Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1881-02-10
Came in '26 Mining "reminiscences.

to the country, over half century ago.
In this pursuit he has always been lucky
having probably raised as much miner
al as any man OF his size in the diggings,
and his size i far above tie average
man. He is not believer in rods Oh
bobs superstitious instruments for dis
covering mineral and vel he has had
no difficulty in getting good prospects
while many who depend upon forkec
stick 10 strike mineral. are always hun.
CRY.
The faded mining permit shown u:
by Mr.. Grushong reads as follows:
James Grushong is hereby permitted
TO dig or mine on L. $. land which i.
not leased, or otherwise rightfully occu
pied. He is not to set fire TO the prairie
grass or woods. and must deliver hi,
mineral to- licensed smelter, and com
ply with all regulations.
CHARLES SMITH,
Acting agent of leaC
mines, Fever river
FEVER RIVER, April 30, 1926.
After getting his permit Mr. Grushona
mined and in the fall of 26 went back
u Missouri He continued, going and
coming until after the Black Hawk war
and made considerable money about
Hazel Green.
In 1882. he said, Il came bach
from Missouri and went to mining on
Coon branch near Hazel Green. Ny
partner was a Mr. CotteH; we paid so
for the hole and raised 1000 out of il
before fall The indians were pretty
thick and frequently we would not SEE
men for week. I went back To Mis-.
souri,. again and in the spring of SO
came back. During that winter | ant
my brother mined on Coon branch ant
took out 10000. ! went back and re
turned 10 Galena in SO and fetched
NJ about forty head of cattle and eigh
horses. When ] got to Galena | wa:
fooliug around there. and had this yves
tern wild eat money. had about 500
Of Indiana money and fellow said ht
would give me Illinois money for it bu
when it came to trade wouldn'
take il because il was in tens and TWEEN
ties soon after this missed my poke
book. went TO Farnsworth & Fergu
son aud told them | was broke, and the,
let me have $50. ] then helped my
folks up - Hazel Green decided /,
get that money back some way, and Sc
went to prospect for lead | went on
with the augur and the first hole / dus
into raised q 100 pound chunk. w,
took out $4,000 and then sold out. SThei
l struck another lead, and raised con
siderable mineral out of it; then let my
brother have it, and he raised so, 600 on
of it. know that within three months
after lost my money had $500 ahead
When | first came to Galena Their,
was but three houses in the place 4,
smelter store and dwelling house II
those days miners could get provisions
&c, for year. Every transaction wa
done upon honor.
/ struck the Hurricane in 80 thinl
Harvey Bonham went there in 80.
know it was before did because six
teen hogs of his strayed down near us
weighing about 100 pounds apiece.
bought them for 500 | had to pay 81
a bushel for corn that winter for them
and my brother thought it was pool
transaction; but in the fall pork wen
up to $40 hundred and l had l 1000 tt
sell off of this drove"
who struck the Pigeon digging,
first?"
Myself. Joe Bonham and Genel a
Brown struck them first in 80. TIL,
first hole sunk l struck mineral il
good sized chunks first sunk claim
on the old Bonham range. There ha.
probably been taken out three millior
pounds since. The second strike / made
there | took sout about twenty-five o.
thirty thousand
Geo. Cox, of Lancaster, and Mcmillan
owned two forties and Geo. Jones ant
somebody struck good lead ON it bu
kept it covered mp for awhile. But
suspicioned there was mineral there ant
J said to Cox, what will you take fol
your one-eight of this ground, and of
fered him horse. Finally found on
that the lead promised well and | sale
to Cox if YOU viii rescind your part o
the morse bargain will give you $780,
for One-sixth clear And | got this in
tercst. Al one time we had out of this
lead over 100000 pounds on tn,
ground We raised $4,000 in one day
with five or six hands. Mineral ther
averaged about $40 thousand AL
together million and half pound.
were raised from this lead Price
one of the partners, paid off n goot
many debts from it and finally sold out
his interest TO Captain Craig for a goot
sum. Coy. Dewey afterwards became
interested in it.
what other lodes there of import.
ance9'
The Black lode owned by Maj Ander.
sou. Clark and Rountree turned out
about 100000 pounds Bonham and
Mcdonald struck another that turned
out 100000; and struck one that
turned out 500, 900
The clay openings in which the larg.
est mineral is found are about dug out.
The flint openings contain hardly
enough mineral to make living out Of.
There may be few clay openings not
yet found-one or Two perhaps and ]
think have got one now: but there
are few left
Hon fsaoron q Ha1alton anJ ra,.,;