The Wallace miner. [volume] (Wallace, Idaho) 1907-current, 1914-02-26
Joplin Correspondence Engineering
and Mining JournaD

ana Mining JOurnai)
Significant of, what adversely some
times means to individuals as we'll as
to industries is the remarkable devel-
opment of the local mining industry
in the face of the worst price condi-
tions that have prevailed for zinc ore
for several years. 1t Is no eXaggera-
tion to say that for six years no such
number of new prospects has been
opened up and such volume Of small
tonnages offered as have been noted
in the Joplin, Mo-. district during the
last two months. 1t Is production, too
that comes mostly from labor with the
very minimum of investment of cap
ital.
Miners Become Mine Owners by Los
ing Their Jobs.
| When the sheet ground mines Of the
Webb City Carterville district began
| to shut down last autumn and to
throw men out of employment, and
when mine after mine was forced to
cut the prevailing wage scale or close,
many men were forced to look out for
livelihood from some other source
than hunting a mere job. Naturally
these hordes of men being miners,
turned to what they were familiar
with, and they sought leases upon the
lands that had reputation for shall
! low ores where it was not difficult to
sink a shaft and where past expert
ence showed the probabilities Of find i.
| ing ores were rather large. Some
sought shallow lead fields, others the
zinc siicate diggings, while still 9TH
ers the soft ground blende deposits.
All three classes have shown re-
markable activity that has puzzled
many people unfamiliar with Joplin
conditions For instance, many have
wondered how 1t was possible for the
| lead ore output Of 1913 to break all
records in the face of half year o.
actual hard conditions in the Joplin
district with blende ores, the staple
product. showing a marked decline 1t
was equally remarkable that calaml1e
ores showed so large tonnage In tn"
face of the blende decline. Many also
wondered why certain camps of the
districts lost so heavily while others
actually showed an almost unbelie"-
able increase in output The answer
is in the small prospector and pro-
Queer who was forced to enter the
productive field when he lost his job
as a day laborer in the large mines.
Small Operators Attack Drainage
Problem.
Concrete instances Of new develop
ments of this character will suffice &c
show the trend of present mining con
ditions in Joplin and how idle capita
lis at last waking up to what this ne"
condition Of activity among the min
ers and prospectors means and how II
may help and profit by it. Perhaps
the most notable single instance VI
this character is that OF Schooner
land Cogswell, who have just incorpor'
lated a company known as the Lon
Elm Mining and Development com
pany that has taken under lease "a
acres Of the CRANKY Mining and SmeH
ling company's land and 80 acres o
the Pitcher Lead company's land lyin'
Immediately north of Joplin. embrac
ling a large part Of what was amon'
the earliest mining areas in the entir
Joplin field. Idle for years, becaus
OF the heavy drainage problem IN
volved, this large acreage OF Ian
which has been productive OF severa
thousand tons, both of lead ana 0
zinc ores, has laid right at Joplin
back door awaiting someone wit
backbone enough to get out the wa
ter, when It would yield It's output JUS
as Of old. Despite the water condl
lions confronting them a number
: small operators have continued wor