Fayette County herald. [volume] (Washington [Washington Court House], Fayette County, O. [Ohio]) 1860-1???, 1874-07-30

zIing question of all: How were these lodes
formed thus in the solid rock? 1t is strange
fact that this question, the first to be asked,
is the last one answered-if it may be said to
be answered yet. Besides vast number of
mere surmises and probable guesses, there are
four distinct theories as to the origin Ofmetali-
ferrous veins,
First-The eruption theory: That the min
eral was thrown up from below either by vol
canic action, or by the conYulsions of primal
chaos that near its source it forced for itself
immense creviceS through the solid rock, but
nearing the surface, its original force beng
largely spent, it turned aside to pre-existing |
crevices, thus producing tn e &c 'chimneys" and |
elbow outs" so common in mining regions - |
The proofs of this action are such are evil |
dent to the sight, and hence it is the theory |
nearly always adopted by beginners. But |
there are many objections to it, and it is held |
by but few.
Second-The theory of aqueous deposition: |
That the mineral was originally in solution in
salt or brackish water, mostly in small lakes
inclosed among the mountains; that the latter
slowly upheaved and the mineral settled in
the assures in combination with the various
other substances as now found. Some enthu-
siasts maintain that millions of years from
now men will mine under the present bottom
of the sea, which will then be on the mountain
tops.
Third-The sublimation theory; that the
mineral, vaporized by intense heat, in combi-
nation with other substances, rose for vast and
indefinite periods and was cooled and solidi6ed
by contact with the rocky walls Of pre-e xlst-
ing assures.
Fourth-The electro chemical or wave CON
vuIsive theory; that the mineral was originally |
in atoms, deposited in certain kinds of rocks,
which held it in chemical affinity, and from
which it was slowly aggregated by electrical
action. To this some add that there IS yet an
oscillatory motion, or wave current, IN the
mountains, created by electricity, and that
the collection of metal is still going on to
slight extent. In proof of this are the "sick-
ensides," pieces of the wall-rock polished so
smooth by some kind of friction, that in many
instances they can be used as mirrors. have
seen some a smooth as the finest plate glass.
| This theory, at first sight the most improbable
of all, really has the weight of testimony in
| its favor, For instance certain rocks, only
| among which granite, schist and one kind of
| limestone predominant, contain the silver; and
| proceeding horizontally along crevice, if the
| wall-roek changes, which happens, though
rarely, the ore changes to, and out of the right
| kind of rock silver is found. 1t is notice.
able too that the rock nearest the lode nearly
| always contains a percentage of silver, and IN
a few instances enough has been found to pay
for reducing it. 1t is fair to add, however,
that the opponents of this theory maintain
that such mineral was absorbed from the vein
instead of being in process of action toward
| it. Some very curious experiments have been
made to prove the truth of this theory. In one
instance q chemist succeeded in producing a
thin vein of mineral in pulverized ore by means
| of ELECTRICAL action; another claims to have ex-
tracted the silver from piece of ore by means
of electricity, and still another instance is
cited of q mine in Mexico where the electrical
current was precephble, and where the thin
coating of silver has actually formed on wall
rock laid bare a hundred years ago. Passing
| to the discussion of Seismology, the advocates
of this theory claim that earthquakes are not
due to plutonic agency, but are the result of
ELECTRICAL action extending but few hundred
feet downward. In support of this the curious
fact that in the deepest mines of California no
earthquake has produced a perceptible shock.
l find that nearly all the miners here hold
this theory, and it certainly does explain the
| largest number of known facts. Some main
| tain, however, that all these different cause
have acted at different times to produce the
| lodes. If one could settle this question he
| would be made man. So much has been said
and written the subject that one might al
most say, with St. John: eff the whole were
| written the world itself would not contain the
books. Amen"
Now see the practical application of these
theories. If the first is correct, it follows that
these mines have no bottom, until one gets
down to the original location of the ore-a
great deal deeper than man is ever likely to go.
If the last is correct, the chances are hun
dred to one in favor of q continuation of the
lodes indefinitely downward; for it is not
! probable we shall ever reach the bottom of that
: | particular kind of rock. If the sublimative
the matter either way, and the question Of
, downward continuation is open one. But
if the aqueous deposition theory be correct iO
this formation, it follows pretty conclusiYely
that all our lodes will be exhausted compare
lively shallow. Professor Weiser, the loca
/ advocate of that theory, says that none Of
them go down more than two thousand feet
| In that case the Burleigh Tunnel will go sew
eral hundred feet under the bottom of the rich
est mines on Sherman Mountain.
To return TO the Pulaski:
After being developed as above, it was SOLD
to the company, who propose to open anG
work it on an extensive scale, Like all mines
of that character, it is rather wet, and getting
out ore by shaft, with pumping, would have
proved more expensive than by tunnel. Ac
cordingly the company have started tunnel
which will be some welve hundred feet il
length and strike the level at depth of si1
: hundred feet from the first opening. This
/ plan has one disadvantage, though most prof
liable in the end, the company must wait s
y year or so for any returns. The quickest worl
ever done on any tunnel here was twenty-five
: feet per week, and that required three eight
hour shifts. But when completed, all their or,
I will come down hill, and owing to its oper
;; structure, the drainage of the mine will b.
perfect. Above them there they will have
e section of the ore-seams, twenty-one hHndreo
+ feet long and six hundred feet deep--enougI
u to outlast this generation of workers. Thi!
: thew can take out in successive chamber by
e "back- stopping" with expense ofhoisting
/ Should the nine prove Of the same richness at
d that DEPTH and there is every indication that
1t it will, its value will be immense. The com
e pany can then erect smelling or concentration
d | works and have an establishment that will
:, rival the Terrible in magnitude and profits.
e Having thus followed our mine through Its
IS development, example, there remains a
n few hints to investors. The first thing to be
it looked at, of course, is title; tits not sup
5 | posable case that one should show purchaser
8 in Ohio one farm and sell him another; but
n | that thing has been done in selling mines. II
: is easy to determine, by proper inquiry, whe;h-
r | er the property sold is that described. In the
: second place the chances are far better in buy.
s ing into mine already developed and proved
d like the Snow Drift, Pulaski or Dives, than in
s a mere surface affair. There is always O little
n risk in mining, though, perhaps, no more thar
g in dealing in corn or wheat. don't suppose
| q mine ever reaches that point where it is an
n absolute certainty-though, for that matter
n what investment ever does? Returns show
IL that money invested in this district during the
g past year or two has paid larger dividends
t. than in almost any other business in the coun
a try, and large amount of it has come here
re One is astonished on hunting up thefigures to
e find the millions of Eastern capital invested
: at least score of companies operating with
II from quarter of million to a million dollars
g each. Another notable fact is the steady pro-
It gress in knowledge of and mode of treating
e low grade or refractory ores, bringing into
II market every year dozen or more low gra de
g mines previously thought unproftable, A
't few years ago, mines rich in lead, but yielding
e only forty ounces in silver, were accounted d
'e worthless; now they are among the most val
o liable mines in the district. The completion
of reduction works, now in process of build
8 ing, the finishing of the railroad up here from
:, FLOYD Hill, cheapening transportation little
d and the further improvement in treatment O.
1t refractory ores, sure to be made, will bring &
d hundred mines now idle into the market anG
d make them immensely valuable.
i Beadle is in error in one particular, how
le ever, as we are informed by member o