The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1902-04-05
Greenwood County Man Thinks
He Has Riches.
Finds Valuable Mineral in the
Flint Hills.
AN ASSAY SHOWS GOLD.
Company Formed to Prospect
More of the Ground.
The Location Of the Pyrites
Rather Unusual.

Eureka. Kas, April 5-The Herald
says: A number of interested citizens
of the county met in Abner Howard
office at 2 o. m. Wednesday and or
ganized a company to prospect for min
eral in the Flint Hills. The meeting
was the result of the discovery a short
time ago of what seemed according to
ASSAYS made to be gold bearing ore.
A company was organized and $1,000
was raised to be used in prospecting on
a 60-acre tract Of land situated on the
Geo. K. Jackson farm, L miles north
west of Eureka and one-half mile south
of Sugar Loaf, in Salem township. II
is on this tract of land that the specl-s
mems of ore were discovered.
The story of the find which has Gre
ated considerable interest in Eureka
and the western part OF the county IS
as follows: About a year and a half
ago. at the time the gas excitement
was at it's highest tension in Eureka.
Geo. K. Jackson conceived the idea of
doing a little prospecting in the Flint
Hills. where he has resided for more
than thirty years.
He procured a prospector's drill and
Immediately began to bore a hole with
in IS yards of his house. At a depth OF
At feet he struck an object which re-
fused to yield to the point of the drill
For several hours the drilling was con-
tinued with no success. Finally con-
GLIDING that he could not penetrate the
hard substance with his drill he aban-
brother-in-law, Paul Paulson, under
took to sink q. shaft. At a depth of 80
feet they struck q quality of limestone
which contained considerable deposit
of pyrites.
When Mr.. Jackson became a pros
! peetor on a small scale, he took up the
study of minerolOgy, and having
learned that pyrites We're an indication
of gold, and that where considerable
deposit of pyrite, OF mundic, is found
mineral probably exists below, he be-
came interested in this limestone. He
knew that cubes Of pyrites may con-
tain gold as well as iron and sulphur.
There was a young school teacher, by
name W H Morrow, who was at the
/ time teaching school in the hills. His
/ education had not been confined to the
/ district schools in which he taught, but
he had studied in the colleges where he
/ specialized in chemistry and geology.
/ It IS said that he selected the hills as
his field of labor because there he found
/ opportunities for research in his chosen
line, and it is known that he collected
many specimens and made many
assays, for his own amusement and edi-
fication. and further it Is reported that
most of his salary found its way into
the Golfers Of the apothecaries, in re-
turn for acids and chemicals to per-
form his experiments. It was to this
| young man that Mr.. Jackson went
/ with his discovery.
Mr.. Morrow made several tests with
:
/ car Donate Of soda and carbonate of pO-
/ tassa. With the many methods known
! to the asayer he made his tests, and
he pronounced the ore to contain gold
Not entirely satisfied Mr.. Jackson Sc
/ Iected some of the ore and sent it to
Prof J. T. Lovewell. at Topeka, who
! made two assays, which he enclosed in
the following letter, dated at Topeka,
| March 6, 1902:
Mr. G. K. Jackson: Dear SRI have
today made an assay of the pyrite min
eral last received. Before that I made
an assay of the first specimen. This
/ was done for my own information, but
/ I enclose both results in the certificate
/ The values of gold and silver are larger
than I had anticipated and, if you have
| plenty of equally good material, indi-
/ cate a valuable mine.
The specimen from below the
/ pyrites' is a hard kind of limestone and
/ examined closely, is seen to have the
| pyrites disseminated through it in fine
| grains I would not wonder that It
too contains values of gold and silver
The shale above (20-foot thick layer is
what is termed argillaceous or clay-like
shale I would not expect to find gold
or silver in it, but it might make ex-
cellent brick. Yours truly,
- T. LOVEWELL."
The company organized wednesday,