History of Grant County, Wisconsin, Part 53

Author: Butterfield, Consul Willshire, 1824-1899
Publication date: 1881
Publisher: Chicago : Western Historical Co.
Number of Pages: 1044

USA > Wisconsin > Grant County > History of Grant County, Wisconsin > Part 53

Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).

Muscalunge Diggings .- Situated on Section 26, Township 4, Range 5 west. There are here numerous east-and-west ranges, from a quarter to a half a mile in length, lying near Rat- tlesnake Creek. More activity is displayed here in mining operations than anywhere else in the district, about half of the ore smelted in the Beetown furnace being obtained here. In addition to the east-and-west ranges already mentioned, there are a great number of small parallel crev- ices running nearly east and west, and crossed by various quartering ores, forming a perfect net- work of veins and crevices. The following parties are operating in this vicinity :

Graham Mining Company .- This is a Milwaukee mining company who own and work a large tract of ground comprising the west half of Section 26. The workings are all in the sixty-five-foot opening. The following section of the Dewey & Maiden shaft is given, which shows the position of strata from the top of the ridge downward :

Soil and clay.

15 feet.

Galena limestone.

38 feet.

Tough light rock, hard and flinty

2 feet.

Openings from five to twelve feet high.

12 feet.

Hard rock with layers of flint

65 feet.

Opening (workings ).

13 feet.

Galena limestone to top of Trenton.

35 feet.

Total thickness.

180 feet.

The two openings are seen here to be separated by sixty-five feet of intervening barren rock. The ground is drained by a level about three-quarters of a mile long, run on the random of the lower opening at an expense of $20,000. It empties into one of the adjacent branches of Rattlesnake Creek. It could easily be drained to the top of the blue limestone by a level in

354

HISTORY OF THE LEAD REGION.

the horizon of the pipe-clay opening. A convenience in hoisting was noticed here which might profitably be adopted in other portions of the lead region. A six-inch hole had been drilled from the surface to one of the drifts for purposes of ventilation. An artesian well-bucket was then put on, and all small stuff and wash dirt was removed through the hole, thus saving a long and unnecessary transportation underground to the main shaft. The company has worked con- tinuously here for many years. The ground has been very productive; it produced in one year 1,300,000 pounds. Its average annual production for the last nine years is estimated at 300,000 pounds of lead ore.

James Thomas & Co .- This company has been working here for the last fifteen years. The ore is found on the east-and-west range in the sixty-five-foot opening. The diggings are dry, and from 150 to 160 feet deep. The average production is 150,000 pounds of lead ore per annum. The ground is owned by Mr. Dewey.

Hutchcroft & Thomas .- Situated four hundred and fifty feet south of the preceding, and connected with them underground. They are in the same opening as the preceding, and have been worked continuously for many years. During the last year, they have been idle, having been sold by the parties who operated them. When worked, their annual product was 150,000 pounds.

Hutchinson, Dewey & Co .- Situated on the southeast quarter of Section 26, east of James Thomas & Co., and in the same range and opening. This party has been working here since 1869, and has now a very good prospect. The average depth below the surface is one hundred and sixty feet. In some cases, it is one hundred and eighty feet. They are connected with the Adkinson Diggings by a quartering range. They have produced about 30,000 pounds in the last three years.

Adkinson Diggings .- Situated a short distance east of the preceding, and connected with it. Access is gained to these diggings through a level about a quarter of a mile long, emptying into the valley of Rattlesnake Creek. The level was run on a northeast crevice, which con- tained a large amount of ore, and was frequently intercepted with east-and-west crevices. These diggings have been worked continuously during the last twenty years. During the last fifteen years, the annual product has been 150,000 pounds of lead ore.

Showalter & Payten .- Situated a quarter of a mile southeast of the preceding, and near the south line of the Dewey land. These parties commenced two years since, and are now work- ing an east-and-west range in the sixty-five-foot opening. During the last two years, the prod- uct has been 70,000 pounds.

Arthur & Co .- Situated two hundred feet south of the preceding, on Mr. Arthur's land. This is a new east-and-west range discovered in the spring of 1876. A shaft has been sunk ninety feet to the sixty-five-foot opening, and a small amount of ore produced. The appearances in this new range are quite encouraging.

Ritter & Bock .- Northeast quarter of Section 35, Township 4, Range 5 west ; situated on land owned by Mr. Ritter. This is a new east-and-west range, discovered in the summer of 1875. It is worked in the sixty-five-foot level. It is regarded as a good prospect, and has already produced 20,000 pounds.

Loomis & Co .- Situated on the land of the Graham Mining Company, in the southern part. This is also a new east-and-west range, discovered in August, 1876. It has produced about 12,000 pounds. The mine is now in a condition to yield 1,000 pounds per day. The lead ore in the Muscalunge mines occurs in direct contact with the wall rock, usually in vertical sheets, and without any of the associate vein minerals which are usually found in the other mining districts.

POTOSI DISTRICT.

Mining operations here are chiefly confined to the winter season. The old ranges of the Potosi Diggings are included in Sections 33 and 34, Township 3, Range 3 west. Their general course is about north, 70° west, although some bear a few degrees more to the west, and some a few more to the north. They numbered about thirty in all, which were considered as separate

355

HISTORY OF THE LEAD REGION.

and distinct ranges ; and, in addition, there were many smaller crevices, not sufficiently impor- tant to constitute ranges by themselves. Among the more important were the Long, Wooley, Gillet, Gilmore, Smith, Polkinghorn and Barbara, some of which were over a mile in length. The productive portion of these ranges is confined to the middle and lower portions of the Galena limestone, none of the crevices having as yet proved as low as the brown rock ; the ore is usu- ally found in sheets of varying thickness.

Considerable irregularity exists in the formation of many of the crevices in the Potosi dis- trict, by which they seem to split up in the lower beds of the limestone, forming key rocks and divergent crevices. An instance in point was seen in the diggings of Mr. Meredith, in the north- east quarter of Section 33, about three hundred feet south of the old Wooley range, on the sum- mit of the ridge. A shaft was sunk in the main crevice, which continued without change for sixty feet from the surface. At this point a hard key rock, as it is called, was encountered, on which the crevice and ore sheets divided, one part continuing vertical and the other slanting downward at an angle of about forty-five degrees, for a distance of thirty feet. Here a very hard and smooth floor was found, on which the sheet was followed out by drifting for a distance of 130 feet, without reaching the end. No appearance of openings was observed. These dig- gings were struck about six years ago (1870), and have produced since then about four hundred and twenty thousand pounds.

Rockville Diggings .- There are here a number of east-and-west ranges with flat openings, which have been worked with but little interruption since 1840, and now furnish employment to about twenty miners. Mining is chiefly confined to the winter season. The following par- ties are now operating here :

Phillips & Walker .- Southwest quarter of southwest quarter of Section 13, Township 3, Range 3 west. These parties are working a new east-and-west range, discovered by them in the summer of 1874. The ore is found at a depth of about one hundred feet below the surface, in flat openings from fifty to sixty feet wide, whose length has not yet been ascertained. They have, however, been worked to a distance of 300 feet. The lead ore is found in what is known here as the second opening, which lies about thirty feet above the upper surface of the blue limestone. Their annual product is 30,000 pounds.

Dilger Mincs .- Northwest quarter of northwest quarter of Section 24. This is a new range, discovered in January, 1876. The works are as yet confined to the first opening, which is here thirty feet above the second. It has produced, during the past year, 40,000 pounds.

Hayward Range .- Southwest quarter of Section 13. This range has been worked continu- ously every winter since its discovery in 1841, and has yielded in all between four and five mill- ion pounds. It is now worked by Messrs. Jackson & Calloway, in the second opening, which is here from thirty to forty feet wide. It produces about one hundred thousand pounds per annum.

Warfield Range .- Southwest quarter of Section 13. This range has been worked every winter during the last thirty years, and has produced about two million pounds. It is now worked by Messrs. White & Dunn, in the second opening, which is here from thirty to forty feet wide. Its annual product is about one hundred thousand pounds.

Curnow and Pillow Range .- Southwest quarter of Section 13. This range has not been idle during the last thirty years, and is still productive. During the last fifteen years the range has produced over 100,000 pounds per annum. Messrs. Nichols & Stevens are now min- ing in it, and producing 20,000 pounds per annum.

Emery & Davis Level .- Northwest quarter of northwest quarter of Section 24. The level was commenced in 1852, and is now 600 feet long, and drains the ground in its vicinity nearly as low as the second opening. Its cost was about $20,000. The excavations here were of the nature of a quarry, several flat sheets of lead ore being found inter-stratified with the Galena limestone. While the level was in operation, the annual product was about 100,000 pounds. The level drains the Langstaff and Willey ranges, which were discovered about thirty years ago, and have been worked continuously ever since. Most of the lead ore is obtained from the first

356

HISTORY OF THE LEAD REGION.

opening. The annual product is 50,000 pounds. These ranges have been worked to the present water level, leaving sheets of ore from twelve to eighteen inches thick, going down. The level should be run a few rods further to connect with a north-and-south crevice; it would then probably drain all the ranges much deeper.

Stone & Bryhon .- Situated near the northwest corner of Section 1, Town 3, Range 3 west, on land owned by Mr. Stone, about three miles north of the village of Rockville. The works are in the first opening, which is from eight to ten feet wide. They have been worked in the winter season during the last four years, producing annually between 30,000 and 40,000 pounds. They were formerly worked by Mr. Grusham, and were more productive. The mines are dry.

Griswold Diggings .- Situated about a quarter of a mile south of the preceding. These are dry diggings, worked in the first opening, which is here about six feet high and from ten to thirty feet wide. They have been worked continuously during the last seven years, producing about 65,000 pounds per annum.

Henry Gillilan's Diggings .- These diggings are situated about three miles southeast of Rockville, on the Platte River. They are dry diggings, and have been worked during the last four years in the first opening, which is here thirty feet wide and about six feet high. The annual product is 25,000 pounds.

British Hollow Diggings .- But little mining is now done in these mines. The following parties are now mining here :

J. Alderson's Diggings .- Northwest quarter of Section 26, Town 3, Range 3 west. They are situated on the Craig range, in the village of British Holland. This range was worked. by a Cincinnati company for three years ; they abandoned it two years ago. This company pro- duced about 3,000,000 pounds during the time of their operation. Mr. Alderson commenced mining here again in July, 1876, with a steam pump, and has sunk four shafts. The workings are about 120 feet deep in the second opening, and in the third, which is about twenty-five feet below the second. The mine has not produced much yet, as the time has been mostly consumed in preliminary operations.

Peak § Blair .- Northwest quarter of Section 26. These parties have also been working in the Craig range during the past summer (1876). They have a flat sheet of lead ore about five inches thick in the first opening, which here averages twenty feet in width. This range has been worked during the last forty years. The product of the present parties has been about 20,000 pounds.

Dutch Hollow Diggings .- They are situated on the north half of Section 36, Township 3, Range 3 west, about two and a half miles east of Potosi. The following parties are now opera- ting here:

Dutch Hollow Level Company .- Mining operations have been carried on here continuously for the last six years, excavating a level on or near the upper surface of the blue limestone. The level is now about a half a mile long, and it is expected to reach the main shaft in about a month. When completed, the level will unwater all the Galena limestone above it, which is here about one hundred feet thick. It is expected to unwater the Kendall, and many other old ranges in the vicinity, as deep as the third opening. The level is not producing much now. During the year 1872, it produced 60,000 pounds.

Rup & Son .- Northeast quarter of Section 35. This party has been working during the last six months in a part of the Zug range. The ore is found in the first opening, which is here about fifteen feet wide. The production has been 150,000 pounds.

Zug Diggings .- An east-and-west range, being same range and opening as preceding. Mined, at depth of 75 feet, 150,000 pounds.

Langstaff & Gillan .- Situated three-quarters of a mile northeast of the preceding, in the creek in Section 25. The lead ore is found here in a flat sheet in the first opening, near the water level and about thirty feet below the surface. Three men have been working here twelve months, and have produced 60,000 pounds. The production of the Potosi district, including Rockville, British Hollow and Dutch Hollow, could not be definitely ascertained, as very little

357

HISTORY OF THE LEAD REGION.

record has been kept of it. It is estimated at 80,000 pounds per annum. Mining in this dis- trict is generally abandoned in summer for farming, and resumed again in the winter, in the lack of other employment. In this way a large number of men are at work in the winter, each ra sing a small amount by prospecting, which forms in the aggregate the total product of the district.

FAIRPLAY DISTRICT.

The only mines in this vicinity, which have recently produced anything, are those of Black & Co., on the northeast quarter of Section 24, Township .1, Range 2 west, and those of Williams & Co., near the center of Section 19, Township 1, Range 1 west.

Black & Co .- This property, which comprises in all about two hundred and forty acres, is owned by Messrs. Joseph and Thomas Sparks. It has been known to be rich ground for many years, and to contain, besides the ore, an immense amount of water, which was the chief obsta- cle to be overcome. Previous to the operations of Mr. Black, it had been attempted by three separate parties, at as many different times, but always with more or less loss. Mr. Black commenced work on it, in 1871, by means of pumping, and continued to add pumps, engines and pumping machinery at intervals. At the time the mine was visited (June, 1874), there were in operation two steam pumps, and two large lift pumps, together with three boilers and two engines, one of them about thirty-horse power. The company then contemplated adding a large engine and machinery. It was estimated that about a thousand gallons of water per minute were being pumped from the mine, and, when the lower opening is reached, which is thought to be about fifteen feet deeper, it will become necessary to pump about fifteen hundred gallons per minute.

The mine is in the upper beds of the Galena limestone, which is here present in its full thickness, and, indeed, the first few feet of the shafts are sunk through the lowest bed of the Cincinnati group, as may be seen from the yellow clay with the characteristic shells, in any of the shallow prospecting holes in the vicinity.

The following section of the strata penetrated in sinking the pump-shaft, will give a cor- rect idea of the formations here represented :

CINCINNATI GROUP.

Feet.

Inches.

Soil and clay bed.

...

Pipe-clay

...

Bed of black clay.

...

Shaly layers

...

GALENA LIMESTONE.

Galena limestone, in thin layers.

...

to the bottom.

...

Opening, containing ore

...

Total depth of shaft

Galena limestone cap, in layers four feet thick, gradually increasing in thickness

The course of the vein is nearly east and west, and five shafts have been sunk upon it, the deepest of which has reached a point one hundred and five feet below the surface. The opening now presents the appearance of a series of large rooms or caves, from fifteen to twenty feet wide, and about fifteen feet high, for a distance of six hundred feet. The vein was crossed in several places by bars of hard rock, one of which was sixty-five feet in thickness. The bars always caused a decrease in the size of the opening, and sometimes nearly cut off the vein. In other places, the opening contracted in width, in which case the ore usually occurred in a solid sheet, sometimes as much as seven feet thick by seven and a half feet high. In the caves or larger parts of the opening, the ore was found in large masses, weighing sometimes several thousand pounds. Two large masses were found which weighed respectively fifty thousand and twenty- seven thousand pounds. With the ore large masses of rock were found mixed with loose dirt and a fine, dark clay.

358

HISTORY OF THE LEAD REGION.

The sides of the opening were much washed and worn by water, sh winig a very regular stratification, with no appearance whatever of faults or dislocations. Each of the caves in the opening had a chimney going down, apparently to a second opening, which has never yet been proved or worked.

The upper part of the opening was sometimes filled with a large key-rock, having a crev- ice in each side of it. Sometimes, however, the key-rock was replaced by a flat cap-rock con- taining crevices.

The appearance of these caverns, as we passed through them, was a sight not soon to be forgotten. On the floo . lay great misses of rock which had fallen from above, with clay. con- tinually moistened from the dripping walls and arching roo ; and, here and there, the feble light revealed rich masses of glittering ore.

Williams & Co .- This mining property is situated about three-quarters of a mile north- east of Black's Mine, and was operated by the proprietors, Messrs. Thomas and Jeremiah Williams and Mr. O'Connor. The water in this ground is not nearly so abundant as in other mines. It is easily removed with a common lift-pump, worked with a ten-horse-power engine; the amount seldom exceeds 250 gallons per minute. Mining has been confined to the upper half of the Galena limestone. The lower clay beds of the Cincinnati group are also found here, but there is not so great a thickness of them as at Black's Mine. The pump- shaft commences at the top of the Galena limestone, and is sunk to a depth of 106 feet, at which point the top of the second opening is found, after passing through the first opening, which is situated at a depth of forty-seven feet from the surface, and is probably identical with the first opening at Black's Mine, which it much resembles in its general appearance. The first opening here consists of a series of large caves or enlargements of the crevice, with chim- neys going down to the second opening.

The ore was found in masses, mixed with clay and large pieces of stone, which had appar- ently fallen from the roof or cap. The lead ore, from its greater specific gravity, usually occu- pies the lower part or floor of the opening. The course of the range is very nearly east and west, but bears a little north on its western end.

The length of drifts in the top opening amounts to about nine hundred feet. It is about worked out at the western end, but still continues good at the east. Several masses of lead ore were found in this opening weighing from fourteen to fifteen thousand pounds. A singular formation of ore was found in the top opening. The mine was discovered and opened in Febru- ary, 1872, and since then has probably been the most productive and remunerative mine in the district, on account of the comparatively small amount of water to contend with and the large amount of lead ores obtained, which has been estimated at two and a half million pounds. Work was suspended on this mine in the fall of 1875, and has not since been resumed.

Fairplay Level Co .- A company consisting of Messrs. Merry, Olinger, Rewell, Pier and Natte, having formed a stock company, with a capital of $50,000, have been engaged during the last eight years in running a level on land owned by George Siddell & Co. This level is commenced on the east half of the southwest quarter of Section 26, Township 1, Range 2 west, about three-quarters of a mile below the village of Fairplay. It has been run eastward a dis- tance of 2,200 feet, and thence sonth 70 feet, and has cost about $30,000.

One "shift" of three men is the usual number employed, and it is not expected that the level will be completed for many years. Its greatest depth below the surface is 140 feet, and forty-eight feet below the natural water level; one mile farther east it will drain about sixty feet below the present water level.

This level will unwater the whole of Section 25, and will cut the following ranges in the third opening : The Crabtree, Thompson, Engine, Carus, Bruce, Lost range, Franklin, Sew- ard and Cave range. The openings in these ranges are vertical ; they were formerly worked and abandoned with lead ore in them going below the water. When these ranges are unwatered they will undoubtedly be very productive.

359

HISTORY OF THE LEAD REGION.

In the vicinity of Fairplay, about fifty men find employment in mining during the winter ; in summer the mines are idle. The greater part of the lead ore raised in this district comes from the mines south of the village, and, exclusive of the two large mines previously described, has not exceeded 50,000 pounds per annum for the last six years.

HAZEL GREEN DISTRICT.

The Hazel Green District exhibits considerable activity at present in mining operations, and the reports of smelters in this vicinity show that a large amount of ore is raised here. Dur- ing the years 1872 and 1873, miners were attracted to other localities by the prospect of higher wages, which caused a temporary decrease in the production of lead ore; the mines, however, remained unimpaired. The miners have now returned, and the mines have regained their nor- mal productive condition.

The most remunerative and continuously productive portion of the district is the property of the Hazel Green Mining Company, otherwise known as Crawford, Mills & Co. It is situ- ated on the northwest quarter of Section 30, part of the southwest quarter of Section 30, part of the northeast quarter of Section 30, part of the southeast quarter of Section 19, the south- west quarter of Section 19, the northwest quarter of Section 19, the west half of the southwest quarter of Section 18, all in Township 1, Range 1 east ; also, the northeast quarter of Section 24, and the east half of the east half of Section 25, Township 1, Range 1 west, comprising in all 1,106 acres, on which over four hundred and fifty distinct mineral veins have been discovered and worked.

During the early days of mining these grounds were worked from the surface as deep as was then possible, which was only about thirty-five feet, when they had to be abandoned. Pumping was tried on some of the larger bodies of ore, but as a general thing was found to be too expensive to be very remunerative, on account of the vast amount of water which the ground contained. In the year 1862, Crawford, Mills & Co. commenced their level from a point on the Hard-Scrabble Branch, and have been working it continuously ever since. Its total com- pleted length is now about four thousand feet.

It is a feature of this ground that it is traversed by several bars or belts of ground which are very hard and impervious to water. As soon as the level is driven through one of them, it unwaters the ground in all directions to the next bar.

Some time in the year 1871, one of those bars was reached which was so hard that blasting with powder made but little impression on it. As an experiment, nitro glycerine was tried and gave the greatest satisfaction, so much, indeed, that a factory has been established here, and it is gradually being introduced into the mines. It is at present used in Dubuque, Galena, New Diggings and several other places. It was at first regarded with some dislike and distrust by the miners, but this prejudice is fast being overcome, and nitro-glycerine, or some of its com- pounds, will probably supplant gunpowder in the mines at no distant day. The factory at Hazel Green produced, during the first three years, about 3,000 pounds of nitro-glycerine, and the demand is steadily increasing.

Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.

History of Grant County, Wisconsin, Part 53

Author: Butterfield, Consul Willshire, 1824-1899 Publication date: 1881 Publisher: Chicago : Western Historical Co. Number of Pages: 1044

Author: Butterfield, Consul Willshire, 1824-1899
Publication date: 1881
Publisher: Chicago : Western Historical Co.
Number of Pages: 1044