MISSO URl AND SO UTH-EAST KANSAS. 391 



about three miles from the Short Creek mines, and may be regarded as a fair 

 representation of the condition and position of the lead and zinc ores io both 

 localities. 



The only general conclusions to be derived from a study of these mining 

 regions seem to be that digging in bottom lands for "float mineral" is a very 

 uncei'tain thing ; that sinking shafts into or below the bed-rock limestone 

 is useless; and that the principal ore-bearing stratum is composed of chert, 

 clay and sand, the metamorphic conglomerate mixture of chert and limestone 

 &nd the alternate layers of chert and limestone, all of which are usually im- 

 mediately above the solid bed-rock limestone formation. 



The city of Joplin, Mo., is well built, healthful and contains a population 

 of about 8,000 people, whose support comes i)rincipally from the lead and 

 zinc industry. 



The towns of Galena and Empire City, rival places on opposite sides of 

 Short Creek, in Kansas, have, within a few months, attained a population of 

 some two thousand or three thousand people, and fare growing rapidly. 

 Among the best mines in these diggings are the "Labette," Eobinson & Co., 

 on the lands of the South Side Mining Co. ; the "Blackwell" shaft, Blackwell 

 & Co., on the Empire lands, north side of Short Creek; the "Discovery" 

 shaft, McPherson & Co., on Empire lands, south side of Short Creek ; Harper 

 & Co. shaft, one of the best paying on Short Creek ; "McBratney & Mitchell", 

 shaft, S. S. Mining Co. ; and the "Nevada," Cummings & Co.. all of which 

 are located on the bottom lands, except that of McBratney & Mitchell and 

 the "Nevada." 



The amount of lead taken out of Joplin annually amounts to many mil- 

 lions of pounds, while even at Short Creek it reaches from 200,000 to 300,000 

 pounds weekly. At the latter place great activity exists, hundreds of shafts 

 having been sunk on both sides of the Creek, and above and below Galena 

 and Empire for several miles, while prospecting is progressing energetically 

 in every direction. At the Bonanza diggings a smelter is in full operation, 

 while another is nearly finished just below Galena. Large amounts of min- 

 eral are being taken out at various points, both on the uplands and in the 

 bottoms. Last week Mr. Cummings struck a rich vein of Galena, said to be 

 from six to eight leet thick, in the "Nevada" mine, South side diggings, and 

 took out about 2500 pounds in one day. Several other good strikes were 

 made about the same time, near the same locality, and if these "finds" indi- 

 cate anything, it is that the diggings in the direction of Joplin are the most 

 promising. This idea has gained ground rapidly, and has greatly stimu- 

 lated work in that direction of late, and also on Shoal Creek. 



Other mining camps are being settled in the vicinity of those already 

 described, at Webb City and other localities, and the zinc works at Cherokee, 

 Kansas, are being remodeled and enlarged, by gentlemen of abundant means 

 and enterprising dispositions, and it is believed that but a few years will 

 elapse before the region of South-west Missouri and South-eastern Kansas 

 will be the centre of a vast manufacturing interest and furnish homes for 

 hundreds of thousands of busy and thrifty artisans, laborers and farmers. 



