Crittenden press. [volume] (Marion, Ky.) 1879-1907, 1906-11-29
OUR WONDERFUL
MINERAL DEPOSITS
Interesting Report by Albert PhenS Published in the Man.
ufactuTerS' Record Of Nov. 22nd, 1906, ON the
Lead, Zinc and FIuOSpar Of this District.

district before the Incorporated by
charcoal fuel aud By slave labor, and
in Lyon county there are still two
or three charcoal furnaces in opera
ton to this day.
There is IA lack of railroad transpo-
tation here, however, aud in compe-
tition with modern methods the iron
mines of this district have little
show in recent years, There are
however, fine bodies Of hematite ores
in Crittendeu, Lyon and Livingston
counties, aud while exact definite
data are vet to be compiled, it is the
belief here that a very important
iron-ore field may yet be demonstrate
ed to exist in this section. With
lime, hourspar and coal in the i'm
mediate vicinity, with the inevitable
construction of railroads to open up
the whole district, and with three
great navigable streams skirting the
district Ohio, Cumberland and
Tennessee rlycrs.-it is declared that
more favorable locatiou for iron.
making can hardly be found,
The only notable effort that has
been made to develop the iron indus
try here on a big scale was a futile
undertaking made some Is years ago
By Thomas ". Lawson and Boston
associates. The fine town Of
Grand Rivers was laid out at point
where the Tennessee and Gambler
land rivers come within mile and
a-half Of each other Plans for II
great industrial center at Grand Riv-
ers were made, blast furnace was
built aud houses were constructed,
among them business house for
Lawson made Of the iron ore Of the
district. Numerous reasons are Civ
en- for the failure 0f this project.
The fact that although the town was
on branch Of the Illinois Central
Railroad. it was 25 miles away from
iron ore, which had to be hauled in
wagons. Is considered as an entirely
sufficient explanation of the failure,
to 20 no futber, although Another
might be suggested in the discovery
made quite generally in the South
following the town boom era Of Is
years ago that even au altogether
successful blast furnace is wholly
inadequate foundation on which to
build big industrial center,
Although this mineral district,
composed, on this side Of the Ohio
river, OF the counties of Crittenden,
Caldwell, Livingstos and Lyon, is
at the present time under develop
ment as to huorspar, lead aud zinc to
an extent aud or scientific basis
not before reached, il is the belief that
merely beginning has been made,
and that the next succeeding years
will see degree of development Of
vastly greater importance. In the
light of what is expected of the dis
trict by those Interested, il may be
commented that nothing in the way
of the marvellous has been achieved
up to the present time. But it is
explained that the district il plated
over with mistakes, and it is declared
that if a man comes in here with
money aud experience or with a dis
position to seek or avail himself Of
expert advice as to conditions, geo
logically and mechanically, there is
not more inviting field anywhere.
Some failures have been made here in
the Auorspar, lead and zinc lines by
parties who had little money and less
experience, and who proceeded or
the theory that profitable operatio MS
could be conducted from the 'grass
roots. On the other hand, there