Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1862-01-01

In behalf of the boys,
Yours, d. G. p.
Geology OF the Lead Mime.
Mr.. EDIToR:-I know not that m ar
ticle on anything save war will BE- inter
esting to your readers now. But Is there
not some danger Of nogleeting orr home
interests in our zeal TO serve our coantry
and put down re. elton. II occurs to me
that this IS the very time wien We should
put forth our best efforts to encourage and
protect our various branches of industry,
and to render as efficient as possible our
resources of wealth.
On a visit to your county short time
since for the purpose Of examining some.
of your mines, | could not well resist tho
impression that mining, il properly under
stood and encouraged, would be one Of
your most important and lucrative branch
Is Of industry. Ny visit was confined
mostly to the Farpay mines. Here | was
conducted by the manager, Mr.. Riker, IN
to some Of those great sabterraneaa safes,
where Nature deposites her IMMORAL treas
ures; and from which over one hundred
thousand dollars worth had been taken
Some of the depa tments in those safes, it
is true, were not accessible--the treasure
gone-Nature nor industry was any loager
interested in keeping them open, though
science say they were But enough stood
open to Science with ample room for all
her powers.
nv objset in visiting these mines was
not SO much to see the place which Ma
ture chose to lay her wealth, rs to mark
the footprints Of those agents which Ma
ture has in her employ. Softly, it is true,
they press tie rock through which they
pass; but Science points us to that nlacs
where once they played, ana from tsiat gas
eous state in which the atoms stood mould
ed those massive cubes in crystal form and
layed them carefully by for future use.
The mineral ID these mines is obtained
from crecice openings, and in but few pla-
ces are the prominent features Of q creYice
openug better developed than here. 1t
| has done much towards confirming an
opinion long forming in my mind under
an accumulation Of facts, that those crew
ice openings Are found at and produced by
the coalition OF melting Of vertical with
horizontal vein; and that the horizontal
veins have as much to do with our mlGer-
al formations rs The vertical ones. And
/ what IS true Of creyice opening IN this
respect is true Of all other openings, they
differ only as one or other prevails. Upon
this important feature Of our mineral form
alton I would love to dwell, bpt it would
take more space than You would be Will
ing to aford, for volume Of practical in
formation would not exhaust what our
mines have already yielded on.ihe sub
lject
The principal Vertical vein on which
the mineral was found in these mines, pro-
ductiye as it was IN the first and second
openings Cor at its junction with the first
aud second horizontal ycins) continuesto g
down into the hardest rock as strong as ey-
er, and bids as fair to be productive ID the
openings Of the lower formations Tor at its
| junction With tue horizontal seas there) as
/ It dill when trayersing the rock above,
where it has been productive.
/ was very much pleased with my visit
there, not only with the nature and rich
ness Of the vsin, bat wis the manage
ment Of the mining operations. Here two
/ prominent features attracted my attention,
namely, skill aud economv-featufes often
wanting in tho management Of Wisconsin
mines, but very prominent in the manage
ment Of Mr. Riksr, who, | am told, Is q
comparative stranger t. mining operations
Neyagthalsss hs conducts it with skill and
economy worthy man Of great expert
lencs.
| Pursuant to en- invitation, ! aiJressef
the minors Of that place enc evening on
the general geology 81 the mining region
and its relation Is the mines, dwelling
mostly on those facts which every miner
could comprehend. After the address We
snant considerable time iii aicussing qhes
I ,9o,s relative to the nature and extent Of
sur mineral yeias. was Delighted with
lbe interest tbs miners took 10 the sab
4 iect. and am more than ever convinced that
our mining interests would appear before
the world IN new light, the htboFs Of the
min ii rendered So. 49, successful and
their numbers greatly increased if we weFe
10 collect and systematically arrange tie
facts now IN the possession Ct the Miners.
i When viii those interested tsske the sub
Jet III hand. J. ~.
Mao ManieyDec ~
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