CRANE. | Developing Mineral Properties. 185 
drifts and workings at a lower level than those represented 
by solid lines. : 
Drifting and mining must be carried on more systematically 
in soft than in solid ground. Figures 12 and 13 show two 
methods of laying out the work underground. In figure 13, 
A, B, C, etc., are blocks of ground which may be wholly or 
partly removed, depending on the occurrence of the ore. A 
whole square may be removed by starting at one side and 
working parallel to the face, as shown in A; but supporting 
timbers, as sets or cribs, accompanied by lagging and ‘‘fure- 
poling,’’ must be resorted to. 
In the early history of mining in this district the leases 
were given in lots ranging from one hundred to two hundred 
and ten feet square. When operations were begun on a 
larger scale leases of five acres were common, but at the pres- 
ent time many of these leases have expired or have been 
forfeited and the ground is being leased to ‘‘hand-jig’”’ out- 
fits according to the former system, 7. e. one hundred to two 
hundred and ten foot lots. This method of leasing is becom- 
ing quite common again and is being closely adhered to in 
many properties, notably so in the Mastin diggings and with 
other properties, especially in the Galena portion of the Joplin 
district. 
Most of the ground thus far developed is hard. Occasion- 
ally soft, wet ground is encountered, when the running of 
drifts and even the extraction of ore is accomplished by the 
‘‘forepoling’’ process. 
A very small per cent. of the workable area in the district 
is soft, so that very little timbering is done outside of the 
shafts. As there is no regularity in the distribution of the 
soft areas, both hard and soft ground workings may be nec- 
essary in the same mine, thus requiring the employment of 
the two methods of exploitation, namely, ‘‘breast and under- 
hand stoping’’ and ‘‘forepoling.’’ 
DETAILS OF METHODS OF MINING. 
MINING IN Harp Grounpd.—The shaft is first sunk; that 
is, the soil and rock are removed from a space varying from 
three and one-half feet square to five and one-half by eight 
