The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1894-08-17

s west direction.
The rain of the day before served to lay
the dust and cool the atmosphere and it
was fine day to travel. We camped
that evening q miles south Of Milford.
Tuesday morning near O'Clock heav-
v rain set in and continued until about
11:30 when we broke camp and drove
to within mile of Jasper where we
camped for the night. We reached
Lamar the next day about four o'clock
but stopped in the city only long
enough to have our horses shod, and
reached Carthage about IL o'clock
Wednesday morning We stopped
here about an hour and found the pref
test town we have seen. All the
houses are neatly built and apparent
ly freshly painted and each man seems
to be trying to Guido his neighbours
lawn. Every yard is as neat as car
peted floor. the trees are kept well
trimmed and taken all together it is
town worth going miles to see. We
stopped abont mile west of Carthage
to feed our horses and incidentally to
rest our weary bones and refresh
ourselves by eating dinner Of bread
and fresh tomatoes and salt. At Webb
City we found so many lola folks that
we were glad to see, that we conclud-
ed TO spend day or two there and
see the sights. On Thursday morning
we started for the zinc mines. We
went out on the electric car "a dis
tance of about mIles-and it was
delightful ride in the cool morning
breeze. We first asked the engineer
to let us go down in the mines. He
gave his consent and sent down for
miner TO go with us. The writer was
taken down first, then Adlai Ewing.
But just as Adlai was going down the
foreman of the mines came around and
told the engineer not to let any one
else go down as the mine was abso-
lutely dangerous. SO the rest of the
boys were disappointed. We went
down in an ore bucket and il just SEEM
ed like falling. The shaft was $50 #.
deep and it was about Is minutes be-
fore we could see anything, but our
eyes soon became accustomed to the
darkness, and with the aid of the
miners lamps We could see very well.
AS soon as We ''got our eyes", two
good miners, Pat Gallagher and w.
NJ. Briscow took US all through the
mine. which covers an area of about
40 acres. This mine belongs to Stew
enson, Wampler q Co., and is the old
est and one of the best producing
mines in the district. We went all
through it and were shown every
process off its operation. We were TAX
en- into a pit and shown place where
three tons of rock fell upon miner.
These miners do not seem to fear
death and when asked if they We're
not sometimes afraid, one said: ooh,
what is the difference, We only have |
to die once and / would as soon be |
buried $50 feet underground as feet"
After staying underground about an |
hour and half We went sup above"
and were glad enough to get long
breath of fresh air. From the shaft |
of the zinc mine, we went TO the crush
er, where the ore is prepared for the
washing. Then, after seeing the pro-
cess by which it is washed, We saw it
loaded into large wagons which haul
it to cars and it is shipped off to the
smeiters. There are no smelters in
Webb City on account of coal being
hard to get, as it takes about three
tons of coal to smelt one ton of ore.
Our entire party had been INVITED to
dinner by Mrs. J. j. Casmire and
Mrs. Geo. Lawyer and the invitation
was accepted. We repaired to their
beautiful home about twelve o'clock
and, for the first time in two weeks,
We did actually put our feet under
the table" Time will not allow me
to comment upon the numerous good
things we had TO eat, but we can say
that il was the treat of the season and
that gang of hungry pirates" willnot
soon forget the kindness of these two /
estimable ladies.
From our good dinner six of us went {
down town and took the electric car
for Joplin. This was another delight r
full ride, through woods, over hills,