New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1866-01-25

they quit work and commence spending. They lived
on The cosest food and vines Some had eight or ten
gold watches strung In front Of them They vent to
St. Louis II their money held out they would reach
Louisville or Cincinnati; but In the end they come
back to the mines in rags and with biack eyes and
swollen faces That was called being busted"
Then they would 60 to work, perhaps strike smother
lead, and start OH before but few trips finished
them. Even some citizens Of the town. who bought
leads that were struck and made fortunes started OF In
pretty much the same style-heir famiies being VIII
ing-cnd they led few years Of wild life. till at last
poverty came and stayed with them. Such characters
seem to run mostly after gold watches. heard OF ono
who had "a ct one time, each with costly chain. and
WORTH altogether. o. 600 or e600o This remember,
was several years ago. when q dollar meant some
thing
But there were many who were wiser. They saved
everything, and when they got enough they went on
with all they could scrspe 10 their families Perhaps
these the gay and happy Suckers the song speaks
Of Few thought Of remaining and making homes nor
was there much encouragement for Government would
not sell the land. There was agent at Galcna who
gave the miners license to work such tracts - siey
might select, for which they paid tax; aud though
there must have been paid very large sum. have
been informed that the Government never got cent
The account of the final selling Of the land and tbs
tricks used to prevent IT, the conflicting Of claims and
the immense trouble which Notwithstanding several
years-I omit. Beside miners. there were men who
sold goods who bought ore and dealt In lead. or even
had furnaces These, II they used common Judgment
and had good habits, became wealthy In short there
was no other place In the whole country where man
ofalmost any occupation could easily get rich Cen
Grants father established leather house here In those
days
England has Lead Mines extensive that they have
produced more lead than oil the world beside Ger
taiply that must be q remarkable country. When 1t
was known that America could produce lead. the En-
glish according to their custom. determined to break
up the business and they offered lead In eastern cities
at such prices that our miners could not afford to get
out Then Cougre put duty on pig lead. There.
upon the English established large smelling works in
Philadelphia and sent the ore hiher to DO smelted
The next thing for Congress to do was to place duty
on the ore. That was nothing Cor our kind friends
who long ago elected that we should raise nothing but
meat and gran-began to supply US with statuary and
sent us large quantities Of the busts VI our great men,
living and dead all In lead. This was an artfa opera
ton in the fine arts Then Congress laid duty on
lead any shape form. This brought them TO some
thing Of stand. After time they went TO work with
all their might opened their mines still more and ~
the help Of cheap labor produced large Quantities Oh
lead and shipping 1t bither sold 1t so low that our
miners found the business paying poorly enough. We
have established important branch OF Industry 10
this country which they have not attempted to breas
up Their plan is simple. With cheap labor and their
enormous capital they richly afford to lose fov
millions of dollars in upderseling then. when they
break up our works. and our artisans or mechanics go
to raising grain they ready to supply our MARKET
wheu they reap their reward. 1t Is game Of boating
and brag. united with real strength. The Englshman
reminds one Of an impatient bully standing before
man not quite az fat. and perhaps not knowing as
much and the bully says scarcely anything but "Boo
Add an 81" to the word and II shows how be got bis
name.
All things come to an end. Originally-say 1900
years ago-the English mines were worked ss the Ga
lena mines have been; that is. the surface Tten
they sunk shafts deeper but water came in they ran
adt levels from the lowest Valleys but the lead still 10
Ing down into the water they constructed powerful
pumps which raised the water into these sdits, aud
Some Of their mines n
In places they have dried under and across rivers.
and even under the ,so Bat during the last Is
years their mines have failed They getting to the
end Of their rope and now is the time for American
mining to begin.
The geological structure OF tho great lead region Of
the Mountain Of Cross Fell, where tho counties Of
Northumberland, Cumberland. North Riding OF York.
shire ard Durham meet is similar. II not Identical With
the mineralbearing msgnesan limestone Of Illinois aud
Now, there are scarcely any of our mines which are
much owe 100 feet Deep Tho deepest went into
at Shulsburg ITO feet deep aud did not hear Of
than half dozen which had been drained by adit lev
els; and Of these wero as low as they might DO By
from so 20 $50 feet Except in these few Instances and
where millions of dollars worth Of mineral have been
taken out az consequence, tho only mining that has
been done has been BY taking out the mineral 10 the
water when the mines we're abandoned
know that there are parties claiming to have scien'
tc knowledge who say these are nothing but surfss:
jim short they say there Is no mineral below the
water Almost every minor will whistle at this and
relate now ' ao e ,hs g. sos viii
not even tell where they saw II last and are waingf
the mines to be drained. was in mines myself whore
Of almost pure lead with my hands out OF beds Of
lead in the water Moro than this, was In mines
where thousands il not milonf. Of dollars worth had
been taken out after the water had been drained on Dy
nunps or adit levels In short this condition Is 80 gen.
era and so well known. that to those on the ground
II Is unnecessary TO say word cayc more 70 sy o.
Am forced 10 Conclude that when the mines are drained.
then only viii they bs fairly opened and that long
course perhaps thousand years. OF prosperous minus
The shafts or pits by which The mines are reachcd
dug ike well, but they are square. about I'VE zee,
across and till the rock is reached curoed wtp smas
made of half OF barrel with leg out to guide my
descent Sometimes put one foot IN loop az the enc
Of tho sopc holding ny hands s,sh up on sns TIE
necessary to be careful and not get one, fingers be-
tween tho rope and windlass. AZ Other time. weni
down perpendicular ladders with no interuption-un
iess round were out which the miner who goes along
generally tells Of and one has TO take long step AZ
other times there sections Of inclined ladders ~
feet long with landiugplaces at their feet where o
could rest little. 10 come up q straight ladder ivy
feet high requires heavy lifting and makes one PAM.