The Harrison times., 1917-05-12
OPENING UP Of OLD
CONFEDERATE MINE
LEAD MINED THERE BY TnE CON.
FEDERATEs DURING TIE CIVIL
WAR-BUILOING BIG MILL.
Baxter Bulletin.)

North Arkansas Held, tnat the depOs'
its of lead. the primary war metal, on
Cave Creek in Newton county which
were mined during the civi, war in a
crude way by one Of toe beiligerent
forces of a divided nation, shorld help
supply ammunition to a united people
to be used against a common enemy.
Cave City, located on Cave Creek in
Newton county is awakening from a
Rip Van Wrinkle sleep of fifty years.
Cave City is coming back. High M
on the sides of the mountains around
that place the miners are delving into
a dozen tunnels, At the Old CCpted-
crate mine on Haw branch, where dur
ing the civil war the CoufederateS
mined bullets, 350-tOn concentrating
plant is in course of construction.
Miners on this tract are as busy as
moles, opening out the old shafts and
drifts cut half'a century ago, by q QcO-
pie who were desperately put for aGi-
munition, but resourceful. A good
road is in course of construction from
Cave Greek postOffice, the site of old
Cave City. to Pindall, on the Missouri
and North Arkansas railroad. A force
of linemen are constructing a tele
phone line between the two points
Houses are being hastily constructed,
and miners and other labOrers are
coming in every day bringing their
families and household goods. Heavily
loaded ore wagons drag across the
mountain and over the snake-like Buff
falo, at Mount Hersey, to Pindall and
back again loaded with supplies and
machinery.
For a number of years after the war
private companies carried on the min.
ing operations started by the Confed.
crates. In 1870 the price of lead ore
slumped, and under the adverse con
d.tions they could not exist. They had
to haul their ore to Russellville. Arkan.
sas, 20 miles away and ship down the
Arkansas river 1t was this long haul
that took their profits.
Cave Creek is only 16 miles long,
but every mile holds a surprise for
the stranger 1t was originally named
House Creek by the Indians on ac-
count of the hundreds of caves of al
sizes along its short course in the
bluffs on either side. These caves
also played their part in the civil war
by furnishing a supply Of saltpetre to
the Confederates for use in the manu-
facture' of powder. On the land be-
longing to c. C. Thompson, is q cave
which was a heavy producer of these
salts In the mouth Of this cave at this
time, stands the rusting remains OF an
old engine that was used by the Con
federates to hoist their dirt with. 1t
was refined on the spot in big Kettles
by process of evaporation.
The noise that brought Cave CITY
out of its fifty-year nap is the develop
ment of its mineral resources. W. 0. !
Kruger, of Oklahoma City, A. IIass
and Harry Sander of Kansas City, |
Mo-. and DR., c. Mills, of Springfield, |
Mo, took the Old Confederate mine |
over on a lease several months ago |
and incorporated the Confederate Min |
ing Company At this time the fOun |
dation is in for the largest COncen |
trating plant ever constructed in the |
field, and it will be rushed to compile |
ton 1t is being built to handle from !
$50 to 400 tons of dirt a shift and will |
be modern throughout. The estm-
ated cost of the mill and installation |
is placed at $12l00O An electric light |
plant is included in this, which will lie |
used to light the mine, buildings and |
property in general The plant will !
be driven by Type Y crude oil Fair I
banks-M Morse engines The other ma.
chnery is being furnished by the Rog |
ers Machinery Co., of Joplin, Mo. Con !
Medley, a well known mining man, |
has charge Of the development an0 |
installation,
The ore at the Old Confederate is
lead, silicate and jack with lead pre-
dominating. The development work !
consists of four shafts, the deepest !
1862 feet, and numerous oven cuts. All I.
the different opening and drifts show
ore.
There is a remarkable contrast he. |
tween the tremendous modern install |
lation that is going in, and the cum |
bersome, inefficient machinery still in |
evidence, used a half century ago il |
mining operations on the same ground |
The operations in those early days |
showed a tremendous loss as can be |
seen by the amount Of ore in the |
small mountains Of dirt that have |
lain on the dumps since that time. 1t |
is evident that they took only the free