68 Wisconsin and Missouri Lead Region. 
were found at two other localities to be described. By following 
this rotten vein, the true lodes will most likely be discovered, if 
such exist, as there is reason to believe is the case. The loose 
ore is now pretty much all worked out, and no vein of any im- 
portance taking to the rock has been discovered. No attempts to 
find one by sinking a shaft through the limestone near the gra- 
nite have been made, though there can be no doubt that the in- 
dications and the. suitable ground for metallic veins warrant the 
undertaking. The soil is wet, and from the broken character of 
the rocks, the water is likely to be tronblesome. The locality; 
however, is on a hillside at the head of a hollow, and. all the 
surface watermay-.be conducted down it. It faces north; on the 
west side is the red rock ridge, on the east is the limestone 
ridge ; and the little creek marks about the line of junction of 
the two rocks. . A similar little brook has been noticed me a sim- 
ilar position in the two other localities. - 
The furnace is about a mile from the diggings, ona alittle s stream 
called Shawnee’s Creek, which comes into-Jack’s Fork not far 
above its mouth. There the ore is all hauled, beaten up by hand 
and washed, the gravel and mud washed three or four times, and 
the workmen receive for it when clean $27 per thousand, gross 
weight. Some of them found it so profitable at that, as to pur-_ 
chase the right of digging of other workmen; one even agreed 
to pay $100 for the right to work only about a rod square. The 
furnace is about three feet-high inside and a foot square. It can 
run only about a week at atime before the whole inside must be 
pulled out and built up anew, there being no good stone for lin- 
ing a furnace iu the country. 
It. is several months since the furnace was in operation, and she 
workmen could give me little account of it. No. flux:is used 
except the old slag, which is beaten up and thrown in. The fine 
ore has not been smelted, owing to the blast biowing it all out. 
of the furnace. This is accumulating, and several tons are 
ready for. smelting, when a proper furnace shall have been con- 
structed. It is built of quartz rock and lined with the same, and 
was originally much larger and gradually diminished to its pres- 
ent internal capacity. A common overshot wheel, twelve feet in 
diameter, moves a large blacksmith’s bellows, and this is all the 
machinery about: the. furnace. ‘The a pine 
which may be obtaine ut 
1 bay io 
are 
2 ao ny ee S' 
