Connecticut western news., 1871-09-08
Ore Mining i'm Ore Hill.


 perhaps brief description of our little villa, Ore Hill and it's mines, might interest some of your many readers who are not residents of mining country. I do not claim to be historian, therefore you must not expect too much, but will try and make it interesting as far as am capable of doing. The mines in this vicinity were discovered nearly century and half ago, but not until the land was relieved of a luxuriant growth of timber and scrubbery, which we always find upon new land.
 While blowing the ground, the early settlers of this town first discovered the rich Iron mines of this place. The ore was fine, or what is called wash ore, also poor quality found near the surface of the land. I can- not tell who owned the ground at that time, but am informed man by the name of Everts, large land holder at that time, who owned quite large tract of land in this section of the town. I do not claim that this is correct statement, but it is supposed by some of the citizens that he was the first owner. After ore was found, com panies were formed and charter giving them tract of land containing one hundred acres, and the right to dig any where with in the boundary of the said land. The mining did not commence as soon as the ore was found, as there were no furnaces al that time. The first furnace was built at r oo,1xy ,,I Furnace village, by. an Englishman who skedaddled when the Rebellion broke out. There was no duty on ore in those days. A furnace owner must own 30 shares in order to get ore, and pay the diggers 50cts. per ton for digging it. A share was 3Ofl square, and the mining was done by tun- nelling under the ground. The Mammoth Pit was the first that was opened of any ! note, there were several others of different names but were very small, therefore 1 shall l not say much about them only to give their | names. The Mammoth at one time was considered the best pit on the hill but as the ore runs so deep under the ground, it does not hardly pay to remove the large banks of clay. The clay in some places is 1 30 feet deep before you get to the ore, and of very hard nature. It requires blasting for the men cannot make much progress with picks. The ore was transported in bags on horseback during the summer, and in winter with oxen and sleds, as the coun- | frv 1uoa nau ord thern xyoro mt r1onv rOodc fit for travel. But time has wrought many changes since then. New roads and fur naces have been built, and teaming with horses and wagons until within the past year, has been profitable business. l have known 100 teams to load at this hill daily. The Mammoth Pit employs about 20 men, also horses and carts. Last year they sold 5000 tons of ore. It has 8 steam boiler and pump to keep the water out of the pit, as large quantity of water is run ming all the time. will name some of the other pits of less account. The Large Drain Blodget; Golden Vein Union and Brook. All these above have consolidated, and are ,. one company which is called the Brook Pit mining company. This is an incorpor
 ated, also Joint Stock Co.,, and has been so for or years. The stock is divided into 400 shares, some of the proprietors own Is or l-16. The largest stockholders are some of the heirs of the Livingstons
 Perhaps some of your readers would like tc know who they are: They are descendant: of the proprietors of what was called the Livingston's manor, situated in Columbis Go. N. Y. These people own severa
 thousand acres of land, which they leased
 or rented to the farmers for year or
 term of years, taking. grain and other pro
 duce for pay, which made them very
 wealthy family. Some of the lease
 given were to last ''as long as grass grow
 and water runs." guess some of then
 have not run out yet. The Brook Pit com tpany has raised more ore than any otherc com
 pany in this town for few years past They , employ 40 men and IT horses and carts
 The depth of this pit is about 90 or 100 feet } and the ore lies bearing to the north yves } and south of east. The proprietors lease } the right of digging, to another compan, called diggers or miners, and receive L. dollars per ton on all the ore sold, whicl
 amounts to a small fortune every year Last year the amount raised was IF, ,532 l.: tons. The miners are losers if there i any loss. Labor, powder, coal Sc. amounts to $ls,OOO or $2o, 900 per year. The or' delivered on the bank is worth $5,25 a ton after deducting the duty of $2,25 ton and other expenses, leave but small DOT
 ton for the miners We have two boiler of 30 horse power each, 3 steam pumps, are Worlhington's No. 6, and are used fo , drying the pit. The other, new ont
 recently put ID the old Brook or Colder Vein, to furnish water for the ore washer
 This pump is a model of perfection, ant
 warranted not to burst or break. It i
 manufactured by George F. Blake. w. are digging at present in the old Unio1
 pit and are raising 100 tons per day. de not mean every day, but average at tn, rate of 75 to 100 tons per day at the end O each month. The amount of ore sent tt different furnaces since April 18th, is 6OO( tons, and surplus of 4o00 on hand. Th' ore does not sell as readily this summer al
 last, as the Iron companies are waiting fo the new railroad, which will save then
 nearly $4O,oOO year. Some of the iror
 companies have to pay $3 per ton to ge
 the ore drawn to their furnaces. will leave the Chatfield correspondent to write history of the Chatfield mine as dt , not want to interfere with his writing
 P. w. MINER.
 Figure of Bacchus.
 Three British prisoners of war in the olt