Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1861-04-18
Grow Branch Mines and the
State Hole.

Mr.. EDITOR, Sir Noticing in your
paper Of late, considerable about mining
and the duty Of the State in tits matter,
I have been induced to write a few lines on
the same subject myself; not that | feel
myself competent % do justice to subject
Of 50 much importance, but merely to give
few practical hints, derived from ls years
experience in the mines. Ifyou think they
contain anything worth the attention Of
your readers you can print them if not all
right.
My attention has been called to an arti-
Gle in your paper froa j. NJ, about his visit
to Madison, and bis testimony before the
mining committee in reference TO the pre-
priety of sinking shaft to prove the min
erai- bearing capacity Of the lower magne-
san limestone. fully endorse his opin-
ion as far as he statedit, namely, that Crow
Branch il the most suitable place for such
an experiment. | do not pretend to know
what his reasons are for such preference,
but my Object il writing this is TO give a
tew reasons Of my own why the Grow
Branch mines is the most suitable locality
for tie trial to be made.
lst, The Crow Branch diggines are stu
ated OH i small creek, called Grow Branch,
that runs northeast to Southwest, and tls
range Of mineral runs from northwest to
southeast crossing the creek at right angles
or nearly so and at tLs point Of intersec-
ton the mineral bearing rocks have been
removed down to whatmihef call the lows
Ell, or building opening, leaving the rocks
beneath III sln undIsturoed condition, conse-
qt.,.ntiy ii that place were selected for the
State Hole, the level at the committeeman
woald correspond with the lowest point at
which mineral is dug IN the mines; in 9th
er words it takes from so to 10 feet to
eet to the same level ~ the branch, on the
north aud south sile Of il; and ayun by
commencing At tais point all the water in
The upper diggings would be avoided.
I'll, Miners generally consider it good
sion If mineral Lciow, when they find min
eral going down, and ii these mines i has
been found is low as has yet been dug BE-
I5N The water leyel. Also anout 300 yards
west Of the diggings the sand rock i found
cropping out and il the cracks Of this rock
small sheets Of mineral are found, about as
thick as dolIar--a circumstances peculiar
to Grow Branch m.nes, and which 50 far
as / am aware, il not to be found III any
ether mines in the State.
Sd, If there was mineral found IN the
lower magnetism il would run for miles,
both north and south without meeting with
any interruption from nils OF hollows.
The present water leYsl that carries the
water from the diggings is some 5000 feet
lons., and might still be conhaaed for niles
ia both directions.
Tie mineral III this range runs with a
reollaritq, not often met with in Wisconsin
mines. MI. Thomas Watson, the agoHii,
tells me thI IN the hast six years, while. be
has been ageut, something bike a million
pounds d mineral have been raised, and
about the same quantity before.
In conclusion allow me to repeat that
should the legislature determine upon maxi
mo this experiment. | believe with ]. d.
that Crow Branch ought to receive its ear
iess attention. Yours DE ]. Q.
New California, April y, 1861.