Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1881-06-02

JOuu v allG WCEc u1OulOCISS Ouhe q AAA
mace on substantially the same ground
occupied by the present structure, at
the north base of the mountain.
This was replaced in 1854 by new
stack. The total product about this
time was about thirty tons per day.
To the casual observer now this may
seem to have been the day Of small
things in the iron business; but be 1t
remembered that the railroad did not
reach Pilot Knob until 1858. Before
that date, every ton of ore or metal had
to he taken by teams to Ste. Genevieve,
on the Mississippi river; and to him
who understands the state of the roads,
and the makeup of the average team
ster in those days, it will be seen that
the amount of whisky, yelling, and solid
and variegated swearing. required to
move thirty tons, must have been
enormous, beside the labor OF hauling
the metal.
To any one who takes an interest in
such things, 1t is refreshing to hear
the JUNCTION with which some of those
old men curse the railroad even yet
for having broken up their business.
During the battle of Pilot Knob in
1864, almost everything that was COM
bustible on the premises of the Pilot
Knob Iron Company. was burned, and
what was not burned was riddled with
cannon shot. This required the Com
pany to start entirely anew, using only
the old stack, which was repaired.
The iron ranic of 1873 caught the
Pilot Knob Iron Company hard, but
not foul. If it honestly owed man a
cent, it paid him in full. The fires
died out merely because it did not pay
to keep them burning. 1t is believed
by the writer, who is now speaking OF
his own personal recollections. that If
the work was ever entirely suspended,
it was only Tor very short time. More
or less mining was done nearly all the
time.
The time of the suspension was very
Ijudiciously and profitably spent by the
Company; SO that when some fifteen OF
eighteen months ago, they began to re-
construct, the work involved and util'
lied all the best improvements i'll the
business up to date.
There is little resemblance between
the Pilot Knob Iron Company Of 1869
when the writer first visited the works
and the same organization of 1881. IL
the writer it seems very much like
vigorous STRIPPING. who having gradu
ated froui worms, mumps, measles
scarlet fever, and whooping-cougn ha
Just begun to grow; and if he shoult
: meet his mother IS46 she would no
know him. 2
"Uh wonderful son that can so astonish hi
D mother!"
It is to be hoped that in the days o
: grand success. the Company will no
2 forget those who were its friends il
the dark hours. 1t should place on tn
the peak of Pilot Knob statue of Loui
: Vetal Bogy.s
e In treating of the Pilot Knob Iro1
D Company of to-day, we must includ
;, in the field of its operations Shepher'
D Mountain, which is about one mil
4 south west of and sixty-five t, ct highe
than Pilot Knob.
In speaking Of the possessions Of tn
Company, it would not be very ia
u amiss to estimate its territory at tw
Congressional townships,-much {
; which il excellent land. Near by tn
furnace. OH the land Of the Company
about one hundred and ten house
furnish homes to large number of tn
employees. Whilst all of these house
are good, many of them are very nea
: and tasty; and from the attention PAL
to home comforts by the occupants,
Is plain that as class they are superie
to those usually found OH such works
:, Many Of the employees live in the adj'
: cent villages. II is difficult to find y
empty dwelling in Arcadia Valley.
,.l All traffic in intoxicating liquor
forbidden on the premises of Compan.
and the man who remains long in its en-
ploymsnt must be steady and reliabl
:. A very neat building has been erecte
!, to be used as schoolhouse and churcl
1t is clear that o vast accumulate
:. of ore, much Of which il magnetic, e:
= lists in Shepherd Mountain. With
. !. view to ascertain the extent of the d
= y posit, large sums of money are beir
;. very judiciously expended, and
:. though the outlay is yielding good r
turns, it is mainly used with view
prospecting.
.ts On Pilot Knob the ore formation v
ries from twenty-eight to thirty-tv
I'd feet in thickness, and the yield in pu
lie metal runs as high as sixty-eight p
ti- cent. Standard ore is fifty-eight. II
,g work of obtaining this ore has beccn
ag somewhat risky since tunnelling b
&, taken the place of surface mining.
|S. 1t frequently happens that masses