Mineral Point weekly tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1859-1868, 1864-12-28
From the Chicago Tribune
HINES AID MiNTFACT(RES IL ILLINOIS.
zinc Manufacture at La Sale.

One OF the many compensati ions of the
var IS the impetus given to our manuiae-
/ lures and mines. The high price Of gold
ana the risks Of commerce are turning at
tention to our vast mineral resources
! Our mines Of iron coal, silver, god, lead
/ and copper are expanding to meet the
! home demand. While all men are asking
how shall this nation pay its co'osslI
/ debt, the bountcous Earth, as if sympa-
| timing with our needs, generously Gn-
locks her boarded wealth to repIenish the
waste Of war
With the general ~eawakening Of the
| mining interests new fields are constantly
opening to labor and capital Our zinc
fields so long neglected, are at last being
turned to account And this Is lIeing done
on an extensive sca'e at In Sale, only 90
nj es distant from Chicago, butso 81 emily
| that it has scarce y excited Il remark even
from the argus-eFed press. The country
IS indebted to Messrs Matthiessen d Her-
elcr, two highly intelligent Germans. and
! graduates ofthe Mining Academy of Erie.
| burg, for the first successful effort in this
/ directions
These gentlemen came to America in
/ 1897, and began their experiments at the
/ llrh5gh Zinc Works in Pennsylvania
/ whore they produced the first metallic
! zinc OF American make. In 1858 they
/ came West aud examined the ores of the
! Wisconsin lead region, near Mineral
Point
Being satisfied Of their superior rich-
! ness and abundance thew looked foc fuel
and facilities Of manufacture and trans
I pOrtatior. Ia 81 le, with its rich coal
( deposits, bul ding stone and fire clay seem
ed 20 present all these conditions in the
/ highest degree, and they decided at once
( to make Il the location Of their works
! They erected at first a small temporary
/ furnace, and in a quiet and Understanding
/ way commenced 4 series of experiments
/ with the coal, ore and fire-clavs Of the
! West Numerous difficulties were ut first
/ encountered, and the old processes had to
! be varied greatly and new adjustments
/ to be made IN their apparatus constructed
! on mode with which they were familiar
1 IN Europe. For nearly five years thew
/ continued, overcoming ono obstacle after
another By their patience and rare COM
/ biUation OF scientific knowledge and prac-
! teal skill 1t the end Of tha5 period so
/ numerous were their changes in the cd
/ sys en- Of treating tie ores Of zine. that
/ they may justly claim to he the inventors
/ as well as builders Of their present fur
/ naees.
Having passed through their trial. thev
/ have row estab ishcd the business of maxi
I inc metallic zinc on 4 firm basis. Their
! new works are being buil5 in the most
! permanent manner, and when complete
! vii doubtless be Il e most extensive and
perfect in the world. They are located
on the Illinois Central Railroad. about one
mile north of La Sale, and opposite the
I>ent,icEv CooI <Iina From, Viii, H. oJ,-
1 hin fnal
| an, ,,,s;sl f,s+ or . ,,,-,.,,.r,I ,.,;Ir
- ,,-r,i,b tI,, 80. a,,I g., L. ~
,,[.,,,,,I s..o,,r ~, ,>.I...,-;,-', -
7Z.l,sI. ia -. - al g., i.
,,s.{ :, A., r..,,....' ~, -. eI.;.I n
- r',,r,s.as sTr..lr- :. n,a.,+il,, .,,l
Ill 1,,;rr,,x ~ ,,a'-.,:.I -
1nainI,. hri.ll a,,4 st.,na a.. I,4to, t.r-o,.
So, ,.,,,..,.,. ,,., t,. b..
Tow rods dt--.,'4
nh, ,,o.l.,,-,,.. ,,,.,-,.,....,,., ,t,4 J., e.4
hv Is On -ha 4rl.rr,1 ans ID r.a+l.irh s.-.-
mounted I,y tai. I'll. -i,ln,s- stacks A t;.araa
work Of iron hera opens on caeh OF the
ravr sides. in w:.cIaref laced 50 re.orts
These Tc!0rts are made. OF Gre-cl1v. and
are from three 10 SIX feet in Ianr+h and
six ipchcs to on, foot in dilmcY,,,. arcl.rJ
inc t, the mace thew are L, take in the
ru..,..a Thav are 1lacad hnriyontaIi,- :,
~
ina r,r,~ard 10 Facilitate the TistiIIafian 81,
the z;ue and the reno. aloF the Irozs The
i,,f..s+ieos fotv-aan the +uIas ara flf.l
wis.r FIRE CLAW. The ore. after ba;n (, roasted
at the mines. Is ground. mixed with fine
coal. and the mixture slightly moist ned
with water Is then filled into fha ra-
forts with \ sami-cvliDdr;cal sbovar =
Fa~.,cn pines resembling the iron thin
L1az IF WAGON axIe.trees are then inserted
;nto the oren ends of the rasorts and fntc5
n wifi Gre-c.a A.. The fires baIo.v are
thon increased until the whole furnace
Glow. with intense heat At first t5c
0,anfors Of the tnhas omit lirb+ lIno
aanas caused ~ the car1,or,ic acid cvnIr-
"a Infer the fame becomes ,vbitcr ,yitl,
tints Of erean. and Of Great briIjiancy-
shoot IRON tubes ,rish handles f+r;n., tba
n,aos and closed ut one end are nov: M
,,.-!.J r. oat.a 80 oxiaa Of zinc which h.
ti,;,,. - osoar, Win tbe flama Fvar,- t,,o
-. a., - 49,. Az, ta1,an ofg MI FL,
III /, tba sbana ~ T,J.4 IT,a
,,.,,,..7 ,,,lo,.eI n III ,ci,o3 Vii, Tba- 49,,
a,,I ,,a-,,v1S5 - Tho ,.ato,+S 80, 1 800