New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1854-01-09
THE LEAD MINES OF WISCONSIN.

The great lead region Of the Upper Mississippi Lies chiefly
in Wisconsin Prof Owen Uniteds States Geoogst says
1.-The lead reeion includes strip Of about eight townships
of land in Iowa. townships in the north west corner OF
Illinois and lot s1tywo townships in Wisconsin. The
entire district includes about eighty townships. or two
thousand eight hundred and eighty square miles The
mineral townships Of Wisconsin nearly all in Grant
Iowa and La Fsyette Counties few mines are being
worked in Dane and Greene Counties but their product
small The largest mining business has always been done
in Grant though frequently happens that miners are most
lucky in other sections At this time there extensive
leads worked at Shusburgh in La Fayete County and at
Beetown Hazel Green Wingvile and Farplay, in Grant
County They are also doing excellent business at High
land in Iowa County where the principal bhlekJdes or
zinc mines exist The magnetism mineral rock in which
the lead ore is always mbedded lies deeper in the south
tier Of mineral towns than in the north tier owing to the
dip or pitch of the rock strata a you approach
the south and the rise Of the north. The min
ersl rock outcrops along the bluffs on the south
side of Wisconsin River and passe. under the corslne
layer Of limestone in Illinois few miles south OF Galena
Hence have to sink deeper in the south than in the
north sections of the mines the mineral rsck is also much
thicker as you approach the south Biologists estimate the
thickness of the lead bearing rock in the Southern mines
at 400 feet and upward The lower magnetism lime rock
unders the upper magnetism and thought to be inferior
as producer of lead At the depth Of about "a feet the
water becomes great obstacle to mners They frequently
put pumping machinery worked by horse power but
with the best of there they only able to lower tue water
about dozen feet The american Mining Company whose
head quarters are New York have erected expensive ma
chnery driven by steam power at the Fsplsy mines by
which they expect drain section or more OF land to the
dep,b Of 100 or 200 feet From reliable reports their
pectatops will be fully realized The mineral lands are
GENERALLY owned by residents who leave them free for all
TO work upon 9th to seventh Of the mineral Tor rent
There are certain usages which uniform custom establishes
as the law of miners rather than the law of statutes aud
tie equity Of such ussges conceded BY courts the aad
proprietor cannot charge higher rent for new and vau
able discovery than the custom before Tor very sma
discoveries One miner cannot dig in bounds, or within
the run of anothers bdd The following IL the usuai
method pursued by miners in working: Ten men com
nose COMPANY forming partnership; they work alter
nafely in the shaft and at the wndass The less ener
eetic companies work old dggings and seldom ac-
comIlish more than To find little patches and small part
Giles of ore left by former operators Such as have strong
incnations TO make fortunes go to prospecting winch
means hunting over uneIpored grounds. Each spot 10
proved and abandoned as the appearances OF clay Tock
iudees of "the signs Weeks months years may elaPss
before any valuable discovery is made Poverty usually
gnaws at the stomach and renders thread bare several
suits of clothes before pay day comes round Ii requires
strong faith mulsh endurance and the luck OF fortunate
gambler for successful miner. Ii would be dihcult to
state the profits Of mining The yield 50 variable ana
40 frequently do miners spend months without raising
pound of mineral One thing an established certainty
miners generally have plenty of money and they spend
freely for every kind oil purpose oometiies COMPANY
or weeks When they work old diggings the average
PER diem may be about 81 to each partner good miner
Gets about 81 50 on wages For the purpose OF showing
The Weld of the Wisconsin Mines, the following statistics
are presented from official report to the Legislature of
Wisconsin The average shipment of lead annually from
Calepa ILL., for eleven years preceding 1851 was 47fo25
nounds estimated value sGG9 Os0 1t is estimated that
Al least nine tenhs of the lead shipped from Gaena is
raised in Wisconsin and not than one tenth OF the
entire product is raised in Illinois Iowa There are,
also large shipments from the ports of Potos Cas'vie
and other points ia Grant County The lead exports an
nualy produce about $50 81 to every man. woman and
child in the mining counties and annual yielded reurn
Of "a cents upon every dollar of taxable property in the
mines Ii doubtful whether the proportions are 90 high
at this time since agriculture s fast becoming leading
son and mining only ;ond minor pursuit II
woud be safe however to say that moro lead has been
raised the past year than in any former one.
Al some future time the writer will present to the readers
Of TgI TRIsUSr an account of agriculture in the mines
and the adapedness of the soil and climate to raising grain
and stock. D.