drowned........... Died: One of the men, James BRYANT, who was hurt in the Calumet and Hecla mine week before last, died on Tuesday from the effects of his injuries. PORTAGE LAKE MINING GAZETTE, May 20,1875 Married: At the residence of the bride's parents, L'Anse, Mich., May 5th, Mr Geo. W. S. BOTSFORD to Miss Elizabeth MCKERNAN. PORTAGE LAKE MINING GAZETTE, May 27, 1875 Joseph WEBB is the name of the miner who lost his life by falling down.the shaft at the National mine, Ontonagon, last week. WEBB had just left his home here and obtained work at the National. He leaves a wife and three children, who are living at Huron mine. METZNER, a man convicted at the last term of the Keweenaw county court of shooting a Swede at the Phoenix, and sentenced to the county jail, broke out last week and escaped. PORTAGE LAKE MINING GAZETTE, June 3, 1875 At the Franklin stamp mill Capt. VIVIAN is putting in a new water adit, which, when finished, will be the most complete and durable work of the kind on the lake............ Last Sunday evening a young Frenchman, named Henry BREZIORD, who when playing with some comrades on the Sturgeon River bridge, struck his foot against some obstacle and was precipitated headlong into the water. The river was full of logs at the time, and the unfortunate young man must have struck one of them. A verdict of accidental death. Obituary: Died, on Monday, May 31 at 5 o'clock A.M. at his residence in Houghton, Chester C. CROOKS, in the thirty-fourth year of his age. Mr. Crooks was born at Kalamazoo, Mich., and came with his parents to Lake Superior during his early boyhood. At the outbreak of the rebellion he joined the First Michigan Cavalry as a private, and after passing through the many hard fought battles in which that regiment earned laurels for themselves and added a luster to the arms of the State, he had the honor of leading the last charge made by that gallant command, at Appomatox Courthouse, as senior captain, with the brevet of major. Returning to the civil walks of life, Major Crooks became interested in various mail contracts and stage lines, in connection with the livery business, which he carried on both at Houghton and Red Jacket. On Tuesday last the remains of the deceased were placed on board the propeller Arctic to be conveyed to Detroit, thence to Ypsilanti for interment. PORTAGE LAKE MINING GAZETTE, June 10, 1875 At the annual meeting of the stockholders of the Merchants and Miners Bank, Calumet, held Monday, June 7th, the following gentlemen were elected directors for the ensuing year: Messrs. Chas. BRIGGS, R. H. OSBORN, John DUNCAN, Geo. W. SHEARS, J. N. WRIGHT, John CAMM, Peter RUPPE, Jr., Joseph HERMANN, Richard UREN. At a subsequent meeting of the directors, held Tuesday, June 8th, Mr Chas. BRIGGS was reelected president, and Dr. R. H. OSBORN vice-president. Probate Matters, June 7, 1875: Estate of Catherine PEARCE, deceased - James P. PEARCE appointed administrator.. Estate of Chester C. CROOKS, deceased, petition for the appointment of Carlos D. SHELDEN and Frank A. DOUGLASS as regular administrators, (rather than Florence B. Crooks, who petitioned)............Estate of Patrick McLAUGHLIN, deceased, petition for app. of Administrator, Owen McLAUGHLIN..........Estate of Francis McGRATH, deceased, claim filed by E.A. MACK for $25.00 which was allowed. Married: On Monday, June 7th, Mr Henry WEBER, to Miss Louisa, oldest daughter of Mr Alex. GUTSCH, all of Houghton. PORTAGE LAKE MINING GAZETTE, June 24, 1875 ..........the most serious loss, aside from cord wood and square timber from the woods fires on Tuesday, was the burning of eighteen buildings, including a warehouse of NORTH & BRIGGS, at Torch Lake. The following are the names of most of the sufferers: Leon MARCOTT, Alfred MARCOTT, Burner MARCOTT, Charles MONRRELL, Francis WOOD, Charles KING, Louis SERPENO, Tino HOMSES, Noel PEREAU, John KISER, and John MCKAY. Mr James BURTENSHAW, at one time a prominent merchant at Ontonagon, and now one of the leading business men of Detroit, is visiting the district on his way to the scene of his early mercantile triumph. Probate Matters: Estate of John MADIGAN, deceased - sale of real estate............... Estate of Conrad C. FOSTER, deceased - petition for sale of real estate................ Estate of Peter CHRISTIANSEN, deceased - petition filed by Andrew LINSTROM............... Mrs. HARRIS, wife of Capt. William HARRIS, of Houghton, Lake Superior, who is on a visit to her daughter, who graduated yesterday at the Detroit Female Seminary, while lighting the gas, Tuesday evening, in her room at the Michigan Exdhande, fell from the chair on which she was standing, breaking her leg below the knee. The fractured limb was set by D. FARRAND, and the lady is doing as well as can be expected. File contributed for use in Houghton Co. USGenWeb Archives by Dick and June Ross. jross@eee.org