Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1902-01-23
HIGHLAND AND VICINITY.

From the Press.
Jno. Tregonning bought the butch
or shop formerly owned by p. Me-
Queeny, at Cobb.
John Eckstein is making prepara-
tioEs to build fine new country res
ideIce on his farm e.. miles north OF
Highland.
Lone Rock people are rousing
themselves to needed betterment
in ednca tional faciE.icG and eontem-
plate new school building.
DR.. Lohr on Monday removed the
stitches from wound caused by the
amputation of the little finger OF the
left hand of Mr.. Imhoff.
The saloon keepers of the village
were urgently invited by Carrie to
go to Dodgeville last Friday. So ur-
gent was the invitation that Sheriff
James was called on to do the invit-
ing in person the evening previous.
The facts would make very in
teresting reading, but we believe
that silence will be silver and golden
and eventually do more good.
THE CoKER MINE.
On the Ellsworth farm, situated 2
miles east of Livingston, is the ia
nous Coker mine. The condition now
seems most prosperous and the fu
ture seems to have good things in
store for the promoters. But success
has not always attended its opera
tions.
Some 20 years ago John Coker,
rich, adventurous and plucky, leased
the land and commenced work. He
found ore in abundance but there
was one difficulty he couldn't over
come. The way the water poured
into the shaft made the miners al
most believe that the stream was fed
by subterranean lake. Cocker was
not man to give up easily. He
kept at his task persistently until his
purse and resources were exhausted.
Although he was almost impover-
ished by the speculation, he gave his
name to the mine aud MS Coker-
vile the camp will always be known
After Coker's ill starred effort no
| further attempt was made for many
years. Along about 1890 Mcclure
and McGovern took charge and at
| first were quite successful, but meet
| ing with reverses, they transferred
| their interest to the Livingston and
Mifiiin Mining Company. After
spending about $4,000, the company
was compelled to abandon the pro-
| ject Minor efforts were made after
wards but it was not until Jones and
Snow Of Mineral Point took charge
that the mine was operated in
manner to briag about success.
These gentlemen made II thorough
examination of the prospects. They
found that a powerful engine would
be required to pump the water and
they realized that considerable
amount of money would be neces-
sary at the outset, for although Liv-
| ingston and Mifliin CO., had been
creditably managed, 1t lacked the
requisite capital.
The new company commenced
operation about three years ago. A
new shaft was sunk, n twenty-five
horse gasoline engine was put in to
do the pumping and hosting, and
George Dolphin, an old miner and a
former employee of Richard Kenne-
dy as supervisor of the Crooked End
Mine, was engaged to manage the
mine. The prospects were not very
promising at first but the firm kept
the business going and continued
to introduce from time to time the
best mining machinery to be had.
SO prosperous has the mine grown
that now the output is tons daily,
requiring the service of forty-four
men.
The occasion of the writer's visit
was to see the new crushing mill in
operation. The jigs which used to
be attended by such arduous labor
are gone, the boys can no longer
earn livelihood by picking jack,
there is no more washing and show
cling, but instead man feeds the
| ore as it comes from the shaft, au-
other ut the faucet below mt the
proper time wheels the separate jack
and mineral away to the bins.
The crusher was put in by G, G.
Mathie, a few weeks ago. 1t has
separating capacity of 10 tons daily.
Another 22-horse engine furnishing
the power.