Morgan County republican. (Versailles, Mo.) 1906-1914, 1909-11-25

For the benefit Of the public generally
D and those particularly interested III the
mineral Interest," of Morgan County, we
take occasion to reproduce a report re-
gently made by William V .Ofton, Geolo-
.,s, and Mineral expert of the North
western Mining Company, who personal
~ eunerimtcndcd the investigation OF our
lead and an resources, for the purpose
II a,ccrtalning positive proof as 70 wlcth-
cr these min"'als were embedded niider
the surface in quantities which would
hastily mining activities to be concentrat
al in this field.
There has h"cn nothing cut out OF add.
ed 10 l:xrert Ortnn's report. 1t IS gwen
III his oNn Language and after his own
Judgment 50 that there can be no mis-
underestimate. with regard to what he
.tltc- r~ell:igc to Morgan county and her
,"ad a,d girc basins. It is no only a
valuable testimonial from one who
SHOWS. bu, may he depended upon 10Th
by our ,cop,e and by men Of capital, who
are .,cLinp a hcit where they will get
return, for then investment a field that
T., practically undc>ciuped, but winch
contains ores that command the highest
rriycs ever known III the lead aud zinc
markets of the world. The development
j- bound to come. and our county is sure
t,rrap the rich reward OF our natural
~.reuurces along these lines.
N,aT aAaf L. %G,i OIIon haS 10 say an
M S"iJ,of:
/ will now give a fcw observations re-
par,!ing Morgan county. AS you are
aware hay, Lccn investigating mining
and expect to continue in the business,
for ! prefer m,ninE countries, especially
partly unIc"elop9l counties, ABOVE all
f hers. ! don't wish in any way to be
considered as writing a boom article, but
facts, at least what seem to me facts, and
think YOU will find on investigation
l!al nhy Judgment regarding mining
.iarls is considered worth something by
1rcn who put their capital III such pro-
%i'rrticS. | admit to start with, that | was
.g'"a,lr Interested III Morgan county and
adj trcnt territory in M"ni'eAu, Mile,
Camden and Benton counties. | am con.
WINGED that that country, especially
South Morgan, will become one Of The
y,rn,cet lead and zinc i,oducers in the
United States. ] wish to say frankly
though, that | am greatly surprised that
your oWn people are doing so little to
interest in mining matters. Take your
@-atural coal and mineral resources and
place thcm IN some section of Illinois,
:nv uwn stat., and the people would 20
villa. Within a week after the discovery,
drills and shafts would he going down in
every direction, wagon and railroads
built and the whole country opened up.
! spoke of this to ole OF your citizens
wa. &c there, hG, he merely said, ''We'l
tlis 'c~h and zinc has always been here,
gn ~ II won't get away This is prob,
ably tue, but It wont do yon nor your
people Of the present nry good nnlcss
YOU get IT out. II r"uW people will make
q ii Tie concentrated effort to show wlla,
YOU kncw YOU have. it will he but {
short line tili the Cou.isy viii lie over
nm with miners and capitalists. VIVA
llttlc work | found done was principal,
gopher" or clay digging While man,
81 ihcse have proven very extensive alr
valuable, still they don't develop.
More drilling ought to he Goie there
When n drhl shows good ore, parties vii
i>ei more warranted in going 10 the nee
cssary cNp,nse t. Put down a shat, n
deep as nay i" required. want to 81,
I, you, wilson: reserve. the lead an,
z.nc are ,h.te. am wiling to stas:
my repat tiGr "a tFis rrop 'sition. o
course yes WORT Eni the ore in pa, in.