The Mena weekly star., 1896-09-16
OTHERS MAKING PREPARATIONS,
WHAT A STAR REPRESENTATIVE
 HAS INVESTIGATED.
Mines and Prospects Long Known to Be Rich That Have Been Neglect cd Awaiting Transportation
 A Shelter for Mena Is
 Promised Very Soon.

Recent numbers of the STAR have devoted some space to the mining in dustry as pertaining to Western Ar kansas in general and Polk county and Mena in particular The daily reports of active work along these lines more than justify our claims that nowhere in the United States is the outlook more promising and the future greater than in this country.
 One of the most important events of the past week has been the organIza- ton of the Cossatot Mining and Re. duction Company through the efforts of Professor Frank Moritz, assayer and geologist, with capital of S200.o0 This company was incorporated under the laws of Arkansas and already has
 
 which to push work rapidly on theii mine, which is described further on in this article. Another important fact is that arrangements will be made tc establish smelters ut Meua, and al ores taken from mines in this regior will thus be treated at this point The value of such an enterprise to Mena can only be estimated, as it will give employment to hundreds of men and be indirectly responsible for the bring ing to us of many manufactories and business establishm ments which will build up our city.
 It has often been said that ''seeing 1 is believing" and wish that maxim we'll in mind a STAR representative, in company with Q gentlemen well posted in Polk county minerals, start ed op a tour of inspection to some oi the more prominent mines and pros poets in this region.
 Leaving Mena, the newly risen stai of Western Arkansas, our route for 6 few miles lay through some of the best agricultural country in Po'A county and then through Dallas, the oldest and until lately the largest anc most important town and trading point of this region. It is pleasantly located and in it some of the most prominent and influential men ot Polk county have their homes.
 Continuing our journey, our road began to gradually ascend to higher country as we cireled around and Jeff small mountain to the right and al the end of about three miles we ar rived at the farm and minera properties of M. E. Durham, who about ten years ago settled in Poll county. Believing that there were paying quantities of valuable minerals near his homestead he began active prospecting and has done much work one of the evidences of which is z tunnel driven 115 into mountain side near his home, which he calls th' Erie prospect He now expects to cu each way from the end of this tunne and to cut two parallel veins of ricl ore. Several lesser tunnels have beer made by him and the Caledonia. !; shaft thirty feet Tn depth, has yielded considerable ore which assays show to be of high grade, containing princi pally silver and lead. At the time this work. was done all his mineral hat 10 be hauled by teams to Hot Springs fthe nearest railroad point, ove typical Arkansas mountain roaus which could not be done for less thar S2O per ton. From that point it mus then be shipped by railroad to St Louis, making it almost impossible tc mine even the very best grades of or' at any profit Mir. Durham iheiefor' stopped work on his prospects and hai since devoted his time to his farm