The Tiffin weekly tribune. (Tiffin, Ohio) 1859-1868, 1867-02-28
Communicated.
..> For the rdbvnc.
Iowa Lead Mines How they
Make Shot.


Eds. TRIBUNE: Perhaps it would b,
interesting 20 sopie of your readers tc
know something about the manuhc-
ture of load into shot aud bar lead.
Not many sportsmen, that are often
sending shotof different kinds. into
as many different kinds of game, or
10 missing the game, (Which is the
fault of the gun of course) hurting
the trees OF clouds, hayoHny idea Of
how shot is made.
Perhaps they, like myself, have Ind
some indistinot idea of some high
tower, and of melted lead, falling
through an almost measureless space
iHto some water, but the Imagination
could 90 no farther.
When | was at ST. Louis I thought
| would visit the shot tower there so
one day went to sec it,
IL was quito an imposing structure,
the tower especially, aud | supposed
! would have the satisfaction Of sec
ing the mysteries Of making shot,
but upon going to the door, there
alb We the door was the pleasing no.
tice in large letters No Adn,itidhco,"
and inside, "Fositiocy no ddnGuahce
IN he toleer," therefore came away
not much wiser than when went.
Not being satisfied at what / had
seen at 81 Louis, stopped at Du.
buque, Iowa, upon going mp the riv.
err to visit the lead mines, aud coun.
try surrounding.
larrived shere Saturday, September
10Th, 1866. In aiew minutes it com.
meuccd raining, aud raincd almostin-
cessantly until Sunday evening, but
Monday it was pleasant, although
very muddy, but nevertheless | start.
cd out to see the renowned lead mines
Of Dubuque.
Dubuque is situated west Of the
Mississippi, opposite the northern
line of Illinois, aud the southern line
of Wisconsin, and is situated in as
fine country as can be found.
The business portion of the city is
on level, and in visiting this portion
alone person would think it was a
city of stores. The western part of
the city is on a high bluff and con
tains the principal dwelling houses,
many Of which are splendid edifoes.
From this bluff the scenery is beauti-
ful. On either hand tho Mississippi
can be seen winding its way among
the islands, and across the river, the
town Of Dunlieth in Illinois, aud Just
north of that aud as far as the eye
can reach the hills of Wisconsin, =
but | am of OF my subject.
just back, or west Of these bluffs,
the mineral deposits are found. and
extend back for several miles, but tho
principal mines are in the vicinity of
West Dubuque, two miles west Of the
main city.
1t was so wet and muddy / did not
visit any Of the mines at lirst, but as
| was going alons to see the country,
| stopped at an odd looking structure
with part of it four stories high
/ went inside and found was in a
shot mandatory. ThoySthon were
running bar lead, but said they would
drop shot the next day.
The gentlemanly engineer, Mr. +.
j. Royce, very politely explained all
Of the mysteries go to me and invited
me to come the next day and see them
drop shot
This manufactory was built over a
shaft Of one hundred and twenty five
feet in depth, and out Of which had
beon taken three hundred thousand
pound Of mineral. Ninety feet Of
the shaft was sunk through solid
rock and thirty.fye Of earth and
slate. At this depth the creyasse
was reached where the mineral was
found. These creYasses extend in
many direction and in many shapes,
aud some resemble caves. In some
places like large rooms, and in other
places not large enough to admit the
body ofa man.
Let a person unacquainted with
mines enter one and he will get Lost
very easy, for there are crevasses
branching of in different directions,
aud entering one Of these, would
stray into some branch from this, and
so on and could not find his way
back again.
AS some Of the miners told me, they
could put me where 1 never could
fnd my way out. In these creyasses
the minerai, or lead ore, is found,
sometimes jutting from the rocks
above, and sometimes in the airt, or
as often in the mud or water below,
will now describe the Dubuque
Shot Manufacturing Company,s
worksa William Carter, SnpsrlnteRd-
ant, Dobaque, iowa. The tower il
-four stories high. ID the fourth
s:c. ssc.s se A.. IL - Z moitid, and then