The evening herald. (Klamath Falls, Or.) 1906-1942, 1921-09-28
STRIKE CALLS
ATTENTION To
OLDEST MINE


MIzABETHTOwN. H.. Sept. 2s
Hidden here in Hardin county, of
the beaten path Of transportation
the oldest fluorspar mine in Amer.
ica, and likewise the largest in the
world was recently discovered" by
The rest Of the country when strike
disorders brought newspaper men to
this southeastern corner Of Illinois.
Not since the James boys rode
through Kentucky and crossed the
Ohio river near here has this quaint
little county seat village-the second
Oldest settlement in Illinois-exper-
fenced 20 much excitement, unless II
was during the hectic days Of recon
atruetion when night riders, the Ku
Klux Khan and border whitecappers
kspt southern Illinois and northern
Kentucky in q ferment.
The Hardin county fluorspar veins
are the largest in the United States.
The main vein, running north east
and southwest across portion OF
the county. ranges from 8 to 80 feet
wide, 10 being worked on the 600 foot
level, and diamond drills which have
penetfated 1900, feet have failed to
find the bottom. Rosiclare mine, in
operstion more than forty years,
holds . worlds record for tonnage
produced. Unlike coal veins in the
neighboring counties. which lie fla,
IN bed" or blanket" formation, the
main fluorspar vein stands on edge
and 10 mined under the same condi-
lions a. It's sister hard rock minerals
in Colorado and the West. In the
eastern part of the county. at Spar
Mountain, near Cave in Rock, there
4 o blanket vein OF spar which is
mined much like coal.
Fluorspar is used in industry for
. wide range Of purposes. The finest
grade found. optical spar, goes into
the making Of optical instruments.
The opalescent glass industry and
the enameling works making kitchen
utensils and bath room fixtures use
. coarser grade, only % per cent
pure. Other grades go into the max
ing OF hydrochloric acid, aluminium
and steel. Ten pounds of spar are
used 4 flux in the making Of each
ton Of steel. and IS per cent Of all
6par mined goes into the steel indus
". Optical spar sold during the war
Ct $50 an ounce and the grade used
n steel making at $50 ton.
While Elixabethtown has been the
center OF the strike trouble, there are
no mines here, the center Of the In
dustry being at Rosiclare, five miles
away, where the strike was called on
September II, 1920. Union head
quarters were established here, how
ever. and various picnics, conventions
and mass meetings held, until citi-
sens took q hand Sept. 8 OF this year
and drove $50 union men from the
town.
James A. Watson. Hardin county
representative. Mayor George Wall,
Sheriff D. N. Cox and States Attor-
nsy Clarence Seward say the union
men were driven out because they
patroled the streets at night with
armed guards. stopping citizens un-
der the guise of protecting the life of
"a Carbine. union organizer.
The present strike is the second In
he history Of the fluorspar field, the
lirst having occurred in 1913. when
N attempt to unionize the mines
lailsd., The spar mines have been
worked for more than 40 years. and
PRIOR to that time the diggings yield
d lead and zinc, while the spar was
brown aside as worthless. During
ayil war days furnace was erected
- the Ohio river bank to make bull
ets from the lead found in the fluor-
par veins. The ruined foundations
4 the old furnace still stand.
Lead and zinc are now by-products
{ the spar mines, along with calcite,
rock crystal and limestone. The
aleite is crushed for road building
urposes or ground fine and sacked |