Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1888-01-05
More About Arkansas.
ITS VAST MINERAL WEALTH.
BENTON, Ark, Dec. 81, 1887.

other regions do not possess, in spite of
its long and bitter winters. But hun
dreds do emigrate every year from Old
Grant, most of them in search Of cheap
er land and a milder climate. To such
believe this region, with its cheap
lands, cheap fuel, cheap lumber, abund-
ant and good water, health, and near
ness to the great markets, offers far
greater advantages than the trealess,
blizzerd-swept, grasshopper-scourged
plains of Nebraska and Dakota, where
every stick of wood used for any pur-
pose must be bought at high price.
But | believe the mineral resource
es of this region are destined to be of
great Importance. Gold and silver have
been discovered near here and there is
every indication that these metals exist
in considerable quantities in the numer-
Gus quartz veins which traverse the
hills along the streams. From here to
Hot Springs and westward, according
to all the history can find is TIE gold
region sought by DeSoto, and there is
both history and local evidence that the
Spaniards worked mines of gold and
silver here while this country was the
Spanish province Of Lousinna. These
mines were concealed and kept secret
when the province fell INTO the hands
of the French. ] have seen one of their
old tunnels extending for a long distance
into hill. One mine is now being
worked a little, three miles from this
town, but the owner lacks capital TO do
much work on it. Besides some gold
and, silver the ore assays $54 ofnickel and
about 500 worth of cobolt to the ton.
Such discovery would set northern
or western neighborhood wild, but here
nobody pays any attention to it. | am
confident that this nickel and cobolt ore
is very abundant in this region, as |
have seen much of it in the form of
float" but it is more difficult to trace
float to its vein here than in the Rocky
Mountain region.
But these valuable ores are of far less
Importance than the iron ore which is
very abundant in streaks here. | am
confident that it will yet make million
airs here, just as it has done in North
ern Wisconsin and Northern Alabama,
as many in Lancaster know. As yet
the opportunities all lie open, as good
iron land mile from the depot of a
trunk line to ST. Louis, can be bought
for $50 an acre, and two miles from the
depot at SIS to 81 an acre. No coal has
vet been discovered here, but it probably
exists, as beds of slate lying near the
surface are numerous and extensive, and
it is well known geological fact that
coal is always overlaid with slate. In
Michigan and Wisconsin charcoal made
on large scale and used for smelter-
ing iron, and the material for charcoal
is very abundant and cheap here.
would like to see some of the sur
plus capital of Grant county put into
the iron business here. | am sure it
would make its millionaires, just as in.
vestment in the Gogebic range made
millionaireS of the Milwaukee men who
put few thousand dollars into it. If
anyone with view TO business wishes
to investigate the matter, ! will send
specimens Of the ore and any informa-
ton can G. n HoLFoRD.
The bycyclc Jaw Of Oregon requires
bicycle riders 10 stoop 100 yeards from
any person going in the opposite di-
rection with team and remain sta
tionary until the team has passed.
Pneumatic tubes arc the latest fad
of architects. Now they are mainly
used for shooting letters and papers
to the upper stories, but soon we shall
have them perfected to the extent Of
doing away with the elevator
a Wisconsin farmer who used
thirty-tive balls Of Irvine on his har-
vester bought only three at time and
rode six miles to get them. Some one
had told him that Irvine would be GER
tain to drop cent Il ball, and he
wanted the advantage Of the decrease.
II. v. Sandford Of Milledgeville, Ga,
has sample of pure I've soap made
by his mother in 1862. She has quite
a quantity Of this soap on hand now.
Making her own soap year to year,
she now has hundreds of pounds on
hand that accumulated during the last
twenty-five years.
Even the nationality Of Shakespeare
does not appear to be safe in the days
of fantastic speculation. A French
man is said to be writing book
which will show that the bard of Avon
was of French descent, and his name
was originally Jaques Pierre, or plain
English John Peter
A Norwich Comm newspaper says
that in that city is man about five
feet eight inches tall whose beard is
so long that when he stands erect it
reaches the floor and extends out from
his feet fully twenty inches The beard
10 SlA lGEt AtlNtllfp lOh-s tNtANA VIZ W
date is the longest known.
A gentleman at Newburg, n. r..
occupies a house downtown which he
leased thirty years ago and has lived
in it continually ever since. 1t was
hired for $135, and it was stipulated
that the rent should not be increased
SO long as the tenant retained it. The
landlord has been as good as his word.
Recent explorations show that the
island of Terra del Fuego contains
valuable farming lands, forests, and
mineral deposits. 1t ispeopled by two
distinct races of savages, one being
well formed and remarkably strong,
subsisting chiefly by the chase; the
other coast people, physically in
ferior, but not in intelligence.
A few days ago tie men who were
working at the bottom of the Pana