The south-western. [volume] (Shreveport, La.) 1852-1870, 1856-05-14

MINING AT THE IRON MOUNTAIN AND P1LoT
KNoB.-The Iron mountain covers space OF
about five hundred acres and its summit is about
two hundred feet above the base. Some idea
may be formed of the elevation of this portion
of the country, when we state that lis top IS
eight hundred and seventy eight feet above the
city directrlx, which is the base of the monu-
ment on the curb Of the pavement opposite the
city stores, or twelve hundred and fifty feet
above tide water. BY acareful calculation, this
mountain is estimated to contain two hundred
and twenty million tons of iron ore above the
base. The mountain, however, is not richer
in ore than what is to be found beneath. An
artesian well was commenced short time since,
and depth of one hundred and eighty feet
attained all of which was iron ore, with the ex
ception of few feet of gravel How much
farther this rich deposit extends, can only be
known by farther boring, but the quantity
above the surface is sufficient for all time to
come-the balance is a mere matter of curiosl
ty. The purity of the ore is as undoubted as
its quantity, and yields about IS per cent
There are three furnaces, two of which are now
in active operation; the last one built is pro-
nounced by competent Judges not inferior to
anything of the kind in the world, and all three
are capable of turning out from eight to ten
thousand tons of pig iron annually. AT pre-
sent there is no necessity of pushing the work,
as the furnaces turn out more metal than can
be transported, the shipping point being st.
Genevieve, which: is fortytw miles, and the
mode Of transportation by wagons. This how
ever will soon be remedled by the facilities
which the Iron Mountain railroad will afford,
and which will make these mountains the sub
urbs of our city, ard will give an impetus to
the iron branch of manufactures, which as vet
we can scarcely realise. St. Louis New Era.
Whenjudge Mclean was postmaster general,
(and then we had postmaster general worthy
the name and the post, contributor to the
Spirit of the Times tells us he was grossly abus-
ed by disappointed applicant for re-appoint
ment as postmaster in one of the small towns.
He at lengt demanded to be informed in wri-
ting why he was not re appointed. He was SO
informed; and it is said that the following is Il
copy of the letter with which he was favored
by the postmaster general:
Posi- OFFICE DEPARTMENT,
June 6, 1928.
Sir-The allegations against you are numer
Gus and strong, and are chiefly these: {"
That you cannot write or read well enough
are not safe accountant-haye been guilty of
the grossest negligence in not delivering letters
when called for, a negligence always nconven-
lent, and often attended with injury-deliver
letters frequently to persons for whom they were
not intended, and suffer them to be taken away
fail to send letters and packages by the mail
in proper time sometimes sending off the mail
without putting into it any letters or packets
that had been lodged at your office-reverse
the destination of letters and send them back to
the places whence they came--have not sense
enough to discover the error after the letters have
been repeatedly returned-make frequent and
gross mistakes in the bills forwarded to other
offices-open packages addressed to other post
offices-when mail is called for by neigh
boring postmaster, handing out any one, right
or wrong-dlsobey the regulations respecting
newspapers halfa dozen ofthem to
your own use for two or three years-and resort
to the miserable speculation of selling them for
wrapping papeE--fll up circulating library
with periodical works obtained in this way
are uncouth in your behavior-odious to the
population-heap error upon error, and avail
yourself of those errors in order to supplant your
employer--have been tried by the vcinage and
found wanting--and, to sum up, they charge
you with want Of principle and capacity.
Respectfully. your obedient, :.
[Sgred JOHN MCLEAN.
S>~~.---~~-~L~~-->,<.>~~,
The Philadelphia Ledger describes newly
invented shoe, which is, we should think, "a
very decided improvement in the heavy, in
convenient, and unhealthy India rubber over
shoe. The sole is made entirely Of gutta per-
cha, the shoe otherwise being like the ordinary
leather shoe. The sole is applied to the upper
part by pressure. The inner sole and upper
portion, when stretched over the last is first
punctured by a punch The gutta-percha, in
a soft state, is then pressed, by mechanical
means upon this inner sole, the material is
forced through the punch holes, and the shoe
is then held together as if it had been pegged,
though much more securely, for the gutta-
percha fills entirely the punch holes and even
forms sort Of r5vet head on the inside of the
shoe. These shoes, the Ledger is informed,
can be made thirty per cent. cheaper than the
leather-soed shoes, the price of leather hav-
ing recently gone up very high. They are as
serviceable to wear and are, of course, entire
ly impervious 10 water. They may be worn,
like leather soHed shoes, at any season of the
wear, withoutinconvenience.
CONTEMPT OF CoURT.-A bill has been re-
ported in congress granting a jury trial in every
case OF contempt of court, the fine to be a stated
amountA and the imprisonment for limited
period. Ths is right. However cautious and
liberal, says the Philadelphia Ledger, courts
may have been in the exercise of the power of
commitment for contempt, personal liberty is
too dear to be subjected to the hazard of any
judges caprice. Every citizen should know
the nature of his offence, and the extent of the
penalty incurred theyeby, and have a right to
be tried by jury 9udges, themselves,
suppose, would desire 10 see a statute regula-
ton upon the subject, which would take from
the proceeding the arbitrary feature which
makes this necessary exercise of power SO Of
fensive in appearance.
SrocK OF BREADsTUFFs IN THE WEsT.-The
Milwaukee Agriculturalist publishes letters Civ
ing the stock of wheat and flour at Milwaukee,
Chicago and other port on lake Michigan, De-
troit, Cleveland, Cincinnati, Rochester, Oswego,
TIo ,ln1a