Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1882-09-28

BONNIE TERRE, No., Sept. 19, 1888

BONNIE TERRE, No., Sept. IL, 1SS2.
Ed. Register-Through the kindness
of the managers of the st. Joe and
Desloge Lead companies, we and our
better-half, together with company
of other young folks, visited the min
ing, smelling and Stag works situated
here. The party was organized for
our express gratification-so the orig
inator said-and we, therefore, feel
highly honored; not puffed up, how
ever, as, while we enjoyed the COM
pany immensely and the visit to the
works hugely, when we emerged from
among the dirty, flying cinders, we
were bowed down with dirt and ash
es (sack-cloth not being obtainable. as
it is not just now and here in fashion).
We were q jolly crowd DIR. Keith,
Jr., and Miss Brandon, Mr.. Jones and
Miss Keith, Mr.. Helber and Miss Con-
way, and yours truly and attoche.
The night was rather dark, but that
did not suppress the mirth aud jollility
within US; and as we left the residence
of DR.. Keith, ST., we scamPered away
laughing and chatting as gaily al you
please in the direction of the st. Joe
works-a place which we could dis
tingulsh long before we reached 1t, by
the glinmering light and the steady
rattiing noise, accompanied by the
monotonous puff-puff of half-a-dozen
escape pipes. With some timidity, yet
withal bravery perhaps born of the
inevitable, we make our way to this
monster of blackness dotted with lights
peeping from the windows. The ladies
were. Of course, the tinid half; but we
will not attempt to conceal the fact
that we, too, felt little squeamish as
we thought of how much and what
mighty power was enclosed in those
four light-bedotted black walls; though
were it in daylight they would not
have appeared SO foreboding. How
lever, we entered as gaily as any, and,
despite the clatter and din, our fears
subsided-our interest was aroused
and we forgot for the time what lit
tie carelessness on the part of one OF
the workmen might do for us; and,
having entered the above rooms first.
we looked down upon the ''crushers, "
seeing them crunch between their
mighty jaws the huge Jumps Of min
eraI as though 1t were soft and sweet-
taffy-and then it would disappear
down their rapacious throats. These
actions of the crushers put me very
much in mind of large sausage mills.
"I4ook ont! here comes a carl" We
"looked out" and down dark corridor
we discerned q taper-light and heare
the ruinbling of the car as 1t approach
ed. 1t was loaded with mineral jus
up from the shaft, and was being
pushed by a man to one Of the three
or four dumps situated SO as to allow s
carload to be thrown near the mouth
of the crusher. The cars are pushed
: upon spring arrangement which, a.
soon ss the car is upon it, tips 80 as t
throw it's contents out aud then fall
back to It's place-all done SO quickly
too, as to surprise uninitiated specta
tors, as we were.
These crushers were the first; anoth
er set was placed above, which mashed
the ore into pebble-appearing pieces
called "chats."
We soon moved on. Following tn
railway leading to the mouth Of th
main shaft, we had to pass through I
4 fir< rr;InR
its duty was to melt or brake, 1t wa
not through any fault of its own tha
it did not accomplish it; for, as soon a
we entered and discerned that we wer
likely to be cremated, we made rusl
: for a little air-hole which we could Sc
/. q short distance off; arriving at which
point, we all filled our lungs with fresl
air and off for the terminus Of the con
cern-the mouth of the shaft. W.
waited q few moments, when the foo
beneath us began to tremble, and from
the bowels of the earth there appar
emily emitted a growing and rum
bling, making US fully aware that 1
car was on it's upward journey from
J the bottom of the shaft. 1t soon mad,
its appearance, and a workman, IL
readiness, quickly hauled 1t off th'
} platform and replaced it with an emp
ty one, into which Mr.. Helber, wht
had been pressed into service as guide
threw a piece of ignited tow, just as il
was about to descend. We all stepped
to the edge of the shaft to watch itf
descent, the light from the tow en-
abling us to see the sides of the shaft
distinctly. When it had reached the
bottom, we saw another workman hau
| the car off finto-somewhere.
From here we wound around and
at last found ourselves in the Il sup
pose it is called) "wash-room," where
: the "chats" and other impurities arr
( separated from the lead, a thing &C
complished by its being passed through
several vats of water and sleeves. Ev
tbot 10 ,,0asih3l