Show myth of copper discovery by michigan pig Is discredited by son of pioneer they re wondering now who really discovered the copper Count rys copper the late william royal or his pig observes a hancock mich correspondent in the detroit free press legend has it that royals pig first laid bare the priceless secret but after 73 years the popular theory has been exploded by a gentleman from los angeles the man in question is none other than thomas L royal son of the copper finding royal and he startled copper country old timers on a visit here with the almost unbelievable information that his father never owned a pig now the story goes back to 1865 when the late royal operated a wayside inn on the present site of the village of calumet and in the very heart of one of the worlds richest copper areas royal so the legend goes catered to explorers scientists and voyageurs voya geurs and consequently paid little or no attention to his small drove of hogs the hogs foraged for themselves during the winter and one day royal found them missing setting out to find them he came upon one lean porker munching leaves under a stone ledge the size of a cottage royal chased the hog but first ob served that he stood under a shelter of peculiar rock mottled green and shot with red investigation proved the rock to be conglomerate E J hulbert one ot of the greatest mining men in the early days ot of the industry later acquired the property and in no time at all several mining companies were thriving on the location the legend and its the tha story all faithfully believed for 75 years but now wondering whom to credit for the copper discovery royal or his pig |