Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1854-02-27
By COVER g. GOLDSMITH

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low the range of the east and west veins
No. 8. This is hard q,iartose lime
stone; has grayish color; splinter,
fracture, and is traversed by nodulal
formed layers of flint, generally abou
one foot apart the flint beds laying par.
allel with the lines of qualification o.
the limestone. The outcrop Of this rock
covers considerable area in the north
ern and eastern portion Of the Lead Re.
gion, and in it has been opened that class
of diggings known 10 miners as the fin,
openings. This stratum is about one
hundred feet thick, and is called by mi.
ners flint strata, flat opening strata, &c
No. 4. This is the lower stratum OF
the fo,rer lead bearing beds of Owens
Survey or Of the bed Of rock more gem
orally known 10 miners as the magnetism
limestone is blue limestone and alter
mates with fossillferous limestone and
blue and brown encriniial marble. This
rock contains large per cent. of fossil
ferrous remains, embracing many spe-
cies, from the smallest animalcules tc
orfhorcera, six or eight feet in length
this stratum is about one Hundred feet
thick and has produced considerable
quantities Of lead and zinc ore in the nor
thern part of the lead field.
Shale Beds.
In basins on the surface of the cap
rock, is found beds of blue and yellow
shale ; about one sixth of the lead field is
covered with these shale deposites. The
greater areas being around the Platte,
Sinsinewa, Scales, Sherils, Blue, and
other mounds of the Lead Region. The
upper portion of these shales ar e yellow
and unctious, and grow indurated /; and
change to ark blue color where the
deposites are any great depth. Mining
shafts in the Dubuque valley and at the
Sinsinewa mound have been sunk thro'
thirty feet of this deposite. This shale
is impervious to water, and miners in
the shale districts in wet seasons are
more or less inundated with surface wa
ters
Cldy Beds.
OVERLAPPING the shales and where these
deposites do not exist is found covering
the rocks, deposites of clay varying from,
a few inches 10 depth of from thirty to
forty feet. These clay beds possess pc
culiarities Of interest to the miner; that
would fill volume. Every shade OF
color, brown, black, blue, green, red and
yellow are found iniermingled in these
clays. Cut vertically or horizontally
these standings resemble every variety OF
pattern the mind can imagine and SIN
gular fact is, that the most defeats mar
kings, ,nirrutest change in The color
or elements of the clay deposites holds a
liked position to the mounds, water cour-
ses, lines of axis, ridges, and other great
outlines in the physiognomy of the Lead
Region.
Physiognonsy of The Lend Region
A natural amphilheatre or circular
valley, of elevation sixty miles wide, the
Platte mounds in the centre, the Sinsin-
eva, Sherills, Scales, Blue and other
mounds, at distance Of from Wv anty to
forty miles around them, as satellites /;
circular wall of table, three hundred feet
high as boundaries of this valley on the
west, south and east; an outcroppins
zone of sandstone and outlieing mounds
ON the north the geometrick of the pic
ture formed Of ridges, which radiate
from the mounds water courses radia-
ting from the feet of the mounds, anc
other smaller centres in spring branch
es, which form riyiilets, clear as crysta
flowing through denuded valleys, add
to this, a soil covering about two thirds
OF the district, black and rich as the &C.
posites Of the Nile wide prairies, skirt
ed with timber and traversed centrally
by ridges, which in the distance resem-
BILE the swel!s Of an ocean; here ant
there village connected with scattering
farm houses; the yellow and red ochre.
and clays excavated by the miner form.
ing brigh dots on the scenery, .and SOME
faint outline may be formed of the Ply.
>iognomy of the great lead field OF tbs
North West.
Lead Teins Ciassed.
ist Glass. East and west vertical veins
crystalized in cubes. These veins are
found filled in well defined east and wesi
vertical assures, formed in openings and
caves at the junction of rocks, No.
and 2.
I'd Glass. North and south vertical
rhuetv filled IN crevices In rock No. 2
Edges of the ore found in this class o
veins are always truncated.
Sd Glass. Horizontal veins of chunk
and sheet ore, filled in openings at the
/ juncture, No. 2 and 3; solid angles Of
this class Of veins are always more OF
less truncated.
! 4th Class. Horizontal sheets of Lead
ore associated with carbonate and sui
phlmst of zinc. This class Of veins ir
ehtfnk and shee; form, traverses rock
No. 4. The chunk ore is generally
found in fiat openings, and sheet, enclo-
sed between solid stills of this limestone
All the discoveries OF ores yet made in
the Lead Region will find place in one
of these fotir strata of veins. The num-
Der of the rock is always an index of the
kind of ore it will produce.
.anficiinal Lines of frs.
These lines Of axis are all connected
and correspond TO the rivers. creeks, and
spring branches which flow out from the
various centres of the Lead Region.