LAKE SUPERIOR COUNTRY page-12

Short-sighted fear! The demand for copper soon became imperative; the ordnance department wanted all and more than could be produced. The production was thereby greatly stimulated ; the mines were pushed to their utmost capacity, and general prosperity came rolling in. Mine dividends came as a new and encouraging feature, and before the war was over copper had gone up in price from 17 cents to 50 cents per pound. With all these factors at work, it would be strange if our mining towns did not prosper. Hancock, from a mere hamlet in 1860, soon out-ranked Houghton in population and business; the country was filled up with people who were not miners
This new element had a conservative influence in the community; checking lawlessness. The church and the school-house, everywhere seen, had their proper influence too. Soon after the war began it became apparent that there would be a dearth of miners. It came, and the demand for mining men could not be supplied. Wages ran up in consequence to an unheard of price common miners, who had been receiving thirty or forty dollars per month, now thought one hundred dollars too little. To meet requirements as to labor, the mining com-. panies joined hands and raised a fund of $90,000 and sent paid agents to-Sweden and Norway to procure miners.

Tagged as: Norway, Sweden