Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1883-03-15
South County Mines,

The following extract, taken from the
Dubuque Daily Democrat, was handed
to a former resident of the south part of
the county, now u citizen of Lancaster,
and one who is well acquainted with the
mines spoken of therein.
The reporter of the Democrat, last
evening, in his wanderings met an ac-
quaintance. who gave him an inklng of
some new operations in the near future
in the Fairplay Level and Mining Com
pany's work, at Fairplay. Wis, which
was sold out for the .paltry sum Of $3.50,
which they were owing to Crawford, Mills
& Co., of Platteville, several years ago.
We learned that Il couple of Dubuque
gentlemen of abundant means and two
other eastern capitalists have formed an
association for buying up the franchise
lately held by the Level Company, and
pushing the drift further into the hill,
until they strike north and south"
crevice large enough to drain the adj
joining county, which is known to have
large lodes of mineral below the surface
of the water.
1t may be as well here to give a few
items in the general history of this level,
as we have gathered them hastily from
different sources. The Fairplay Level
and Mining Company was started in
1866, and was worked most of the time
until finally stopped in the spring of
1878. 1t is located on the east side of
Sinsinawa Mound, and is run directly
in that direction. 1t was cut about
$500 feet, and on taking survey it
| was found to be at the forehead some
| thirty-five or thirty-seven feet lower than
| the deepest shaft sunk on the mineral
| which they were attempting to lay bare.
They ran drift $50 feet south, in the
hope of cutting some parallel crevice
which might be open enough to act rs :.
drain, but in tins they were disappointed,
| The Company had then paid out $27,-
420 on assessments, and no certainty
that they would be able to reach the
point wished for until their means were
exhausted, the stockholders resolved to
abandon the effort, and the franchise
was sold out for $3.50 worth of nitro
glycerine, which was not then paid for.
| The level had seventeen shafts sunk to
it from the surface, the deepest of which
was i52 feet.
There were several companies at
work on grounds sub-leased from the
Level Co, mostly composed of Dubu-
que men at the time the above COM
pany busted" but their rights are
not affected by their misfortune, as
they had their contracts also with the
owners of the grounds allowing them
to remain idle as long as the mineral
was under water
The Bruce" range, for instance, has
had seven Or eight shafts sunk on it,
and large amount of mineral running
into the water. 1t is mostly owned by
Dubuque men and has cost some 81. 900.
The Franklin also, has n large
amount of mineral in the water, and
has cost about $4,000.
The mine of Williams and Murtagh
O'Connor is about three-quarters of a
mile from the Level, but whether it will
drain the grounds even if ''north and
solve at present. Some 5000, 900 pounds
were taken out above the water, and
apparently as much more below, if it
could only be reached.
The Goose Nest range is also on
the same ground, but has not vet been
worked to any great extent, probably
not more that $500 or 5000 having been
expended on it.
rs that correct?n queried the re-
porter, as the paper was returned.
''Some of it is all right. Crawford,
Mills Il Co., were of Hazel Green
though instead of Platteville That three
million of mineral they speak of that
came from the Williams and Murtagh
mine, was taken out right in the water,
the pumps going all the time. Mineral
at that time was worth about sixty dol
lars ton. jerry Williams, Tom
Williams and Murtagh O'Conner owned
the mine, and Mrs. Williams and the
estate owned the land"
"The plan adopted by the new COM
pany is the same tried in the mines at
Muscalunge isn'tit?"
Yes But my impression is the lead is
between pipe-clay and flint openings aud
will not be worth a great deal as it costs
too much to work it. The Level
company that they speak of there
spent twenty-five thousand dollars and
did not get an ounce of mineral