.!(> DAY I ESS rnrXTY. 47 



almost entirely across the lead basin, and shall now leave it in the 

 Iowa bluff's. 



Five or six miles north of the New California diggings, the celebrated 

 Marsden lead may be found. The discovery and history of this great 

 mine was truly wonderful. Some light float mineral had been found in 

 shallow diggings. Thirteen or fourteen years ago, the proprietor of the 

 rough farm, which had been purchased by him for stock and dairy pur- 

 lea, had occasion to drive a stake intoa spring, and in so doing heavy 

 mineral was struck. Mr. Stephen Marsden was then the owner of the 

 farm. By ibllowirg up the cliscovery, he soon found himself the pos- 

 r of a fortune. A succession of openings in the rock, each deeper 

 than the other, were found to be filled with strong mineral. T 

 openings have been followed to the depth of about !"> teet. and I am in- 

 formed that nearly 7,000,000 pounds of excellent mineral have already 

 i taken out. Only about one acre of ground ha been worked over 

 in obtaining all this mineral; and the prosjects of other heavy bodies 

 of lead being found, both below the present level worked, and on other 

 parts of this farm, are said to be very promising. This farm and mine 

 has recently been sold by Mr. Marsden to an eastern gentleman, and a 

 company organized to work this mine on the most approved and ex- 

 tensive plan. 



This range is celebrated not only for the amount, but for the variety 

 and beauty of its mineral deposits. Large cubes and diamond-shaped 

 masses of lead ore have been found here, perfectly coated with a beau- 

 tiful covering of iron pyrites. Galena, blackjack, spar, and iron pyrites 

 are found in wonderful combinations, furnishing the linest cabinet spe- 

 cimens found any where in the lead region. 



The Marsden lead, the New California diggings, the Auibruster vV < >. 

 lode, recently discovered, and most of the mineral found along the wes- 

 tern limits of the lead field in this county, have certain resemblai 

 both in the character of the lead ore and its associated minerals, not 



ved in the mines in the eastern part of the county. 

 The next important group of ranges to be noticed, is within and im- 

 mediately around the city of Galena. The following are the names by 

 which some of these ranges are known. There are many others whose 

 local designations are not now accessible. Some of these are not now 

 worked. They are mostly comparatively shallow diggings : Buck, 

 Doe. Harris Leads, Kringle. Gafther, Hog Range, Tomliii & Burrich- 

 ter, Fry singer. < 'roinbacker, Tomlin, Evans & Adams. A C. Davis, 

 Ambruster S: Co.. Ottawa Diggings. Drum, Kai i lenuenger & ' 



Graves. Comstock A: - er. Wallon & Quirk. Sander- >Iul- 



dore. Bolton. Stephen Marsden. Allenrath, Eagan, J. E. Comstock. i } . 

 Smith & Co.. Hotter . Allendorf & Co., Tom Evans. 



