The Washington times., 1901-09-30
70 REOPEN OLD IRON MINES.
Company Formed to Operate Those
nt JnNNiIIc. \. Y.


WATERFOWL. y. V. Sept 29.-The old
iron mines at Jayville. in the town of
Pitcairn, st. Lawrence County. n. Y. are
about to be reopeued, after having lain
Idle for period Of more than ten years
For that purpose company has been
incorporated in Philadelphia called the
Thor Iron Company, which, with capital
stock of $500 viii begin preparations
at once for taking out the ore.
To tell the history of these mines Is 10
recount one of the many enterprises OF
Col Zebuion H. Benton, whose courtly
figure WAS familiar to this section for
half century. In the palmy days of
the old French regime in Jefferson. Lew
is, and St Lawrence counties. Colonel
Benton. native OF New York State, a
kinsman of Jessie Benton Fremont. wife
of the noted Pathfinder" also of James
Fenimore Cooper. the novelist, and whose
ventures extended from Canada to the
Gulf of Mexico. here met, wooed, and won
the daughter of the refugee King of Spain.
Joseph Bonaparte, who held his court in
the wilderness near Lake Bonaparte. in
Lewis County, with his consort, Annette
Savage. the beautiful Quakeress and de-
scendant Of Pocahontas, whom he had
married in Philadelphia before coming
1870, which restored the Bonapartes to
the throne, Joseph returned to France
and his possessions in this country were
sold, 10000 acres lying about the juncture
of the three counties eventually falling to
Colonel Benton. Besides the mines at Jay
vile. he promoted the mines at Rossie,
Clifton, and Alpine. and to the enterprise
of Joseph Pahud and Colonel Benton the
nd
it's existence. for they were unceasing in
their efforts to establish a line to the jay
Vile mines.
These mines were operated by the Mag
neuc Iron Ore Company, the principal
promoters of which were the two men
named above and Myron d. Benson For
a number of years these proved success
ful operations to the company but as the
shaits were sunk deeper and deeper the
cost OF bringing she ore to the surface
increased in proportion until either by
nismanagement or by reason of the large
royalty which was paid to Colonel Ben
t1n' ,S' VINO mad sold the land and retained
the mineral rights. the undertaking
ceased to be profitable, and in the eighties
the mines were abandoned
Ihen the miners who inhabited the viii
laSe OF Jayville moved away, and now
naught remains of the once flourishirg
hamlet but a ghost town beside the silent
smart. The lands upon which the mines
were situated were sold for taxes and
=
the mineral rights. which had been retain
ed by Colonel Benton, upon his death
vested IN his heirs, OF whom the two now
IN this country are residents of PhiladeI-
phla, the city from which the new incor-
poration has been projected
Inc principal mover in the new company
Is It's president and treasurer. Oliver Wat
son. of Auburn, n Y. who has obtained
the mineral rights in the property and
mas been for the last few weeks in the
vicinity of the mines. making arrange
nents for renewing the enterprise
Inc test of the ore from these mines
shows from 81 to SO per cent of pure iron
and at the time of their operation a Gla-
mond drill sunk to a distance of I50 feet
could not get core, so pure was the ore.
Ihere lies now on the ground at the
mouth of one of the shafts about sixtv |
thousand tons of crude ore. which under
the former operations was considered
vaIueless, on account of the cost of trans
portat1on, but which by the use of a con-
centrator which is to be erected will pro-
duce thirty thousand tons of concentrated
iron. 1t is believed that, with the trans
portation facilities already available and |
he present bright outlook for the pro-
1uct, the enterprise cannot help but prove |
a successful venture for its promoters and |
an advantage to the section In which 1t
will operate.