732 GEOLOGY AND TOPOGRAPHY OF THE LEAD REGION. 



duces lead ore to the amount of about 30,000 pounds per annum. Four years ago its 

 annual product was 200,000 pounds. 



Porter's Grove Diggings. 



These mines are situated in town 6, range 4 east. At present the following mines are 

 in operation: 



Union Mine, AVm. Hendy & Co. Situated on the N. E. qr. of the N. E. qr. of Sec. 

 28. The ore produced is lead, and in tumbling openings, at a depth of 70 feet and on 

 the upper surface of the green rock. From two to five men are employed. The min e 

 is drained by a level one-quarter of a mile long. 



Ridgeway Mine, Win. Hendy & Co. Situated on the S. E. qr. of the S. E. qr. of 

 Sec. 21. This mine is owned and operated by the same parties as the preceding, and 

 is on the same range, which is known as the north and south branch lot. From two to 

 four men are employed. It is also drained by a level a quarter of a mile long. The 

 mode of occurrence of the ore is also the same. The present owners commenced opera- 

 ting them in 1872; since then the product of lead ore is as follows: 



Union Ridgrway 



Mine. Mine. 



1872 300,000 fts. 44,000 &s. 



1873 35,000 " 44,000 " 



1874 16,000 " 63,000 " 



1875 38,000 " 44,000 " 



1876 to Oct. 1st , 22,000 " 17,000 " 



Frank, Farwell & Co. S. E. qr. of N. E. qr. of Sec. 28. These parties commenced 

 working on the Wakefield range in Oct., 1875. Previous to that time it had not been 

 worked for twenty years. Most of the workings are at a depth of 35 feet below the sur- 

 face, although some are as deep as 60 feet. The work is chiefly removing pillars of lead 

 ore -which have been left from former operations. The product from Oct., 1875, to Oct., 

 1876, has been 14,000 Bbs. 



Other parties mining in this vicinity are John and Thomas Paull, of Ridgeway, pro- 

 ducing lead ore. 



Van Meter's Survey. 



On the N. hf. of the N. E. qr. of Sec. 18, T. 5, R. 3 E., are three very large ranges 

 which have not to our knowledge been reported. Their general course is N. W. and S. 

 E., and they are crossed by numerous north and south crevices. It is at these cross-ings 

 that the largest bodies of ore are found. The ore is galenite, and is entirely free from 

 any mixture of zinc ores. It is found in the green-rock opening. 



The northernmost of the three ranges, known as the Duke Smith, contained an open- 

 ing in places 50 feet wide, somewhat intersected with bars. It was worked over a quar- 

 ter of a mile in length, and produced about half a million pounds of lead ore. It has 

 not been worked since 1853. 



A short distance south of this is a parallel range which produced over 200yOOO ft>s. in 

 a distance of about 100 feet. The opening was about 30 feet wide. 



The third parallel range, 300 feet south of the Duke Smith range, has been worked 

 since the winter of 1873-4, by Mr. John Hutchinson of Mineral Point. The lead ore 

 occurs in large pockets containing crystalline pieces of from one to five hundred pounds 

 weight. The opening is in the green rock and is from ten to twelve feet high. This 

 range has been the least worked of all, but formerly produced about 100,000 pounds. 

 It now yields ore of the value of $5 per day when worked. None of the ranges have been 

 worked to any great depth, and all were abandoned with ore going down in the cre- 

 vices. The gradual diminution of water in the country has now made it possible to re- 

 sume work. 



