Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1908-06-20
VAST MINERAL WEALTH.
Wisconsin llinois-Iowa District Rich in
Lead and Zinc.

BY ]. v. wELsFoRD, CUBA CITY, WIS.
At distance of 100 miles from
Chicago and close to the center of
the great corn belt, lying on either
side of the Mississippi River, that
great natural highway Of commerce,
in the corners Of three states, Wis
consin, Iowa and Illinois, is a vast
tract of land of which little Is known
outside of its immediate neighbor-
hood. This tract is in the counties
of Grant, La Fayette and Iowa in
Wisconsin, 10 Davies county in Illi-
nois and Dubuque county in Iowa,
an area OF about $500 square miles.
This great tract is covered with
deep rich soil which is, well watered
by natural rainfall and by the Mis-
sissippi and its tributaries and pro-
duces abundant crops Of corn, oats,
barley, hay, blue grass, fruits and
vegetables, in fact al crops peculiar
to the temperate climate in tke
United States
Underlying thls rich agricultural
surface is wealth of minerals rum
ming hundreds of feet in depth and
in inexhaustlble quantities.
There are four cities in the dis
trict, namely, Dubuque, Ia, Galena,
ILL.,, and Plattevllle and Mineral
Point, Wis. OF these the most
notable is Dubuque, which is a
prosperous city of nearly $4,000 in
habltants. The other three have
populations varying from 5000 to
1000 and are growing rapidly. The
other principal mining centers are
Cuba City, Benton, Hazel Green;
Shullsburg, Dodgeville, Potosi, Liv-
ingston, Linden, Mif1in and High
land. These are all thriving towns,
equipped with water power, electric
light, and telephone service, and
have fine residences, good schools
and churches. They each have fair
railroad facilities, and the field is
now ripe for electric interurbans
and centrally located power plants
to furnish electric power to mines,
mills, and factories. The climate is
temperate and healthy and the PEG
pie are soc1able, intelligent and
prosperous.
The district is also noted for rails
ing fine horses, cattle. hogs, and
poultry. Hogs are raised in large
numbers and find a ready market
in Chicago and other packing cen
tiers. The district produces butter
and cheese which have a world
wide reputation for excellence.
Dubuque is noted for its manu-
featuring industries. Owing to its
location on the Mississippi and being
a central depot for four railroads,
1t has become a growing center of
commercial Importance. 1t is
thoroughly modern and up to-date
city, with well paved streets,
electric railways, large business
houses, factories, stores, schools,
churches, and a fine public library.
There are several good mines on
the outskirts of the city and every
things breathes enterprise and
prosperity. Owing to its excellent
transportation facilities by the Mis-
slssippi and the railroads and che
plentiful supply of hogs and cattle
from the surrounding country it
would make an excellent center for
the Enlistment of large packing
concerns.
CHARACTER OF THE ORES MINED.
The writer has spent number of
yeals in careful study, research and
investigation of the agricultural.
geological and neurological condi-
tons of the Wisconsin Illinois, Iowa
mining district. This study was
made for the purpose of ascertain
ing the value of the agricultural
and mineral products, and especial
IL to determine the value of these
ores and minerals from a CONNER
cial standpoint,
The ores mined are lead dead
sulphide or galena) zinc Zinc sui
phlde and zinc carbonate,) copper,