Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1854-05-29
BY COVER & GOLDSMITH. ]

iSioSohS5 "hu lICiuCiitiy ldT peyOnQ, vast
ly above the average richness of the lode.
Whether we consider the discoveries
hitherto made as float, or as north and
south ranges, the bulk and quality of the
mineral will compare favorably with a.
ny gotten In these mines and if they
are mere feeders or males, whose office
/ it is to impregnate the east and west f.
males, and these different genders of ram
ges are Of the same relative proportions
as the already discovered ones, then
why then the opening of such mines
would throw all our past exertions into
the shade. But what indications have
we Of the existence of any regular and
extensive mineral bearing crevices or o.
penings | have told you in my last,
that have followed an east and west o.
pening for about fifty feet which exploit
brought me to chimney, and that this
chimney showed its presence, ON the
surface of the ground, by a depression
! of the same, or incipient sink -hole.-
Deeper sink-holes are to be seen in the
vicinity and between there and the
Wisconsin they appear in great number,
wherever the sandstone has been abra-
ded. Various indications (not of the
donsting order, for am no votary of
that profoundly mysterious science) have
also appeared to me in the course of my
pros ecting, which have fixed the con-
viction in my mind that such creyices do
exist, but that they are not always open
at the top, and not generally as cas- ily
discovered as crevices in the upper stra-
Ia. But if ,his rock should possess the
popularity Of bearing its lodes in north
and south veins exclusively, then there
IS very good reason 10 believe the ran
ges 10 be very extensive in that direc-
ton, as the principal discoveries in two
different localities are situated in that di-
rection, at the distance of about ] IL
miles from each other. The interve-
ming space is taken up by high ground
burdened with the sandstone and upper
limestone strata, the former of which
holds the water, and of course forbids
prospecting, as now carried on.
The we'll known richness of the High
land and Centreville lodes situated near
the very outcropping Of The uppes lime
stone, and which are behind very few in
the southern portion of these mines, CON
tradicts the widely spread notion, that
the deeper the ore producing stratum,
the greater is its wealth. But permit
me here TO introduce hypothesis which
may have some bearing upon the sub
ject before us and for which, if unfoun-
ded, | crave indulgence of the better in
formed reader. 1t is this: that the
breadth and extent, in length and depth,
Of the assures in any bed Of stratiiied
rock (whether made by gradual cooling,
or sudden internal violence us regulated
by and in proportion to its thickness /;
that these proportions, however are mo-
dified by the hardness, and more yet by
the tonghness or elasticity of tine rock.
Now as geologists aver our lower lime
stone TO be inferior TO none OF the upper
strata in thickness, and as it possesses
the last mentioned qualities in an emf
hent degree, | should next suppose that
the rents, assures or crevices occurring
in it must be of extraordinary length,
breadth and depth for this region, bat
fewer in number than those of the supe-
rior strata, and that the ores inclosed
very probably in many of them would
be proportionabIy rich, and the electric
action were energetic. Think what you
! please of this, have not met with any
thing in the course of my reading or OBJ
servatian, which might seem to contro-
vert this hypothesis. That the ground
is naturally inclined to form caverns, |
have already mentioned, and what their
Importance is in mining country, Poto-
81 and Dubuque miners know we'll e.
nough.
There remains yet the second consid-
Grafton 10 be briefly adverted to; for it
would be bootless undertaking TO esti-
mate the expenses Of an enterprise be-
fore we know the extent of it. That the
rock is of great hardness, stubborn
toughness, and most proyokingly inter-
spersed with pockets and mixed with
flint, | have already alluded to; for these
drawbacks the adventurer must prepare
himself at the onset. But perhaps the
ground may be more regular and fit for
working as greater depth is reached.
The past attempts have been too circum-
scribed to serve as criterian. Next
there is the water. For some depth be-
low the surface there is no fear of that
offering any impeachment, as | have alrea-
dy explained and it is possible that
there may be causes in operation which
would greatly facilitate aiming at great
depths. In sinking shaft in the neigh
borhood of Highland we had surface
water at the depth of about forty-fve
feet. At this depth the miners in the
vicinity and on about the same level are
sorely annoyed by living springs of wa
ter. The water we had to deal with
was however, still 'sbailable, and so we
continued sinking, Till at the depth of a
bout seventy feet, the water disappear
ed in the bottom, though it continued tc
: run in at the sides as fast as ever and
sinking ten feet deeper yet, till we got
through the mineral bearing rock, found
wide open assures which conducted al
the water-where doubtless TO the low.
J err limestone and some of its crevices anC
, caverns located, whoknows at whatdepthi
shou, that tho 50 W,