History of Cherokee County, Kansas and representative citizens, Part 14

Author: Allison, Nathaniel Thompson, ed
Publication date: 1904
Publisher: Chicago, Ill. : Biographical Publishing Co.
Number of Pages: 646


USA > Kansas > Cherokee County > History of Cherokee County, Kansas and representative citizens > Part 14


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46,264 10,000 85,440


J. R. Crow Coal Company


72 mile southwest of Turck.


65,800


-


.


1% miles west of Weir.


34,518


2 miles southwest of Turck.


Bennett & Crowe.


314 miles northwest of Weir


J. H. Durkee Coal Company. ..


1%% miles northeast of Weir.


14 miles northeast of Weir.


1 mile northwest of Weir


1% mile southwest of Weir Junction


L. S. Myers & Son


2 miles northeast of Weir


Barrett & Hayden


North of Weir


30,000


12 mile west of Scammon.


Inter-State Coal Company


1 mile south of Scammon


Allen Coal Company .. ..


Southeast of Scammon


M. C. Guy Coal Company


Scammon.


1,118


James Stone.


North of Scammon


Henry Jenkins.


Southwest of Weir.


Mackie Fuel Company


1 /2 miles northwest of Scammon


Pullen Sons & Holman


1 mile north of Scammon


L. J. Hisle


Scammon


Eastern Coal & Coke Company


Cokedale


Humble Coal Company.


1 mile northwest of Turck.


Edwards Coal Company .


134 miles southwest of Turck


Fidelity Land & Improvement Company.


2 miles north of Mineral.


S. D. Scott


1 1/2 miles south of Mineral


1,058 70,885


Southwestern Coal & Improvement Company ..


Mineral.


1 mile cast of Mineral


146,734


S. W. Baxter & Sons


11/2 miles west of Weir.


Scranton & Son ..


] mile south of Weir ..


13,000


J. C. Graham Coal Company.


Scammon.


6,981


George Roeser.


2 miles west of Turck.


400


Columbus Coal Company.


Stippville


150


Southern Kansas Coal Company


1/2 miles south of Cherokee


14,861


Strip Pits not Reported.


Estimated.


7,000


645,679


8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46


1 mile southwest of Weir ..


11,432 2,689 67,780 9,740


Hamilton Coal & Mercantile Company


40,000 5,366 10,560 1,526


North of Scammon


9,500


9,821 4,500 2,027


5,587 28,268 3,625 12,356


1 mile west of Mineral


18,565 636 3,676


1 mile south of Scammon


8,800 26,430 12,195 6,262


Northeast of Weir.


Location not given.


1 mile west of Weir.


11/2 mile north of Scammon.


A


ד


Coke Works at Cokedale


Lead and Zinc Mining Shafts and Crushers, Galena


I2I:


AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS.


A number of mines are not given in the table, for the reason that they have been opened since the publication of the last report of the State mine inspector, and because there are no figures from which to make a showing of the output of these new mines. The Flemming mine at Mineral City is one not included, for the reasons given, and there are others whose names and locations have not been obtained in time to be embodied in this chapter.


Notwithstanding the vast increase in the output of coal in Cherokee County, prices to local consumers have advanced nearly 100 per centum in the last 15 years, and this without any apparently just reason. There is no reason for it, only that the operators have simply ad- vanced the price, for the gain which it brings. If prices to all other consumers have been ad- vanced as they have been to the consumers in Cherokee County, the value of the output of the mines in the county, if it could be given here, for the last few years, would show a great ad- vance over any like number of former years.


GAS AND OIL,


Which arise from the deep coal beds far be- neath the surface of the earth, have been found in large quantities in Southeastern Kansas, west of the Neosho River, in the counties of Labette, Montgomery, Chautauqua, Elk, Wilson, Neo- sho and Allen. It is not believed that either will be found in large quantities in Cherokee County. The gas and oil are found above what is known as the Mississippi limestone, which geologists say, crops out in this county, but pitches toward the west and northwest. How- ever, oil in small quantity has been found in Neosho township, in this county, and it is be- lieved that it may be found in Sheridan town- 7


ship, both these townships lying along the Neo- sho River, on the east side, and just west of the general trend of the coal deposits. If, in the ages gone by, the oil exuded from the coal, through the tremendous pressure of the earth resting upon it, and was drained off in a north- westerly direction on the Mississippi limestone, as water courses over a slightly tilted roof ; and if the upper edge of this slightly tilted limestone crops out in Cherokee County, it is a reasonable presumption that there is no oil in the county, and that there is not much of it in Labette County, which is immediately west of, and only a little removed from, the coal fields.


THE LEAD AND ZINC MINES OF THE COUNTY.


It is conceded by those best qualified to judge of such matters, that, in mineral re- sources, Cherokee County is the richest county in the State of Kansas. Within several years next preceding the present a good deal has been published concerning what is called gold-bear- ing shale, found in some of the northwest coun- ties of the State; but nothing has come of the effort to find gold in paying quantities. The people of Cherokee County, as well as very many who do not reside here, know that its mineral resources, in the process of their de- velopment, have passed the experimental period. Many millions of dollars have been made out of the rich deposits opened; but it may be truthfully said that only a beginning has been made. This is particularly true of the lead and zinc. It is possible that one-tenth of the coal, in the strata now being worked, has been taken out; but no deep mining has been done. As to lead and zinc, not one-tenth has been taken out, even in the districts which have been most thoroughly worked in what may be


122


HISTORY OF CHEROKEE COUNTY


called the upper lodges of ore. Very little deep mining has been done for these ores; but suffi- cient has been done to show that the lowest lodges reached are the richesth, in both quality and quantity. Operators who have had large experience in lead and zinc mining say that the store house of these ores, in what is known as the Galena district, are so nearly inexhaustible that the youngest generation now living will remain to see no more than a beginning made in their development.


BIG REAL ESTATE TRANSACTIONS.


Before entering upon a description of the mines of Cherokee County and a statement of the output from them, it is deemed not im- proper to speak of some of the big real es- tate transactions, the records of which may be found in the office of the register of deeds at Columbus; for some of these transactions have grown out of the undertakings which have been in course for the development of the mines in the county, while others have incidentally grown out of such interests.


May 1, 1896, The State Trust Company funded bonds for The Cherokee Lanyon Spel- ter Company, to the amount of $300,000, the bonds being secured by a first mortgage of the company's real estate. The recorder's fee in this transaction was $48.65.


September 28, 1896, The Mercantile Trust Company funded bonds of The St. Louis & San Francisco Railroad Company, in the sum of $5.666,500, taking a mortgage on the com- pany's real estate in Cherokee County, with real estate elsewhere.


In January, 1902, The Central Coal & Coke Company negotiated with The Pennsylvania Company, for $2,500,000, and in security they


passed 37,000 acres of land in Missousi, Kan- sas, Arkansas and the Indian Territory. The record of the mortgage covers 90 pages, and the recorder's fee was $51.60. In January, 1898, the same company had negotiated with Edward E. Stansbury, under mortgage, for the loan of $800,000.


January 1I, 1904, James Murphy and others, by quitclaim deed, sold more than 1,000 town lots in Empire City, to The Murphy Min- ing & Realty Company, for the consideration of $60,000. The fee for the recording of this deed was $158.65.


Perhaps the largest individual transaction in real estate ever made in Cherokee County was that in which W. S. Norton, of Columbus, sold certain coal lands to The Fidelity Land & Improvement Company, in consideration of $84,000.


These transactions cover considerations amounting to $9,410,500, a large part of which pertains to Cherokee County; but they do not include all the transactions which have imme- diately grown out of or incidentally pertain to the mining interests of the county. Other transactions, of more or less magnitude, if sought out in the records, would be found to foot up many hundreds of thousands of dollars in the county.


THE MINING OF LEAD AND ZINC.


Considering the area over which the opera- tions have been extended, the mining of lead and zinc since the year 1882, has been the most profitable industry in Cherokee County. The location of these mines is in the southeastern part of the county, along Spring River, chiefly on the east side of the stream. extending to the east line of the State. The city of Galena, so


123


AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS.


named on account of the mineral which is so abundant there, is in the midst of the great mining region. Empire City lies just north of Galena. For many years next following the discovery of mineral there, a brisk rivalry was maintained between the two towns, each en- deavoring by every possible means to lead the other for the honor of designating the mining district. Galena early gained the ascendency, and it has constantly held it. In the reports showing the output of ores the region has come to be known as the "Galena District," and it is probable that it will so continue to be desig- nated.


THE DISCOVERY OF LEAD AND ZINC.


As is stated elsewhere, in the chapters de- voted to the history of Galena and of Empire City, lead and zinc were discovered in that lo- cality in the spring of 1877. Up to that time 10 uncovering of the rich deposits had been made. As far as human habitation was con- cerned, the region, in almost every respect, lay in an untouched condition; and as for agri- cultural purposes Nature never designed it to be at all attractive. But from the year 1877, on down to the present, it has been one of the busiest regions in the world, in the activity con- stantly kept up in the operations necessary to bring to the surface of the earth the rich metal ores which are lying beneath.


STATISTICS OF LEAD AND ZINC PRODUCTION.


The annual output of ore has not constantly increased, each year greater than the preced- ing one, either in quantity or in value; for the activity has been intense or slack, proprtionate to the demnad for the product of the mines.


However, in a general way, taking any partic- ular series of years, there has been an advance, and a great one, too, since the first few years of the industry. The quantity and the value have not changed proportionately ; for in 1896 the mines yielded 62,232 tons of zinc, worth $1,401,307.83, while in 1897 the yield was 59,451 tons of zinc, worth $1,492,663.04. In the latter year the yield was 2,781 tons less, but the value was $91,355.21 more, the increase in value being due to the higher market price. I have before me a table showing the annual output of lead and zinc, in the Galena district, from 1886 to 1901, inclusive. The table is taken from the "Annual Bulletin on the Min- eral Resources of Kansas," for 1900 and 1901, prepared by Erasmus Haworth, of the depart- ment of physical geology and mineralogy in the University of Kansas. It had been my aim to get information on the two years following 1901, but this is lacking.


The table shows that the quantity of zinc mined is much larger than the quantity of lead. But it also shows that the price of lead is higher than that of zinc. For the 16 years covered by the table, the quantity of zinc taken out and sold was more than six times as much as that of lead ; but the value of the zinc was less than four times as much as that of the lead. For this series of years the greatest output of zinc was in the year 1898, when 74,852 tons were sold ; but the greatest output of lead was in the year 1897, when 15,184.68 tons were sold, for $762,- 469.96 The largest amount realized for zinc, within the time covered by the table, was for the output of 1899, which amounted to $2.313,- 831.00. For the 16 years the mines yielded the enormous quantity of 633.683.63 tons of zinc ore, which was sold for $15, 144.640.70, and 105,178.46 tons of lead, which was sold for


124


HISTORY OF CHEROKEE COUNTY


SHOWING OUTPUT OF ZINC AND LEAD ORES, GALENA DISTRICT, KANSAS, From January 1, 1886, to December 31. 1901, inclusive. Data since 1895 from the Engineering and Mining Fournal; others from Russell Elliott, Galena.


ZINC ORE.


LEAD ORE.


YEAR.


Tons (2000 lbs)


Average price per ton.


Value.


Tons (2000 lbs)


Average price per ton.


Value.


Total value of output.


1886.


31,768.00


$18 50


$587,708 00


2,962.14


$59 00


$174,766 38


$762,474 38


1887 ..


32,795.00


19 00


623 105 00


3,073.19


52 50


161,499 98


784,604 98


1888.


33,391.00


21 00


701,211 00


2,624.00


31 00


81,344 00


782,555 00


1889


32,950.00


24 00


790,800 00


3,992.50


46 00


183,655 00


974,455 00


1890.


21,675.00


23 00


498,525 00


4,173.96


42 28


176,176 28


674,701 28


1891


20,641.00


21 51


454,102 00


3,602.21


50 32


182,271 83


636,373 83


1892


23,811.00


20 00


476,237 78


7,188.17


42 00


301,903 14


778,140 92


1893.


25,028.00


18 85


471,789 00


5,139.59


38 00


195,314 42


667,103 42


1894.


28,670.00


17 10


490,257 00


5,817.49


33 64


195,794 66


686,051 66


1895.


41,232.00


19 68


812,792 00


12,537.64


38 56


482,548 75


1,295,340 75


1896


62,232.00


22 51


1,401,307 83


14,061.58


32 04


450,529 90


1,851,837 73


1897


59,451.00


25 17


1,492,663 04


15,184.68


50 20


762,469 96


2,255,133 00


1898.


74,852.00


26 64


1,994,230 55


7,918.28


42 04


352,798 45


2,347,029 00


1899


64,708.48


38 54


2,313,831 00


6,723.40


52 62


354,311 00


2,668,142 00


1900.


46,501.35


30 28


1,238,237 13


4,938.44


48 80


240,995 87


1,479,233 00


1901.


33,977.80


27 95


797,844 37


5,238.19


46 94


245,880 63


1,043,725 00


Totals for 16 years


633,683.63


$373 73


$15,144,640 70


105,178.46


$705 94


$4,542,260 25 $19,686,900 95


$4,542,260.25, making, in all, $19,686.900.95. It must not be thought that this is all profit ; for, as a matter of fact, a very small part of it is clear profit, to any individual or company. The expenses of mining are always very great. While the output, when sold on a good market, brings in a vast amount of money, it has to be distributed among a large number of men, of various classes, which diffuses the benefits of the operations. Foundrymen, machinery build- ers, engineers, laborers, helpers, teamsters, shaft bosses, time keepers, clerks, bookkeepers ; all these come in for their wages, salaries and accounts, and they must be paid. Then, if the mine is on leased ground, as many of them are, the owner of the land comes in for his royalty, which is the easiest money made in all the under- taking. He has nothing to do but to accept his


-


check and go to the bank and have it added to his account.


The product of zinc ore, when the ore has been passed through the furnace and has been brought out in the metallic form, is called spelter. The furnace is called a smelter, and the operation of reducing the ore to metal is called smelting. The lead and zinc ores mined in Cherokee County, Kansas, are nearly all shipped to other places to be reduced. For- merly there were some smelters at Weir City, where coal is abundant ; but they were discon- tinued. A much larger number were at Pitts- burg, but many of them were moved to Iola, Kansas, on account of the abundance of natural gas. Recently, since the gas pressure has be- come weaker and insufficient to meet the de- mands as fully as desired, the smelters are being


125


AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS.


brought back into the coal fields, where the supply of fuel is ample and will remain so, any- how for the next fifty years.


In Mr. Haworth's bulletin, referred to in this chapter, he says that during the years of 1900 and 1901 the zinc smelters of Kansas yielded the largest amount of spelter ever pro- duced in a like time. They produced 57,856 tons of metal in 1900, and 81,542.3 tons in 1901. The average price of spelter in New York, for the year 1900, was $87.80 a ton, and for the year 1901 it was $81.50 a ton, a decline of $6.30 a ton ; but the quantity put upon the market during the latter year was so much greater than the quantity for the former year that the value was greater by $1,516,864.65, the value for the first year being $5,028,832.80, while the value for the second year was $6,645,697.45.


In the year 1900 the total amount of spelter produced in the United States was about 123,- 000 tons. Kansas produced nearly one-half of this amount. It is claimed by some that much of the ore smelted in Kansas is brought into the State from other places ; that the Joplin district sends a large amount of ore to Kansas, to Iola, LaHarpe and Cherryvale, all of which are situate in the gas regions. This may be true ; but it may be stated as true, also, that as much Kansas ore is shipped out of the State, to smelters in Missouri, Illinois and other States, as that which comes into the State from the Joplin district. Anyhow, it is within the bounds of truth to say that, of the lead and zinc ores smelted in Kansas, nearly the entire amount is taken out of the earth in the Galena district, which includes all the mining opera- tions for zinc and lead in the State of Kansas.


The following table will show the amount and value of the zinc produced in the State of


Kansas, annually, from 1882 to 1901, inclusive, the table covering the product of 20 years :


YEAR


Amount in short tons (2000 pounds)


Price per ton in New York


Total Value


1882


7,366


$110.60


$ 814,679.60


1883


9,010


90.60


816,306.00


1884.


7,859


89,60


704,466.40


1885.


8,502


86.80


837,973.60


1886


8,932


87.90


785,122.80


1887.


11,955


92.80


1,109,424.00


1888.


10,432


98.34


1,025,902.88


1889.


13,658


100.20


1,368,531.60


1890.


15,199


108.75


1,652,891.25


1891.


22,747


108.82


2,475,336.90


1892.


24,715


89.78


2,218,912.70


1893.


22,815


80.3712


1,733,755.63


1894.


25,588


70.43


1,902,162.84


1895.


25,775


71.04


1,831,056.00


1896.


20,759


79.70


1,653,592.30


1897


33,443


82.40


2,755,703.20


1898


38,543


91.40


3,508,524.27


1899.


52,664


115.00


6,056,360.00


1900.


57,876


87.80


5,028,832.80


1901


81,542.3


81.50


6,645,697.45


Total.


499,380.3


$91.19


$44,824,932.23


The table does not cover the product of the mines of the Galena district, from the time of the discovery of lead and zinc ores there, in 1877, up to the year 1882. By those who are best qualified to judge, it is estimated that the spelter produced in these five years was of the value of about $3,000,000, which added to the figures given in the table is seen to make up the aggregate value of $47,824.932.23, or an an- nual average of $2,391,246.61.


The world's production of zinc metal has constantly increased, and very rapidly within recent years, due to the increased uses to which it is put. It enters into the composition of brass and other yellow compositions, into the cyanide processes, into the manufacture of sheet metals and very largely for electrical purposes. Fifty per centum of it is used for galvanizing purposes, twenty per centum for sheet metals, fifteen per centum for brass and other yellow


126


HISTORY OF CHEROKEE COUNTY


compositions and fifteen per centum for sundry other purposes. It is indispensable in the manufacture of brass, and nothing else has been found that will take its place in electrical appliances. It is said that in America the greatest demand is for galvanizing purposes, in the manufacture of wire for fencing and other uses. and of galvanized iron for construc- tion purposes.


Belgium and the Rhine district, taken to- gether. produce more zinc metal than any other district in the world. Silesia came next. in former times, with America third, Great Britain


fourth, France and Spain fifth. Austria and Poland seventh: but more recently. America has gone ahead of Silesia, and is now second in the zinc-producing countries of the world. and it is not far behind Belgium and the Rhine dis- trict. The following table will show the world's output of zinc metal, for the years from 1884 to 1900. inclusive. In the last year the Bel- gium and Rhine district produced 189,994 tons ; Silesia produced 102,316 tons and America 122.885 tons. The next year, for which the output of other countries is not given, America produced 155,206 tons :


YEAR


Rhine district and Belgium


Silesia


Great Britain


France and Spain


Anstria


Poland


Total foreign


America


Grand Total


Per cent. American


1854


127,240


66,116


29,259


15,341


6,170


4,164


260,290


34,414


294,004


5.56


1855.


129,754


79,623


24,299


14,847


5,610


5,019


259,152


36,329


292,659


8.05


ISS5.


129,020


S1,630


21,230


15,305


5,000


4,145


256,330


38,072


294,402


12.93


130,995


81,375


19,839


16,028


5,385


3.550


257.155


44,946


302,101


14.57


ISSS


133,245


83,375


26.783


16,140


4,977


3,785


265,305


49,913


318,218


15.68


1:59


134,615


S5,665


30,506


16,785


6,330


3,026


277,248


52,553


329,801


16.23


1890


137,630


57.475


29,145


18,240


7,135


3,620


253,215


57,860


341,105


16.96


1891


139,695


87.080


29,410


15.360


6,440


3,760


284,745


72,208


356,953


20,22


1892.


143,305


87,760


30,310


18,602


5,020


4,270


289,327


71.910


367,237


21.21


1893.


149,750


90,310


25,375


20,555


7,560


4,530


301,110


70,385


371,495


19.93


1894.


152,420


91,145


32,065


21,245


8.5~0


5,015


310.470


67,257


377.727


17.50


1895


172,135


93,620


29,495


22,895


S,355


4,960


331,460


80,077


411,537


19.45


1896


179,730


95,875


25,580


29.450


9,255


6,165


315,355


72,767


418,122


17.43


1897.


184.455


94,045


23,430


32,120


8,155


5,760


347,995


89,265


437,203


20.41


1895


191,836


99.233


27.635


32,649


7,229


5,664


364,246


103,515


467,761


22.10


1899.


192,994


100,160


32,223


33,482


7,305


6,325


372,496


123,194


495,690


26.87


1900.


189,994


102,316


30,30%


44,200


6,836


5,969


258,525


122, 885


411,375


29.55


1901


155,206


It would take more time and space than can here be given to name all the individuals and firms that have been engaged and are now en- gaged in the mining of lead and zinc in the Ga- lena district. During the 27 years. since the dis- covery of these ores in that district. many have come and gone, and only a few of the companies which were among the first are still operating. From the Galena Times of July 28. 1904. some information is taken as to a number of the


operators. Those mentioned are The South Side Mining & Manufacturing Company. The Pittsburg Lead & Zinc Company, The New Century Zinc & Lead Mining Company. Mur- phy. Freil & Company, The Merger Mining Company, The Clara Louise Mining & Milling Company. The Galena Smelting & Manufac- turing Company, and The McNeal Mining & Milling Company.


The following table shows the output of


127


AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS.


The Southside Mining & Manufacturing Company, from 1877, the beginning of mining operations at Galena, to and including the year


1903, and also a supplemental showing of the output for the first five months of the present year ( 1904) :


OUTPUT OF SOUTH SIDE MINING & MANUFACTURING COMPANY


YEAR


LEAD ORE


SOLD FOR


ZINC ORE


SOLD FOR


1877


112,455


$ 2,372.52


1878


3,570,003


63,911.82


271,130


$ 2,169.09


1880.


9,553,204


215,939.59


1881


7,703,234


220,518.49


2,283,480


18,267.84


1882


5,007,410


115,591.66


4,650,250


37,202.04


1883


2.368,808


69,092.66


3,525,690


28,205.55


1884.


1,351,847


97,066.03


3.054,320


24,434.75


1885.


1,282,661


31,169.07


8,227,690


65,821.50


1886.


1,671,813


49,659.20


14,475,180


115,801.47


1887.


1,803,775


47,458.46


10,101,690


80,813.52


18SS


1,329,277


20,604.51


14,579,770


116,638.16


1889


1,904,083


43,810.29


13,378,070


107,024.56


1890


1,070,360


25,146.28


3,977,890


38,823.12


1891


1,016,003


25,781.09


8,458,400


67,667.20


1892.


1,018,229


21,815.44


7,615,110


60,920.88


1893.


1,569,380


29,728.03


2,582,760


18,079.32


1894


1,272,090


21,185.80


3,249,450


16,728.86


1895.


538,200


9,307.76


2,821,450


14,633.45


1896. 1897


1,613,260


32,273.06


10,431,080


43,707.27


1898.


1,121,470


24,926.40


14,399,240


78,269.55


1899


1,081,648


28,537.25


14,124,860


174,426,64


1900


1,712,031


41,705.55


12,503,980


132,593.23


1901


2,262,830


51,551.75


9,477,370


93,060.60


1902.


732,070


16,758.54


6,886,700


91,925.95


1903


660,770


16,693.31


7,203,316


93,304.83


TOTALS.


64,654,338


$1,571,567.32


180,642,366


$1,532,846.39


OUTPUT FOR FIRST FIVE MONTHS 1904


MONTH


LEAD ORE


SOLD FOR


ZINC ORE


SOLD FOR


January


102,780


$2,098.51


575,786


$ 5,290.59


February


197,050


4,199.43


633,826


8,558.83


March


231,720


6,391.88


886,986


12,243.91


April.


159,580


4,397.49


937,845


9,773.95


May


222,030


5,605.00


636,636


7,307.70


TOTALS.


913,160


$22,692.31


3,671,079


$43,174.98


1,036,136


15,640.92


2,363,490


14,327.21


1879.


10,291,291


233,320.84


The figures of quantity in the table indicate pounds instead of tons. It may be presumed that the Southside Mining & Manufacturing Company's output is an average among the


principal mining companies operating in the district. If so, it indicates the wonderful ac- tivity which has been kept up since the discov- ery of the rich ore deposits in the lead and zinc


I28


HISTORY OF CHEROKEE COUNTY


area of Kansas, and which has brought so much wealth to the people engaged in the mining operations.


THE OPERATION OF THE MINES.


In taking out lead and zinc ores the opera- tions are so different from those employed in the mining of coal that it is deemed a matter of interest here to make a brief statement, so that the reader not acquainted with the dif- ferences will have a better understanding of them. Coal nearly always lies in strata or layers, varying in thickness, from a few inches to several feet. These strata are sometimes level ; oftener they are slightly tilted, and some- times much so. In the coal fields of Southeast- ern Kansas the strata incline slightly down- ward toward the northwest. If one owns a tract of land on all sides of which shafts have been sunk and a stratum of coal found, he is almost absolutely safe in the presumption that he has the same stratum lying under his land, and at about the same depth of that of his neighbors, making allowances for the surface variations and the general tilt of the stratum. This is not true with respect to lead and zinc. These ores lie in pockets or lodges, or they may be scattered through the earth very irregularly. sometimes "good stuff." sometimes "poor stuff." according to the per centum of ore, com- pared with the rock and earth to be worked. The ores can never be depended upon to lie in strata ; and, on this account, one can not judge from surrounding operations, only in a general way, whether he will find ore or not. His neighbor may find the richest of deposits; but he may not even get a "shine," although he may sink his shaft close by.




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