268 



TRANS. ST. LOUIS ACAD. SCIENCE. 



ridge between the Osage and Gasconade waters may be taken as 

 the eastern limit of this region, which Hmit separates it from the 

 Central Ore Region, just described. 



Means of Communication. — The principal medium of com- 

 munication of this Western Iron Region is at present the Osage 

 River, which is navigable from its mouth, near Osage City, to 

 Warsaw (Benton County), during the larger half of every year. 

 Freight steamers are now running regularly between Osage City 

 and Linn Creek (Camden County), and are soon expected to ex- 

 tend their trips as far as Warsaw. The southern parts of Cam- 

 den and Miller Counties are also accessible from the Atlantic and 

 Pacific Railroads, while the most northern parts of Cole and 

 Osage Counties are in contact with the Missouri Pacific Railroad 

 and with the Missouri River. 



A narrow-guage railroad has, besides, been planned for some 

 time, and is partially built, running from Jefferson City over Rus- 

 selville to Versailles (Morgan County), and thence to Warsaw 

 (Benton Count}'^). The idea of completing this railroad was 

 lately taken up once more by a company at Jefferson City, and it 

 may be hoped the plan will soon be carried out practically. This 

 would open not only the lead districts of Cole and Morgan, but 

 also the iron fields of Benton, Henr}', and St. Clair Counties, and 

 make them of easier access than heretofore. The nearest rail- 

 road to the last named districts is at present the Missouri, Kansas 

 and Texas R.R. 



Resources and their Development. — In the Lower Osage re- 

 gion, between Tuscumbia and Osage City, by far the greater part 

 of the iron ore seems to lie south of the Osage River. A few 

 banks are, however, known north of it in Cole and Noi'thern 

 Miller Counties. The western half of Osage County, situated 

 along the Osage River, is, as far as known at present, less rich 

 in iron ore than the eastern half, situated along the Gasconade 

 River. The richest known iron district on the Lower Osage is 

 in Southern Miller County, including a strip of Maries County 

 along its western boundary. About forty deposits are known at 

 present in this district. The ores are both limonites and specu- 

 lar, the former occurring more frequently within a few miles of 

 the river, while the specular ores are found in greater abundance 

 in the south-eastern corner of Miller County and in the adjacent 



