The Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1885-1886, 1885-10-22
GALENA EXCITED.

A NINE IN THAT VICINITY SOLD FOR T2u, ;
600 TO EASTERN CAPITALISTS. WHO WILL
OPEN AND OPERATE IT FORMER
DAYS OF MINING RECALLED.
From the Gaena Gazette.
Mr.. John l.. Hardy. of Shullsburg.
was in Galena Thursday for the purpose
of getting abstracts of the records of
certain lends in Scales Mound township,
near the state line, which together with
adjoining londs across the Wisconsin line
in the township of White Oak Springs,
Nil comprising something over two huns
dred and fifty acres. Mr.. Hardy has sold
to an eastern company of capitalists, the
price paid being 100000. The land is a
part of what is known rs the Col. Sam
Scales estate, and is valuable mineral
land on which is situated the old "Black
leg" diggiugs ut Nclu Grand, or what was
known in early mining days in the lead
mines as "Backlcg'
One of the principal stockholders is re-
puted to be worth twenty five million
dollars and another one is rated at five
million, SO it may reasonably be surmised
that they will not be embarrassed for
want of capital with which to carry on
lnelf INNING operations.
The new company, we understand,
propose to commence operations right
away, and will put in pumps and machin-
cry on the "Blackleg" mines and with a
large force of men push the enterprise
cnergetically.
AS was undoubtedly the case in all the
Galena lead mine region, only the surfa &c
outcroppings of the vast stores of Miner
al wealth in these mines were ever works
cd, and the great bodies of lead, zinc and
copper which underlie the shadow surs
face dlggings of early days. are yet to be
developed. Fifty years ago the people
who came to the Galena lead mines had
little faith in this section of country for
agricultural purposes, and it was suppos>
cd by many that when the mines were
eXhaused it would revert back to the In
dams; and when 1t was demonstrated that
besides being rich in mineral wealthy il
was in fact the richest section of county
in the world in its agricultural resources,
the early settlers, most of whom were
poor, chose farming, which was certain
road to wealth. rather than run the chanc-
es that are inevitable with those who en-.
gage in mining without capital to work
with
The discoveries of the great mines of
California and afterwards of Colorado
and the other western territories occas
Toned the excitemcnts which invariably
follow new discoveries and thousands
were drawn from the mines here TO the
new Eldorados. where capitalists invested
their wealth to develop the great and at
terward famous mines; and The lead mines
of this vicinity were almost entirely neg
lected and forgotten.
Recently, the attention of capitalists has
been attracted to the mines here. Com
panies with ample capital have taken hold
of the mines at Shullsburg and Stump
Grove, and Messrs. Pritcharh and Hewitt,
two enterprising capitalists of Forreston,
H., have purchased mines at Benton,
which they are working extensively and
all of the companies so far have found
that they made good investments and are
taking out large quantities of mineral,
both lead and zinc ores.
This movement of capitalists to take
hold of mines in this vicinity Is significant
and indicates revival of mining interests
in the old lead mine region, and weexpect
to see this important industry. which has
been languishing so long. become OF great
CT importance IMAM ever IL III
days when long lines of Suckers" covers
ed wagons drawn by six. seven aud eight
yokes of oxen, were to be seen strung out
for miles on the roads on the prairies,
hauling lead TO Galena and returning to
the villages and mining camps with goods
purchased of our wholesale merchants,
whose territory in those days extended to
Fort Smelling and comprised the whole of
what was then the northwest.
The new mining operations referred TO
will be followed undoubtedly in short
time by companies of capitalists seeking
investment in the rich aud inexhaustible
mines in the vicinities of Highland, Dir
fin, Dedgeville. Mineral Point, New Digs
gings, Mouifort. Hazel Green. jamestown
and Fairplay. Wis, andiu and about Ga
lena Vinegar Hill, Apple River. Council
Hill, Morseville and Warren u this coun-
ftys