Kansas City daily journal., 1896-10-18
MENA HAS STRUCK IT RICH.
VALUABLE DEPOSITS OF SILVER
ORE HAVE BEEN FOUND.
Assays $500 A Ton-Incrensed Trans
pOrtation Facilities VIII Oper-
ate to Make This Latest
Boom q Lasting One.

Mena, Ark, Oct 17.-(SpecialD The re-
cent discovery of valuable deposits of sill
Yer ore in this vicinity has created con-
siderable excitement. There can be no
doubt but that the find is rich one, some
OF the ore assaying $500 to the ton.
The scene of the discovery is in the Co.'S
satot mountains. in the southern part OF
Polk county. and hundreds of prospectors
have already arrived here. vein ten
inches wide has been found.
Polk and Sewer counties in Arkansas
have had more than one mining BOOM
The heretofore remote distance of the re-
gion from transportation has greatly hin
dered the development Of prospects and
most of the booms died when the cost
of Transporting heavy mining machinery
over the hills was considered. Local ira
dition from the earliest times in the coun-
ties has told of a marvellous Ell Dorado
worked by Spanish associates of De Soto,
but not until the Pittsburg & Gulf road
penetrated the region has any substantial
work been done in prospecting and explor-
alton. The results so far obtained. the
Mena enthusiasts declare, justify the as
sertion that there's new Leadvilie dis
trict in Western Arkansas.
The Polk county mineral district is one
of the most peculiar in the world. Seldom
Is so diversified mineral field seen. In
addition TO the silver mines, there is cop
per One mine which has been consider
per ore at the end of the tunnel. About
twenty-five miles south OF Mena Is one OF
the three antimony producing mines in the
United States. Antimony is very rare
metal, comparatively speaking. Recently
wide vein of galena was encountered in the
antimony mine. Lead and zinc claims are
being taken up daily and number of
prominent mining men of the Joplin. Mo-,
mining district have sent experts down
to Mena to locate claims
Another rare mineral found near Mena
IS manganese. an ore, worth from $50 to
$40 e ton. used in making Bessemer steel
and fine glass. Mr.. G: W. Wheaton, repre-
senting Chicago capitalists, recently ac-
Quired number of claims and is making
ping ore at once. Mr.. Wheaton is a man
ganese expert, and while in Kansas City
a few days ago buying tools and machin-
over the quality of the Mena manganese.
Veins of this mineral have been discovered
which are from a foot to SIX feet wlde,
easily traceable from half mile to mile
in length.
In connection with the manganese dis
coveries in Polk county. a find of great
the right of way. of the railroad south of
Texarkana may lead to important indus
Robert Gillham says that this red hema-
tite is as fine as the Duban ores of the
same class and the location OF Mena, mid;
way between the Indian Territory coal
fields and the iron deposits with the man
ganese right at Mena, should make Mena
steel @ cesu industrv u Nesotiations % q looking to
that result are said to be pending.
The railroad company recently sent ]. z.
Lawrence an experienced assayer and min
eralogist, to Mena to open an assay office
and made an arrangement whereby only a
nominal charge would be made: 50 that
assays and ore of the evils of Western
mining camps might be prevented. Thecom-
pany's work on roundhouse and depot at
Mena is progressing and the business of
the new town has grown SO rapidly that an
addition to the freight depot had to be