The Taney County republican. (Forsyth, Mo.) 1895-1992, 1900-07-19

At many places along the line they
caused shafts to be sunk at various
depths. They were in search of lead
in these days. Zinc was valueless.
So when they found the fssure as
they invaribly did, q solid seam of
zinc ore, they gave up their diggings
in disgust, for "rosin tiff was of no
value in those days.
Abandoned and forgotten, the
| shafts of the "Ten O'Clock Run" were
overgrown with vegetation, trees
grew upon the ancient dumps, and
frogs, lizards and snakes inhabited
them.
Zinc grew to be mighty king, and
men fell down to worship it. But the
great fissure with it's wealth of ore
was in dead hands. Its former owners
were gone, the titles had passes to un.
appreciative and uniformed heirs
who merely knew that years ago their
ancestors had purchased q deal of
rough land somewhere in Taney
county, which had proven valueless,
too worthless to pay taxes on, and has
been sold and resold for public debts.
| Taney county was out of the line of
travel. It had no champion. It was
thus that zinc had been permitted to
reach fabulous prices and go back
again, and yet the old shafts of the
''Ten O'Clock Run" with the rosin-
jack scattered about them, have slum-
bered on peacefully, except in a few
instances.
A very few of the ancient shafts
have been cleaned out merely and the
sides shot into sufficient to ascertain
the width and richness of the "Run."
This was all. Today you may climb
the mountain along this ancient fis-
sure and see for yourself hundreds
upon hundreds Of tons Of ore, moss
grown aud weathered, where the ele-
ments havo loosened it from the vein.
Some of this ore has been brought
very lately to Forsyth, and can be
seen in front OF the Taney County
Bank building; one boulder weigh
ing $50 pounds, over so per cent of
zinc and galena, just as it was picked
up from the surface.
Next to the "Ten O'Clock Run" the
quarries of Pine Mountain are most
interesting features of this section.
These quarries may yet prove more
valuable than the fissures. Indeed I
am more than convinced that the
horizontal deposits of mineral in
Taney county will excel the vertical
ones both in extent and value.
Thus far the development has been
SO meager that correct estimate of
the extent of these deposits cannot be
arrived at. But unless all signs fail
there is yet to be opened wonderful
mines in this district.
On Pine mountain lodge or hori-
Zontal deposit of ore has been encoun-
tered which has been traced by its
outcroppings for hundreds of feet.
In fact it crops out ON both sides Of
the mountain in many places as to
lead one to strongly suspect that it is
q continuous deposit running through
tho mountain. If this be so, the fa-
mous Morning Star will have q
worthy rival in Tsney county.
Atpresent this ledge has been quar-
ried in three places, though it has
been prospected in q dozen. In all
instances the deposit has been the
same. The ores are of the richest
zinc and galena, while the body of
the rock is close textured lime car
Donate inter mixed with ebert. The
whole shows clearly to be secondary
deposit scanned and veined with
mineral.
have before me now q number of
specimens from the different parts of
this deposit which presents the great
est variety of capitalization, combin-
ing in one mass the carbonates, sill
Gates and sulphates, often in the most
beautiful irridescent crystals.
The main BODY of the mineral is