Mineral Point tribune. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1854-1858, 1858-04-27
From the Daily State Journal.
Do the Wise .nsin Lead Mines Descend
into the Lower Rocksa
BY EDWARD DANIELS

T By LD"ARD DANIELS.
My attention has lust been called n ar
article from the Lancaster Herald. unon
, the subject of deep mining in our lead dis.
trICt.
. Among other statements, the following
passage occurs:
We happen to know that abou every
practical miner has as much faith in deep
mining as IL dousing for mineral, and
that every instance of deep mining has
proved failure, and the deeper the more
total the failure"
Believing that the impression conveyed
by these statements is erroneous, and cai-
cuated to prejudice our mining interests
both at home ami abroad, ask attention
20 few thoughA AbeagiRG upon this much
mooted question: OF ne dewaward contfn.
ulty of the lead VEINS of our State. Ard
first. Let me state that my acquaintance
with practical miners in every part of the
lead district has given me a somewhat
different impression of their opinions upon
this matter, from that above announced,
The great body of our European min
ers, who have had the advantage of a
thorough practical acquaintance with the
extensive mines of Yorkshire, Cornwall
and other places where mining is carried
to the greatest depths and according to
strictly scientific principles, have conf
dence IN the continuance of the veins
downward While exploring the veins
where they were working, they were
constantly calling my attention to points of
analogy between these veins and those of
the o.d country, and expressing the opin-
that ,f haayxr works
and the veins proved to greater depths,
the same rich results would be realized
here as there.
Their belief is based upon the general
resemblance of the veins In the mineral
districts of Europe and Great Britain TO
our own.
Many Of those features which are not
obvious to the mere theorist and which
constitute the resemblance between these
distant metallic deposits are revealed TO the
searching scrutiny of minds who have
trained unuer groun from childhood, and
taught TO watch, every change In the vein
as II progresses or deepens, through the
rock.
Let any one enquire of those miners
who are most intelligent, experienced and
best trained, and nine OUT of every ten
Will give their opinion IN favor of the po-
SIton, that the veins descend into the low
er rock.
Those who oppose this doctrine will
generally be found 10 be miners who have
seen only the irregular and intermitled
digging and picking, which is called min
ing In most parts Of our lead district, but
which bears about the same relation to
mining proper as the building of a bark
wigwam or IA mud cabin does TO architec-
ture.
Having no experience in the working
of metallic veins elsewhere, and never
having followed down any IN our mines,
they can of course have no reliable basis
for any opinion whatever.
Their opinions are simply guesses, hav-
ing precisely the same value as those of
men who have never seen the mines AT
all.
If, therefore. We consult the best in
formed and most experienced miners, the
weight OF opinion is overwhelmingly in IA
vor of the proposition that the veins ex-
tend into the lower rocks
liz regard TO the failures in deep min
ing. | remark that they prove nothing
whatever against this proposition Such
, failures nave been induced by variety
of causes, such as bad management, high
price OF fuel IN sustaining motive power,
conflicting titles, etc. But in no instance
that | am aware OF has the vein been
lost.
On the contrary, in the deepest shaft
, yet sunk IN these experiments, the vein
has been found still continuing its ores at
the point of abandonment. Every attempt
. at deep mining proves that the vein de-
scends below the boltom of It's deepes, ex-
cavation.
propose giving brief view of the
whole ma,tef, embracing what is settled
in the Geology, of these lead veins as TO
their extent downward, through the col
umns of your Journal. | do this not to
sustain any special measure for their de-
velopment but to give wider publicity TO
facts bearing upon one of the great inter-
, nal interests of the State, and In the pros
perity of which ali other interests have a
. large stake.
We shall have no permanent escape
. from the stagnation and paralysis which
we are now suffering until we set our
selves vigorously at work to foster and
, encourage our mines and manufactures.
The CoMfHG SUMMER.-It is said that
the Earl of Rose, one of the frs, astron-
omers in Elrope, has told a gentleman
tn England that he anticipated one of the
most intensely hot summers this year that
has ever been known, and he advises
farmers tn build sheds for their cattle by
way of protection against the extreme
heat This is rather a roundabout pre-
dic,ion. The Earl of Rosse may have
said 50, but how he should know anything
ss9- Hunger is powerful and neces-
sarv stimulent. Man deprecates hunger;
be fees from It he arms himself to meet