Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1860-08-11
rCommunicatod
CROW branch MINEs-vARIETIES OF
MiNERALs-CU RIOsITIEs, &c.

u, commandment.
crow BRANCH iNEs-vARIETIEs I
+ MfNERALS- CURIOsITIEs, &c.
K
! Mr.. EDrToR A few days since w.
i Beach, Esq, and myself visited the famo
: "Crow Branch diggings," and saw so ma
q curious sights that thought few iter
rs would probably interest scsneof your rea
ar ers. These mines are located near tic &c
fiif,agggaf the town Of Clifton in this count
Iunon ! smalI syxtream called "Crow Branch
land principally on lal,.. us belonging 70 w
4 Andrew and +. G. Kirkpatrick H.
large yield Of lead has been realized ].
these Digging upwards of2O0, 600 pounds
having been sold during the past year; shis
has required an immense amount Of labor;
extensive drifts and deep shafts, have been
Iexcavated through the solid rock one level
beginning at the branch penetrates the hill
about three-eights of mile; shafts from
$50 to l25 feet deep intersect this level ali
various distances; upon several Of these
shafts, sWhirns" worked by hose power
are raising mineral. AT these mines may
I've found several different kinds Of ore, from
the same shaft are dug the sulphurets OF
Lead, Iron and Zinc, and the sulphate Of
Barytes; frequently all Of these minerals
are found combined inone mass. Lead be-
ing the only mineral sought after by the mi 4
ners, the others are throssn aside as useless.
Visitors at these diggings are astonished at
the immense quantities ofsulphuret ofIron,
(Iron pyrites, which lie scattered over theI
ground shining in the sun like s., many
pieces Of Furnished gold. Tons this min
eral could be gathered here, and might bel
put to some practical use, as it is from this
ore that sulphate Of Iron (copperds) is OBJ
tanned, and BY a very simple process; which,
for the benefit of any person wishing to en-
gage in the enterprise OF establishing cop-I
peras mandatory in Grant County | will
give: "The ore after being raised from theI
]" ground is exposed to the air and moisten-
!" ed, the sulphur then absorbs oxyge7 from
(. the atmosphere and is converted into sui
/" phuric acid; the acid unites to the iron
T" and forms q sulphate which appears in
!" the form ola. greenish crust on the de-
/" composing pyrites; the copperas is then
q obtained by washing or lixiyiation and
" subsequent crystallization." This process
would require but little capital, and be-
lieye any one engaging in the manufacture
Of copperas would realize handsome profits.
there being a ready sale at all times for this
product.
Sulphate of Barytes is also found in great
abundance at Crow Branch and vicinity
mis- mineral is extensively employed in Eng
and in the manufacture of cheap paint,
said to be very durable and much better
adapted for painting where exposed to the
weather. than White Lead. A nianufacto-
~ Of this paint might be established here,
IS the raw material is very abundant and Of
much purer quality than thatfou in Eng
land. Mr.. Andrew says he can furnish
Barytes at one dollar per thousand.
The ores ofZinc have not yet been found
IA sufficient quantities in this vicinity to
warrant the erection Of the necessary build
Hgs and machinery for the extraction Of
Inc metal.
Mineralogists, Biologists liz; 800, ,,,tO5',
lunters can End ~ is.oo $3.50 y 'aais 49, q
~ and miners are gentleuanly ana Sblag-
ng--willing to expend time ~ inlaringl
and in showing visitors about
he works. Tie finest specimens Of erys-l
allied minerals can he found here; sui
,huret of lead in All its forms Of cubes and
yariously truncated, apparent II
Z cut with as much mathematical pr4cis- j
on as if they had been finished by skill !
al lapidary. SuIph. of Iron is found crys-
allied in many different forms, some Of the
landsomcst specimens appear as though I
orned of hundreds of small brass cog u
wheels iInbedded in a mass with their edges :
urned outward. Beautiful crystals Of Eel
par Of all sizes and forms, are also found at .
hese diggings. From the miners | obtain
d many beautiful specimens Of these min G
rails, for which | am mainly indebted to .
iessrs Thomas and Charles Watson and b
oseph Nicholson. After spending a very D
leasant day rambling over these diggings, |.
scorted by Thomas Watson and William
Andrew, and enjoying the generous hospi-
aities of Messrs. Fawcett aud Andrew, we
eturned home richly repaid for our visit to !
row Branch diggings. Ia
]. H. EVANS. Is
Lancaster, August 6, 1860. 4