62 Wisconsin and Missouri Lead Region. 



the granite beneath. The bed containing the ore is about two 

 and a half feet average thickness ; it varies much, however, both 

 in thickness and in the relative quantity of ore, slate and clay. 

 It has been traced along the line of contact of the granite and 

 limestone in an east and west direction for about sixty yards, oc- 

 cupying about twenty yards in width, and always near the sur- 

 face ; the granite is on the south side, the hmestone on the north. 

 On the limestone side it has been followed some distance under 

 the rock, and fissures are here found going vertically down and 

 containing some ore in the loose clay that fills them, but their 

 contents are not yet well developed. Attention is paid only to 

 stripping the surface ores. Of these a large quantity was lying 

 in piles near the diggings and at the wash places ; estimated 

 amount in rough ore and " sludge," (ore that has been broken 

 and washed ready for the furnace,) about 200,000 pounds. But 

 as it is only a short time that the ores have been wrought, four 

 tons of copper is all that has been made from the whole mine, 

 one ton of which was from the ore of this place. Carbonate of 

 lead in white crystals accompanies this ore. 



Two blast furnaces are built on a little stream near by, to smelt 

 the ore, and connected with them are two of the common blast 

 lead furnaces, the whole forming a stack of four furnaces. The 

 water power is not constant, and for that reason they were not in 

 blast when I saw them. There is no good water power on the 

 whole tract. The furnaces are built of sandstone, which is found 

 of tolerable quality and in abundance for the purpose. Oak wood 

 is abundant, but the smelters pay seven cents a bushel for charcoal. 

 The water wheel, eighteen feet in diameter, turns a fan, which 

 keeps up a blast when the water is high, sufficient for the four fur- 

 naces. It is to be hoped that the explorations now going on will 

 throw some further light upon the character, not only of these 

 veins of copper ore, but through them upon all those contained in 

 the hmestone of this country. 



Another deposit of copper ore, nearer the centre of the tract, 

 is wrought by an English miner named Staley. The ore here 

 lies under a great depth of clay and soil, in the deepest place 

 about twenty four feet, A little scattering ore is found on going 

 down to the thick stratum at the bottom ; this the workmen say 

 rests on limestone. It varies in thickness, but does not exceed 

 eighteen inches ; having been uncovered over an extent of a few 



