Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1853-08-24
From the Madison Stale To,r,.,
southwestern WlsCC,s.ssHoe'-" ''


Messrs. EDIToRs Excessive hot wea-
Their, short season, of "shakes," and
that standing ailment- oconstitutionally
Itired'-broke off the head of brief Sc
ries of articles on Southern Wisconsin,
which recently commenced inhicting
upon your readers. A struggling zephyr
from the North Pole having recently
strayed hitherwasd, l am tempted to fur
Their effort.
Southwestern Wisconsin is usually
called the sLead Region" With equal
|propriety it might be called the Cooper"
or Zinc Region" Lead being about
the only metal sought for, has lead many
to imagine that it is the sole product Of
the mines whereas, in fact, copper Dig
|glngs as far as worked, have been i'm
mensely productive, and are still of great
lpromlse-while the ores of zinc equal. if
they do not exceed in quantity, ali other
Imetaiferous products of the Mines
The miners themselves ere not general
ly aware Of the great abundance of these
ores, and it is only by critical exami-
nation of the whole district that their il
lmltable quantity can be appreciated or
realized.
The great value of the lead is general
iy known, forming as it does, next to ag-
lriculture, the greatest and most produc-
tive industrial interest in the State
Some of the mines have been enormous
ly rich-and masses weighing a million
or over, have not been very uncommon.
A description of the varieties Of lead ore,
or its manner Of occurrence, would not
be of popular interest and as it has al
ready been partially developed, it is not
essential to speak of it more particularly
in these brief articles.
The latent and principal undeveloped
mineral resources of this district are
the copper and zinc. Many millions of
pounds of copper ore have been raised
and smeled, SO that we are at no loss in
assigning to that a value. That it is not
now done is simply to say that individual
capital and effort is not equal to the de-
velopment of so great an interest. That
the metal abounds, is past question; and
lit needs but the touch of associated cap
Iital, like the tabled wand of Midas, to
convert it into gold.
The ores of zinc-the hated "Black
Jack" and "Dry e''-have generally
been regarded as incorrigible. Z Difficult
! OF reduction, in a land Of prairies and
scanty fuel, it is not so remarkable that
efforts have not been made to smelt it on
the ground; but it is surprising that, I'M
til recently, no effort has been made to
test Its value, or ascertain the cost of re-
duction. Ten millions of dollars annu-
ally go abroad to buy this metal in Ger
many and England, and it comes across
the ocean, and a thousand miles inland
to Wisconsin; yea, it comes into these
very mining villages whose streets are
McAdamized with the ore-richer by
far than that of "Vaderland.' Shades
of Yankeedem Is this ever so to be !?
Believing that not 1.-THE of the mine
raj or other resources of this region have
been developed-and having a personal
knowledge of what I speak, your read
ers must not take it to heart if my arti-
Giles have faint of positiveness about them.
These are no solicited "puffs," but the
result of observation throughout the dis
trct, and many weeks of patient investi-
cation. The railroad projects, connect
ing the mines with the coal fields of H.
linois, are Of state and national interest,
and entitled not only to good wishes, but
a fostering care. With cheap and album
dant fuel what may not this lead region
become I? 1t is store-house of wealth,
and, little as it is now known, will have
its day in contributing to humanity its
richness and blessings. r.