The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1899-05-02
The a01hita 4aiIu gaee Tuesday glorims yflau 1899

talize them and convince the scientists
that there was a plenty here if It could
only be found. So great was the conf
dence that the town of lola issued bonds
10 pay the expenses of the prospectors,
and when the proceeds were exhausted
the city government entered into con-
tract with a Cleveland company to con-
tinue the investigation, with liberal fran
chise as its reward if successful. Finally,
at about 800 feet, the company struck
splendid well and the prospecting was con-
tinued until a field of from sixty TO
hundred miles in area was developed
The first people to use the gas for man
ufacturnig purposes to any extent were
the canyons. a family of Cornihsmen, " 10
came to this country fifty years ago enc
settled at Mineral Point. Wis, where they
have been manufacturing zine oxides ever
since. There were eleven children IN the
original family, nine Of them boys Al
married and raised large families, VINO
have generally followed the occupation OF
their fathers, so that scattered over the
country are now eighty or more men
named Lanyon engaged in smelling zinc
You can find them at Mineral Point, Wis,
LaSalle and Peru, Illinois, Nevada and
Joplin, Missouri and wherever there IS a
zinc mine. Most of the machinery and
processes now used in reducing zinc are
the invention of the canyons, and
wherever they have gone they nave been
successful in that peculiar trade.
They built and are running the smelt-
ers at lola. and four cousins are acting
as managers here. These are said TO De
the finest zinc smelters in the world. The
machinery is all new and much of It of
recent invention, while the natural gas
with its steady flow, enables them 10
maintain a regular temperature day after
day without varying, which is necessary
to successful smelling. They have been
in operation only about two years. The
value of the product in 1897 was 81, 500
and in 1898 it was 81, 339. 66S. The failing
oft last year was due TO the destruction
of one of the largest plants by IRE. which
has since been rebuilt and enlarged, SO
that the product for the current year will
doubtless exceed s., 100000.
The first zinc smelter in Kansas was
established in 1873 at Weir City. IN 1898
the total product of the state had reached
22,S15 tons, and in 1898 it was 30, 443 tons,
valued at $2,755, 7O3.
The construction of the smelters at lola
practically stopped the importation Of zinc
and gave surplus for export IN compe-
tition with the mines of Wales and Ger
many, for they added SO per cent to the
product of this country.
The zinc ore comes from a strip Of land
about 100 miles long and 40 miles wide in
the southwestern corner of Missouri and
the southeastern corner of Kansas. the
cities of Joplin in the former state and
GaIena in the latter being the mining cen
tiers. They dig zinc very much as they
do coal and find it in pockets or seams
from 50 to $50 feet below the surface. 1t
looks like bituminous coal when il comes
from the ground. although it is # vel
Iowish-brown color. There are three kinds
of ore-carbonates, which are mixed with
clay; silicate, which is yellow, sparkling
sand. and resinous or lack" ore, which
is hard and flinty and comes like gold in
crystal quartz. 1t is first crushed into
powder and then subjected to a powerful
and regular heat, which consumes the for
eign substances and leaves the metal.
There is a great boom in zinc just now,
$50 a ton iwthin the last few months.
The operators here expect to see it 80 to
$50 before the end of the month. and re-
main there The advance : Nqid To he
due to the demand both in this country
and in Europe, and not to any specula-
tive influence. Enormous quantities of
zinc are used nowadays in the manufac-
ture of electrical supplies and for gaivan-
izing, and in anticipation of Still fur
Their and permanent increase the miners
and smelters are charging their capacity
of production.
A curious by-product is chloride or salts
of zinc, which formerly went to waste, but
now is used as a wood preservatiye by
railroads. bridge-builders and dock build
ers and for the protection of shingles.
clapboards, pillars and any other weed
that is exposed to moisture or influences
that cause decay. hTe salts Of zinc, in
solution, by hydraulic pressure are forced
into the pores of the wood, which is then
soaked in a strong solution of 5anh.n and
glue. The ties and pfling now used on
the Santa Fe and Southern Paci(lc and
other western roads are treated IL this
manner. The railway companies ramed
use from 5000 900 to 4,0O0,0 600 pounds a year
each. With this treatment 4 pine tie,
which is the only kind that can be found
out in the mountain country, viii last
three times as long as one of oak.
I have found good reason why Kansas
City is eating so rapidly into ths 'i-estock
and packing business of Chicago. It is
the difference in transportation rates.
From Wichita to Chicago. for example
the freight upon a car of steers IS SO, TO
Kansas City it is only $50, while the rates
on dressed beef and live cattle from Kan
sas City to Chicago sare tie sam. one
car of dressed beef represents tw5 cars
of live cattle, and you can figure ont the
rest yourself.
Down here they saw the horns off the
wild" or Texas cattle before they ship
them east. The animals pack better. TIE
up less room in the cars, are not 50 Ikeiy
to injure one another and look better 10
the buyer. A Texas steer may CaIly Just
as much beef and tallow as a mu,cy c0Wt
but his long horns make him LOOK !esrer.
Texas cattle have a - reputation. too,
and when their horns are sawed of Ley
look as innocent and harmless as a ham
ward heifcr.
Il a Kansan is prouder Of one thing than
another it IS OF the schools Of his state
and 7 suppose that everybody knows that
everybody knows that the percentage II
illiteracy here is lower than i Massas1hu-
sets Connecticut, New York or any cther
Of the eastern states. I believe it Is also
true that he amour Of molsy spsa- or
education out here IS greater II nrcpo5i;cn
to the wealth than in any otha- safe
one Of the stock complaints = that the
people Of Kansas know too much- You
often hear a disguised citizen remark that