54 Wisconsm and Missouri Lead Region. 



fore would pay for a great part of the whole expense. The price 

 for hauling store goods and pine lumber to Janesville, on Rock 

 river, is 50 cents per cwt., equal to f 20 per load of two tons. 

 When it is remembered that all the pine used in the southern 

 part of Wisconsin and northern part of Illinois in the neighbor- 

 hood of Rock river, must be brought in from the lake, and that 

 this is the best route ; and when also the rapid increase of that 

 miost favored district, the Rock river country, is remembered, 

 confidence may be felt that a line of teams would be almost sup- 

 ported by the back loads ; and to secure one always, it might be 

 an object to the owners to have a depot for, lumber at Janesville. 

 Pine boards are worth at Racine from $10 to ,^15 per thousand 

 feet, or when carried to Rock river they sell for $25, For about 

 two months in the spring and fall seasons, no hauling could be 

 done for bad roads, and perhaps for two months more in the year 

 thirty cwt. would make a load. 



By inquiries made of those navigating the lakes, masters of 

 steamboats and schooners, it is found that in common times, when 

 the supply of wheat to be carried east is not in excess, they would 

 contract to take lead to Buffalo and forward it by the canal to 

 New York for $12 per ton — nearly 54 cts. per hundred pounds. 

 That from Mineral Point to New York, was to Galena 20 cts., to 

 New York $1 25 = $1 45 per hundred pounds. This leaves 91 

 cts. per hundred pounds, or ,f 20 38 per ton for the expenses to 

 the lake, to make the amount of transportation equal to that by 

 the way of New Orleans ; but the estimated expense was $21 75. 

 The difference and a large balance for any under estimate of the 

 expense from the lake to New York, would be supplied by the 

 back loads. 



This subject is entitled to the more serious consideration, from 

 the fact that the lead now used throughout the whole country 

 bordering on the great lakes as well as in New York state, is 

 carried from the mines near the Mississippi river to New Orleans, 

 thence to New York, and by the canal to the lakes, thus making 

 a circuit of nearly the whole Union. To supply shot alone im- 

 mediately to this vast region, thus saving the expense it runs up 

 for transportation, would seem to be a good business. Loads of 

 it are occasionally now taken from the tower at Helena, on the 

 Wisconsin river, across the country to Milwaukie, but more finds 

 its way back to the territory, even after making the long tour to 

 the south and east. 



