New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1899-01-05
MINING OF ZINC AND LEAD.
BIG INDUSTRIAL BOOM IN THE JOPLIN
MINING DISTRICT. IN MISSOURI
AND KANSAS.

one OF the big Industrial booms Of which littlc
has been heard In these last few months OF dust
ness expansion and advancing prices Is mat III inc
Joplin Mining District. In Missouri and Kansas
where tho mining OF zinc and lead has long peeh
carried on. Tho district includes tho whole OF
Jasper County Missouri. and the eastern part of
Cherokee County Kansas. In Jasper County the
chief producing points have been Joplin, carter
VILE and Aurora. and In Kansas the best ore has
been mined Mt Galena. where the great Mas'oh
mine is yielding TO it's owner more than 5000" a
year in royalties. The lead obtained In the Rocky
Mountain district Is mainly argentferous-Silver-
lead orc-whilc that In the Joplin Mining Dis
trict IL non-argentiferous. or soft lead. ana ~
an incidental product OF zinc-orc mining The out
put in this district for 1895 AL l56a6 pounds OF
zinc and about 100000 pounds OF lead. tho total
value Of the product being more than F.OD0O In
1886 there mined in the district only oiO%6'9
pounds OF zinc and 1629i17S pounds Of lead the ag
gregate output being valued At N,Ri3l' inc ore
averaged the miners in 1897 less than $50 ton
while In 1895 when the output was much larger the
price rose az high $40 20 ton the average price
being well above $50. Most Of the. money made
In this industry has gone TO 81. Louis where many
paying zinc enterprises In the joplin mining dis
trct have been capitalized; and Chicago has also
engaged in some OF these enterprises. while New
York has up to the present had little share In the
development Of the industry. J. A. Bowman. for
merly president OF the Manoa Corporation. New
York company owning large tracts Of land In
Venezuela the protection Of which led to President
Cleveland's well-remembered application OF tho
Monroe Doctrine to the boundary dispute between
Great Britain and Venezuela. has just returned ="
this city from trip to Joplin and Gaena. made
In the interest Of n syndicate Of local capitalists
lie yesterday at the office OF j. 49, rosDy'
No. | Broadway. and gave as follows his impress
sons of the conditions In the joplin mining as
trict: .
This comparatively nttleknown section Of t Inc
United States is enjoying prosperity greater man
ever before. The miners are natufahy h"PpI.' ~
they making money. The mining or zhf
is different from any other similar industry IN inc
country The miners simply hoist their ore on, "t
the mines. crush It, and throw the product into
bins. where the buyers sample it ana pa pty
try Is underlaid with deposit OF lead and
zinc. The lease the land on royalty,
many OF the original eascrs sublctting to others
! was particularly impressed with the Mastn
property at Gaena. Kan. where the output - ~,
tons weekly OF this tract. which comprises lf
acres. only sixty acres are being worked yet from
this the royalties amount TO s225 600 yearly to
the owner This originally rich farming lana.
but the farmers have ceased trying To- nti ; the
ground. and are living in comfortable houses
In Joplin and elsewhere on the prohts or thelr
leases can look for miles over country
where corn and wheat were raised and herds
OF cattle grazed and nothing but the chimncys
Of the zinc mines and smelters.