52. Wisconsin and Missouri Lead Region. 
business, if conducted under the same circumstances that the 
average of them now are. 
It is evident, however, that the manner in which the business 
is conducted is far from being perfect—that great savings may be 
effected by means of sufficient capital to be drawn upon when 
required ; the miners being encouraged by it to keep up the sup- 
ply of ore, and the furnace thus enabled to keep in blast, while 
also the power is afforded of buying up quantities of ore when — 
it isatalow price. So lead itself may be advantageously bought 
sometimes of other smelters, or an advance made upon it in an- 
ticipation of its sale in the eastern market. 
[he possession of timber lands also would be no small saving 
in a district where wood is worth $5 per cord, as it is in the win- 
ter at Mineral Point, and where charcoal sells for the exorbitant 
price of twelve and a half cents per bushel, rie $3 
_ The item of hauling ‘may perhaps be somewhat diminished, 
but this is doubtful. The present method almost universally 
adopted is, to employ men who come with their own teams from 
Illinois and take loads from the furnaces to Galena, or, as is some- 
times done, to Milwaukie. From Mineral Point to Galena, the 
common price is twenty cents per hundred pounds, distance forty 
miles. They use oxen and do not stop at taverns. The oxen 
for about six montlis in the year, pick up grass enough on the 
prairies where they stop in the day or to camp at night. If a 
man used his own teams and higed drivers, they would require, 
besides their wages, board at taverns. Though I believed at the 
time I first considered the subject, that by purchasing mules in 
Missouri, where they can be bought for from $25 to $40 each, 
aud keeping one’s own teams, the cost of transportation might be 
much lessened, I now think that unless the business would cer- 
tainly keep them constantly employed, it wotld not be worth 
while to try the experiment, particularly should oats cost 37% cts. 
per bushel, as they did in the summer of. 1841, even after the 
harvest. Each working mule requires about twelve quarts a day; 
oxen-none.. Most of the smelters own several teamis of horses, 
which are generally used for hauling ore. . Mules no doubt might 
be ads antageously substituted for them. Big - 
» The freight from Galena to St. Louis vaties in price according 
fo the stage of the water. The charges. are from 15 ets. to 30 
ets. per 100 Ibs... ay. often. make it-ap.obj 
This difference m 
MRS to ee ° s 
loet th 
ve ores 
