Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, W.T. [i.e. Wis.]) 1843-1844, 1843-07-22
THE MINE S--NO. 9.
RED DOG DIGGINGS.

The large quotauonS oco"i'"S s'o
our Indebtedness to Ralph Carver, Esq. for
the information therein contained.
The Red Dog Mines lie principally upon
the 8. f. quarter of Section No. seven, in
Town three North, Range two West Of the
4,h p. NJ, Grant county, w. Tive miles
from Poiosi, and seven and a half from this
town, The mineral has been taken from or
near the summit Of an east and west ridge,
which, a little further becomes part Of the
high, bold bluff of Big Platte, and west two
miles, terminates or forms part of the main
"diyide" between the waters Of Grant and
Platte rivers.
"They were first supposed to be valuable
in the February Of l64l, soon after which the
only two very valuable lodes ever struck here
were discovered, to witt" the Gilbreath and
Coca, and the Druen, Vance and GOA;
"boih of which were among the best ever struck
in the Upper Mines" The crevice ofthe first
of The above named, runs diagonaly of the
ridge, and is of that description technically
termed, a fiat openings in consequence OF un-
usual width, which, in this instance. avaraged
twenty feet. The blocks Of sulphoret Of lead,
weighing from hundreds 10 thousands Of
pounds, entirely filled this .crevice crosswise,
presenting body Of mineral twenty feet in
width, and FIVE in thickness. The latter diff
fers from the one just described, in following
the course of the ridge. being less in width ADD
greater in thickness, or the. "up and down"
of the mineral. '"The two have together
yielded about three millions Of mineral, and
ore now nearly worked out"
"Thero have been, besides the two lodes
just mentioned, probaby.as many as twelve
"bunches" Of mineral found, yielding from ten
TO forty five thousand each," and AVERAGING
about thirty thousand making the aggregate
Of mineral raised al Red Dog, three millions,
three hundred and sixty thousand pounds; all
raised from entered lands. "This mineral has
commanded from len to seventeen dollars per
one thousand pounds--I think an avarage
would be about fourteen dollars"--showiug
total of forty seven thousand and forty dollars.
The number Of miners at present employed
hore, Is not, believe, more than twelve or
fourteen.
"The vegetable mould here is probably six
inches deep, and the clay, where the mineral
is sought for, is from ten to twenty-five feet.
A few feet Of the bottom clay is generally red.
or ochroy, and Astounding in fin. though there
10 ouch less Of the latter article over the min.
eral than in other places.
From appearances at the bluffs, should
suppose the metal bearing rock 10 be less than
one hundred fee, in depth at the diggiugs,
resting upon stratum Of coarse sandstone.
The diggings are in the timber and the land
would be considered good farming land, but
lying contiguous 10 Boyce prairie, and big
Platte bottoms where farming is extensively |
carried on, and new farms can be made with
much more facility than in the timber, the
land will probably be unimproved on its sur
face for some time TO come.
There is whilish ore of lead found here
mixed with the blue mineral or sulphuret OF
lead /, has nothing metallic in Its appearance,
but rather resembles lime. l. is easily fusibe
and should suppose, from appearances, gave
large percentage Of lead; but have no,
seen any accurate experiments performed 10
test its value. shonld suppose il TO be the
carbonate Of lead, were il not that its form is .
amorphous; whereas believe the carbonate
Of lead occurs in the regular forms Of chrys. I
taliza,ion. The smeliers will give only half
price FOR it,"
We have no, had the opportunity OF exam
ming, as we shall do however, before giving
general summary peculiar species of
ore of which Mr.. c. speaks. Sill, we have
no hesitation 10 pronouncing i, phosphate Of
Lead. All Of his description agrees with that
of this species Of lead. Should he be mista-
ken in the percentage, i. may still be an,imo-
NAL sulphurei Of lead. which, however, only
contains abou. 40 per cent of lead, while the
former contains about so.
REPsAL:--The latest accounts from Europe
represea, the Repeal excitement as absorbing
almost the exclusive thoughts of both England
and Ireland Mr.. o'Connell addresses one
Repeal Association after another in quick sue.