The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1901-10-05
JOPLIN'S
OF UNDERGROUND WEALTH.
Missouri Claims to Produce Every
thing That other States Do. and
Seems Able to Prove Ii.
JOPLIN'S ERA OF HIGH PRICES
WHEN WORKED-OUT ZINC M LEAD
MINES WE'RE SOLD TO OUTSIDERS.
Yield of the District at Present and
Its VaIue-Characteristics of
Mine Workers and Owners.
-orrespondenc of the Indianapolis Journal.

Correspondence Of the Indianapolis Journal.
JOPLIN, Mo-, Oct. 3.-This, the fourth
city of Missouri, is one of the most won
derful in a truly wonderful State. The Mis-
sourian of to-day has unusual State pride
and it is with great gusto that he tells the
visitor Missouri is the only State in the
Union which could build an impossible
stone wall around itself and want for
nothing. He then says his State produces
all things produced in other States and, if
the visitor falls in Missouri ways and says
SHOW me- produces tables, statistics,
facts and figures that are overwhelming.
Joplin is a pushing. business city of about
81, 900 people and has all modern improve
ments. OF course. as a lead and zinc center
it is best known. but there are many peo-
pie in the East who think of it only as the
burial place of money and Joplinites are
still laughing over the way worked-out
mines were unloaded at a profit.
The field includes nearly all of Jasper
county. and the southeast part of Chero-
kee county. Kansas. and is about twenty
five miles square. 1t is all commonly called
the Joplin field, but for convenience is di-
vided into nineteen districts, and electric
roads connect nearly all. Zinc and lead
4 liz u lax pAOINA "oy ~ hAN
out If a prospector has struck lead or zinc,
or both together, is to ask: Have you
struck STUFF" If he has struck lead, he
will say so; if he has struck zinc he will
not say so, but will tell you he has struck
Jack" All zinc is lack" and jack is
the chief product of the field. 1t was first
discovered in 1879, and has since been
worked. Two years ago, when zinc was s45
and $50 a ton, the boom was greatest, and
Joplin is said to have exceeded the palmiest
days of Cripple Creek. To-day it looks it,
for shaft houses for miles are not over
200 feet apart. Many of them are over
worthless holes. many over worked-out
mines. and many over mines which are
making fortunes for the owners.
The ore is not found in veins. but solely
in pockets. and there is no regularity az to
the pockets. Chance and luck reign in
Joplin, and every prospector is convinced
he will strike stuff in a day or two. A
mining lot is 1S0x60 feet in size, and a pros
pector may make a fortune on one while
his next door neighbor will not find a trace
of ore. Few of the lots are sold, but a
prospector takes a twenty years lease.
pays all expenses OF sinking the shaft and
gives the owner Of the land a royalty if
stuff is struck" The usual royalty is %
OPENING A MINE.
The lease once signed the prospector
sinks his shaft; or. if he has money, he
III H. Ia LACA - AANNAC Ia % Ai1
majority of prospectors have no money.
Luck again comes In when the shaft is
sunk. for, if a pocket is there, il may be
struck at grass roots or it may be as deep
as $50 feet. No matter at what depth stuff
is struck the prospector goes clear
through IL. so as TO see how thick il is. and
then about ten feet below IL, 80 as TO have
a place in which TO drain the water. In
the deeper mines the question Of water is a
serious one, but il is not i'm the others, as
the mines or holes are close enough to-
gether for the water to drain from a shall
low mine TO a deeper one.
The stuff" varies in thickness from one
foot 10 ten. After the drainage hole Is
finished tn stuff il taken out; and work
ing out from the shaft is called drift
ing" Lead is in the shape of a hexagon.
as a rule. and is taken out by hand. Zinc
Is sent 10 the smelter in large pieces OF
ore, TO be there treated. or is treated at
the mine. Ii Is put through large crushers
goes 10 the Jig This is a box about
eight 1eet long. six feet wide and -four
feet deep, and il filled with water. In II
is put a smaller box with fine grating on
the bottom, and 10 which il fastened A pole
about twenty feet long. The small box -
filled with the crushed ore and a man
''iiggles" IL by means of the pole. The
boX Is thrown out on what looks like u
dirt pile. but which has the more uncom-
mon name OF 'tsilings." Steam '.jigs'' are
rapidly displacing hand figs"
All OF the pocket Is worked out TO the
dirt. and columns of ore are left standing
10 support the roof. After the pocket is
exhausted these columns are taken out.