Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1895-01-10
Southeast Missouri Mineral Region

Southeast Missouri Mineral Region
Ed. Register-A great deal has been
written and published in regard to the
mineral wealth of the above mention
ed region, which includes number OF
counties, such as St. Francois, Iron,
Washington, Madison. Reynolds. and
others. The counties named in this
article contain valuable veins and de-
posts (besides her iron and Manganese
deposits.) of lead. argentiferous gal
ena, copper, etc. These veins and de-
posts exist either in Limestone. gran
ite or porphyry rock I will endeavor
to describe each of the above minerals
and rocks separately so that they can
be better understood. and will endeav-
or to give the name OF the mineral and
| mines located in each of the above
counties.
We have one of the healthiest cli-
mates in Missouri: good springs and
we'll watered by St. Francois, Big, and
| Black Rivers, and other smaller
streams. This region is well timbered
with oak, hickory, walnut, etc. 1t
is broken and billy. These hills are
from two to six hundred feet. or more,
above the level of the valleys, and are
covered with fine growth of hardwood
timber.
st. Francois county contains some of
the richest and largest lead ore depos-
its in the world. This religion is prin-
cipally confined to the Flat River val
ley and some of its outlying territory,
which embraces about twenty miles
north and south, and from four tc eight
miles east and west. Within these
limits we have the we'll known St. Joe
and old Doe Run mines, which are
well known in all mining centers
throughout the world. Also the Ger
trail, Desloge. Taylor, Leadington.
New Doe Run. Crawley. Donnelly and
others that have only been in opera
ton short time. The lead is found
disseminated or embedded in a lead
bearing limestone; is from six to sew
enty-fve feet thick. and follows the
line of stratifcation in the above lime
stone. which is horizontal, or nearly
so. It will be easily seer that on ac-
count of the deposit having scarcely
any dip. with great thickness, it can be
mined at very small expense.
These deposits are first prospecte6 by
diamond drill, and are found at depths
of from two to FIVE hundred feet. AT
ter proving the property by a large
number of drill holes, the companies |
select most suitable place and sink a |
workable shaft, suitable for cage way, |
pumps and ladder way. The mode /
adopted in mining the disseminated |
rock is by drilling machines, which |
are run by compressed air. The rock |
after being blasted is loaded into cars. |
and is either pushed by hand or haul
ed to the shaft by small mules (the lat |
ter plan is generally adopted and put
on the cage and landed On top of shaft. /
and is then sent direct to the crushers. |
You see in this way the rock is hand |
led only once from the time it is load |
ed into the cars in the mine until it |
reaches the crushers. Here the rock |
is crushed and passes through regu-
lar concentrating process, after which |
the ore is ready for the smelters.
THE CENTRAL MINING COMPANY
owns one thousand four hundred acres. |
and is under the general management |
of Prof. A. Thacher. NJ. E., of St. |
Louis. But a small portion of this
tract has been prospected and the re-
suit has been very satisfactory with the
discovery of very rich lead ore assay
ing as high as sixty per cent,
while the lowest percentage will aver
age not less than seven per cent. The
shaft is about four hundred feet deep.
Here the vast ore body is reached.
showing a thickness of from twenty to
thirty feet, and not less than three
leet long. as proved by dia-
mond drill holes. The ore is found in
its natural position. that is. the deposit
has not been disturbed since its forma-
tiou. Large quantities of the ore are
prepared for shipment just as it Is
blasted out, and without submitting it
10 the process of concentration. The
company has completely equipped
hosting plant, also well equipped
plant. with a capacity
Of about one hundred and twenty-five
tons per day. located about 1900 feet
from the shaft house, on the hill side.
where water in abundance is obtained
Tor all milling purposes It also has
he advantage Of not handling the ore
.fter req ching the mill, for the reason