Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, W.T. [i.e. Wis.]) 1843-1844, 1843-09-09

carted out in masses, and the mineral dirt,
ochre, and tumbling rock were removed by the
same means. The creVice was thirty or forty
| feet wide, with numerous chambers, pockets
and crevices, ALSO either wall rock was filed
with ore. This lead has now been worked for
more than fifteen years and still it is no, ex.
hausted. 1t is estimated that This lead has
yielded more than three millions Of ore. Such
nothing against the propriety of selling the
lands. The value Of mineral in the ground
depends parity upon kno,cing where tits! vren
men might dig for ten years without discover
ing such another lead. There is 20 more rea-
son for resersing government lands from sale
because they may contain large leads than there
would be for reserving lands on the shores of
the Mississippi or Lake Michigan, because they
may become the sites Of such cities as ST.
Louis, Chicago or Milwaukee.
During the years 1897 and '2s miners flock
ed IN and there was considerable prospecting.
Amongst others came DR.. Vim. Davidson and
James r. Vineyard. During the year '2s'the
Clarks made discovery. which they sold 10
Finney and Williams. II was upon ground
known as the Finney Patch. The ore raised
upon the Finney Patch is estimated at two
millions, three hundred thousand pounds The
discovery Of the Finncy Patch seems 10 have
been quite providenial. The Clarks were on
their way from prospecting one Sunday. and
sat down to rest at the forks Of an Indian trail.
One Of them carelessy struck his pick into
the grass roots while they were there sitting.
and turned up bits of float mineral which
they soon traced into a crevice. Prospec,ers
multiplied; one or two more Ash furnaces
were erected-and Capt. Jo. Dixon had open.
ed something of farm-,he first land cultva.
ted in these diggngs. The farm belonging to
Jacob Hooser was opened about this time, and
large field was also enclosed and cultivated
bys Major Rouniree; for then provisions we're
scarce, and il was shrewdly conjectured that
the soil might possibly yield some produce;
though no one then anticipated the growth OF
a thousand wheat fields more prolific than the
golden plains Of the Genesee.
la the winter Of 1889 Finney and Girls
well made discovery which they sold to NJ
Clintock and which is since known as the |
M'Clintock range. This lead has yielded a.
bou, seven hundred thousand pounds Of ore.
Soon after, Meicalf who seems 10 have been
- han
pened, as be passed through a ravne one day.
to discover bits OF ore which had been turned
up by the hoof ofan OK. stepping in the ground
after a rain. Rejoicing, perhaps, UPON the
clue furnished him by the badgers, in discover !
ing thu Roun;ree lead, he sunk a shaft or two
aud followed the float into rich bearing crew
ice. IL seems TO have been The fortune of great
discoveries, from Christopher Columbus down,
10 lose much Of the renown as well as the re-
ward Of their enterprise. Meicaf soon sold
his lead to Meeker; and il is now and ever
will be known as the Meeker digeiogs. THIS
lead has yielded about half million pounds.
In The spring of 80 tie Holmes & Floyd dag
plngs were discove which have yielded
time, Meeker became the owner tprobably by
purchase,) of other diggings which yielded
about four hundred thousand pounds. In 1891
Davidson ana Garrison followed float down TO
considerable depth through the rock and
found sheet Of mineral which yielded them
about seven hundred Thousand pounds Of ere.
In 1882 the Teller and Richards lead was dis
covered. This lead has yielded about one
IL - .ttn
In December 1882, Sylvester GridIey dlscoy.
cred lead which he sold 10 James II. Vine
yard and which is sioce known as The Vine
yard lead. II has yielded nearly two millions
of ore and still bears. Ia 1882 3 came all the
horrors Of the Sank fuss. The men aud boys
went TO war and the women and children were
for:ed.
Daring this time the mineral region was not
very prolific of mineral, produce. or children.
la the winter Of -. lour became very scarce
In the mines. An I'D Frenchmau. at Galeua,
named Bou,ellie, undertook To monopolize all
the -four; and demanded as much as twenty
or thirty dollars per barrel. providen,iallY the
ice weal cut ST the river aboutlhe latter par, OF
February The old Freedman aked Up one
morning amongst hs flour barrels. and hearing
/ the putting Of a steam boa, below, ireighied
with foDr from st. Louis. exclaimed: Who
dam suppose; steam boat come in de middle
Of De wlni!" The army aud people OF the ter.
ritory were soon supplied with bread. After
the war business revived and the hamlet Of
cabins began 10 be known atroad hy the name
Of Plaueville. As the mines convinced rich
and many farms were opened and the whole
surrounding country was unsurpassed for beau
~ aud fertility. II became evideRt THAI Platte
willie must and would have a permanent loca-