Iron County register., 1889-10-31
The Pilot Knob Nine.

Last Mondays Globe DemOC. at has u spec
ial dispatch from Arcadia, about column in
in length, telling of the exhaustion of the
paragraphs:
"The dismantling of the historic old Pilot
Knob mine has commenced and is consider
ed tantamount to it's final abandonment.
This is of prime import to st. Louis, as it
means the abolition of the mammoth Vulcan
Iron Works at Carondelet, with their capac-
ity for employing 1000 men when in full blast,
From the activity about these works of late
it was believed they would resume shortly.
but this presumption Is knocked out, if the
appearances here count for aught. The st.
Louis Ore and Steel Company owns the Car
ondelet plant and the Pilot Knob mines, and
for manufacturing steel rails there is no
other available supply. the Iron Mountain
ores being too soft. Friday the first import
ant shipment of the Pilot kuob machinery
was made, although for some time minor
shipments have been going on, but with the
utmost secrecy, the right affording potent
mask. Only garrulousness of an employe
furnished clew to Friday nights shipment
which consisted of two Of the large boilers
and engines that have been used for opera
ting hydraulic drills. The ore-crusher left
some time before, as did much of the live
stock of the company, and Large amount
of blooded stock, belonging to the President,
Mr. Henry Hitchcock, of Sc. Louis. Another
engine, boiler and hosting machinery ara
now on a scaffold ready to go, and prepara-
tions are making for sending away the ma
chinery of the solitary shaft Of the company.
The machinery all goes to the coal mines of
the company near Grand Tower and Carbon
dale, Ill. In fact, there is but very little
left here except the hill, and that, with it
crown of serrled rocks and slopes covered
with dead brown shrubbery, is picture of
desc alton, and reminds one of nothing SO
much as one of Sir Walter Seott's Caedon-
ian heaths. 1t is a faded coronet, robbed of
its Jewels, and II monument of the world
famed mine which, since 1886, when it began
Welding its treasures, has given forth an inn
mense supply,
"In 1854, at its zenith, which it maintained
some three years it rendered 200, 900 tons. In
deed it WAS a long time popularity believed
that the supply was mexhaustible, and was
quoted in text books as a mountain Of iron:
but signs of exhaustion cropped out five
years ago, the a0-foot vein getting constant
ly thinner, and a shaft l40 feet deep was
sunk at enormous expense to recover, but
only a vein was found and it was soon aban-
doned. The work of robbing pillars was
then commenced, and early this year the
mine was cleaned of all value. Prospecting
has been continued for some years, but so
secretly That Mephistopheles would have
nosed in vain for the result. 1t was believed,
however that pay ore had been fouud, and
this belief has prevailed clear up to the prsa-
ent time. Some month ago the company
struck vein of surface ore near the base of
the knob on the north side. This is merely
loose stuff of good quality that can be mined
with pick and shovel and apparently is
about a second eousin to the exhausted vein,
and that leads to nothing bDt inevitable end
a wear hence. Seven car loads daily is the
output. The company has built very TEN.