Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, W.T. [i.e. Wis.]) 1843-1844, 1843-07-15
THE MIN T. S..N u. 3.
FAIRPLAY DIGGINGS.


w. T.: about ten miles from Galena and fys
fraavDubuque. The village bearing the same
name, g. which is the undisputed offspring Of
,hese mines. is upon mineral Reserve; the w.
. of the N. w. 1 Of Section o5, in the aforesaid
Township.
Prior 10 the middle OF June, ls4l, this sec.
ton though 10 the ucighborhood of mines Of
fifteen years date, possessed no exterior ap.
pearance-sside from the common cas-. of the
country to render it the subject Of anything
farther Than that cursory system of prospect
ing," to which most ofthe country, within the
populous portions OF the District is occasionally
subjected. II was one of these basiy and su-
perfcial trials. that hi. suddenly upon the lar
ges, lode since found at Fsirplay. News OF
new discovery has no limits to its speed-.-
the facts, Of which it 10 the bearer, increasing
in SIZE. richness and extent as the square OF
the distance increases. The Fairp!ay dis
covery proved no exception to The general rule,
except tina, there really had been a very rich
discovery made, and that tho news bore a
corresponding immensely.
The effect of such intelligence upon The min
Jog community, was wi,hou, parallel 10 the
past-it will probably never be reached in the
future. The ravine in which the town now
stands. became lined, almost in a day. with
dwellings, after The material and style of which
II will DO unnecessary 10 enquire, and into
which was huddled. or rather jamed, several
hundred men, including every shade and shad-
ow, calling and disposition. Fair play was
the motto. and every imaginable species Of
play the fashion; g. evrything that uncurbed ex.
excitement, unlicensed expectation and upro-
rious confusion could not accomplish, was fill.
cd up by an ap,ness Of invention peculiar TO
the occasisn. But this was only the chrisisn-
ing scene, and before one year passed. the
steady productiveness Of the mines had given
birth 10 permanent and respectable improve.
men,s, an excellent school was supported,
nea, church in an exceedingly beautiful situa.
ion completed. and to day quiet and grow.
Ing village stands upon the ground and dates
with the scene al which we have hinied.
The land. which 10 promiscuously covered
with rough. timber aud prairie, is traversed by
considerable rayines. forming in the extreme
eastern margin Of the said miues, and, follow
ing westerly direction. soon open into
the deep valley Of the Menomauie creek, which
runs towards the south. The easy sides or
faces Of these main, or east a. west ravines, are
variously marked by smaller ones, running at
RICH, angles with the former. l,is across. and
generally near tho heads Of these last & least
ravipes. that tho mineral carrying crevices
mostly exist
The slluvion soil, or vegetable mould. re.
smiling from tho annual decay Of the vegeia.
lion upon its surface, averages about seven-
teen inches ia thickness, underlayed by bed
of lieh, clay Averaging about afieen fee. deep.
Mex, comes the metal bearing rock--a stratum
Of silicious lime stone, probably extending to
the depth Of one hundred and fly feo,. This
rock is parted by vertical crevices. crossing
each other generally at righ, angles, and in the
direction Of the cardinal points of,he compass,
avarsging abou, one foot and half IN width
and alternately opening and closing through
the entire stratum we have mentioned.
These erevices are filled with an exceedingly
uns,ious clay Of a bright redish yellow, break
Ing into cubes or crystals and possessing
high proportion of alumius. The galena or
sulphor of lead, existing in blocks ircgu.
larry cubical and weighing from one 10 one
thousand pounds, is found embedded in. or
mixed with this last description Of clay.
The mines we are considering encompasses
bu, one mineral Reseras OF any vulus,-the To-
cation Of which wo have already noticed. All
of this has been Leased by Government Agents.
The whole amour, Of Rent paid to Govern
men, 10 very small. probably not exceeding
Ave thousand pounds. This small total srri.
SEES partly from the fact tina, the majority Of
mineral raised from The Reserve took place pre-.
,ious TO the revival or third edition Of the
leasing sys,em, and partly from fact equal
~ papable, tina. men will in a measure, dis
regard any eon,raei-however sOlemuly enter.
cd in,o--which is not founded upon principles
Of Justice az well as force. The Leasing
System npon this eighty, very unlike itself,
has been the origin Of but one lawsuit, Of
consequence, and that at an expense to the rai.
nor Of only one hundred aud thirty Eve dol.
l,p. This sui, was brought TO Try, not the
,,l;di,y Of Lease, bot whose Lease was de-
-. RI s-D.sror,ept A,ants la "a.