30 GEOLOGICAL REPORT. 



LEAD. 



Lead is the great staple of the South-west. Some years ago, 

 I reported this one of the hest lead regions of the world. All 

 the subsequent developments have proved the accuracy of that 

 estimate of the mineral treasures of Jasper and Newton coun- 

 ties. Since that time many of the old localities have been 

 more fully developed with great success ; and various new 

 mines- have been explored with results, in some cases, still more 

 satisfactory. 



The mines on Spring river, on Turkey creek, and in Spur- 

 geon's prairie, still promise the most satisfactory returns ; while 

 at Granby, on the northern border of Oliver's prairie, the re- 

 sults have been truly wonderful. In the fall of 1854, there 

 was not a cabin on the site where Granby now stands with sev- 

 eral thousand inhabitants ; and only one shaft had been sunk 

 beneath the soil into the rich mineral veins, which are now 

 penetrated by thousands. Mining at Granby has been most 

 successful, as is evinced by the great number of miners and 

 smelters and merchants, who have there congregated in so 

 short a time, and so far away from the great thoroughfares of 

 travel, and by their contentment and satisfaction with the re- 

 sults of their labors. 



Explorations have also been very successful in showing the 

 existence of large quantities of lead in the northern part of 

 Taney county. There are indeed very flattering indications of 

 an abundance of this mineral in all parts of this county which 

 have been examined. 



Granby Mines. So much has been written of these famous 

 mines that it would seem useless to enter into any detailed de- 

 scription of them. The lead is found in somewhat regular 

 leads, or disseminated through the bed of chert, clay, sand and 

 limestone, partially cemented, which overlies the Mountain 

 Limestone. It also occurs in the crevices and cavities of the 

 limestone ; and is very frequently disseminated in greater or 

 less quantities through the regular crystalline beds of that rock. 



The Sulphuret of Lead or Galena is the most abundant ore 

 of that metal ; but the Carbonate is quite common in a few 

 localities, and the Sulphate is sometimes found. Vast quanti- 



