The Platteville Journal and Grant County News from Platteville, Wisconsin • 1

PLATTEVILLE; WISCONSIN, Volume is.r-jSir -f Pioneers oCPlatteviHe. -a 'V Underwc od of Kan h'i 'Cityl Wereu frcm with Liezrecvuscallj i "cestcka of 5 running bjr'the middle of thfxaattr wvJiyl" The rude; 'aid crude tnrk 'awry Tnnnor. tmt able and Will- rude BNi fau cf car i wiieau mug The shaft is down sixty-fire feet, and (sunk west of the fisting shaft is now hej are placing a hoisting and psp- down about 90 feei The suction fan ing tfi and 23Lp 1 and motor giro the best of satisfaction P. EL' pevenport and 73. J.

Haffordland thAdrill hole east ofthe hoisting of Chicago. are installing elec trio shaft. 1 drills at the GrnnoWmine. ML Es-1 tabroo Strand others of Sionx Falls, S. leased the Bailey, Snyder, and Martin Hayden propertjwest of I jfcown, The Galena Iron works received a car lbadofIngersoll-Sergeant pressors and drills.

One of these compressors will be taken to the Dali mine at ohcS, and another to. the together.with a number, of air drills toWach place. The 1850 pound slab pf zino ore, from the Snnsei mine which is now ohjexhibition on the main thoroughfare in our city Will be presented the; State University of Wisconsin. This fs certainly, one of. this finest specimens of, zinc ore ever raised ip this district j-'r 7 Finney.

Pat ch. They expect )o start drillihfg this week. The Empire Mining company1, in order to protect themselves from speculator have Signed "an agreement that they will hot sell their stock in EmpTro mine wihont first subihit: ting it to the president of the rcmi-9any at the price, they have been offered; and giving the company a reasonable time to dispose of same among heir Roaster. At the Annual, meeting of the Hi- wing to the. great delay in getting hernia Lead andZino company, the owltat 8,000 rfirek ta ld at MrTWgo ble.to tort the Urge ammmtofthi.

been taken. The ore in thJ. ntnel ima.ha fo'lndl -e klta dereloped in aa j' ji a tcJto a far' greater success than was an-getting every thiy. A stnkelo -j y. This roaster.

was made last week whioh ie.a new isj different SKClOtl llv attending a common school daring the winter months. In 1824 young Rountree mnvecL to Hillsboro, ML, where an hlder brother, Hont Hiram Roan tree had previously emigrated, and there had become a successful man of affainC Soon after his arriving in Hillshoro John H. was appointed-deputy sheriff of Montgomery county, III, in that capacity serving until' He attained his majority; when he was elected sheriff, an office he held until he resigned t9 emigrate to the lead mines of in May 182T During th name year; (1826) he was commissioned Major oI Illinois inili-tia and thereafter until his deatn bore' the title "Major Rountree. SV His adt vent, to May 24, 1S27 at or near New Diggings, now in Lafay- (tte county Here he engaged in nltory mining, making occasional prospecting trips Meekers Grove, 3trawberry and Lebanon (now Platteville) diggings. Daring the autumn of 1.827 Emanuel Metcalf, a trapper, who followed the streams leading into the Mississippi, 'found 'where a badger in burrowing, -had thrown cat much gravel mixed with float lead, this was atthe east end of what is now known as Rountree level near the Northwestern depot Metcalf jumped the badger's claim and -began mining.

Rountree and his a Scotch- man named Campbell' hearing of Met- calf's discovery, dossed the trackless prairie from New Diggings and bought the Metcalf claim. This proved to be very rioh In lead, yielding in one yar over. thirty, thousand dollars at a time when the mineral was only worth ten dollars perthous- and. Rountree thereupon became, a permanent settler, and the pioneer of the city of Platteville. There was no smelting furnace in the an enormous pile of mineral had been piled on the ground Rountree -and Campbell daring tho spring 'of 1828 built a logfurnacej SOOyards southeast of his residence about midway to.

the Virgin mill site. Here, was produced the first merchantable product of the rich mines of Platteville. rt than the 'style used in our 'zino. district, in that it is revolving table instead: of a cylinder and the new kiln's advantages over old style thing' in this district. It.

consisted of the findihgf of a heavy sheet-' of both lead and jack below the glass rock, Whioh is first i discovery of Linden glass rook in.thft 1 locality. This ore was- foundat the south side of the Tange. On the north side the ore is in heavy sheets going up into the gray rook, above for this the blue rookL The utlook This piece of ore was taken from the, Sunset and; weighs 1,350 i). It is the largest piece of sheet ore jever raised i the i t. ere is sheet pf this ore eighty feet-la north and south; with live, sheets above it and one below.

From all appearances this mine will soon be one "of the largest dividend pavers in the districts r. Su jscribers'for Sunset stock must have, their subscription paid up in fall not later than July ingfi) work for rnrvpvaiiuui -u their pehonal collective interests. Southwest, Wisconsin' embracing the so-called mineral region, was fortunate in faring for its early pioneers, a larger percentage of men of more than ordinary. ability --than usually falls to the lot of a frontier community, many, of them having the advantages of education and the refinement of cultured "citizenship. Doubtless the cause.

the" influx of so many men of this type, the fabulous reports of the mineral wealth to be fcandin 4 40 this region. Again, th hundreds at miles unsettled' country "to cross, barred- for a tizue the-plodding slow thinkers from undertaking-the some-, what perilous jorrrneyr5 The great lakes -ainl. the Ohjo and. Mississippi rivers Pere for many years the' only routes of travel hence-- the eayly Settlers were generally from, the border lands' of these- waters. Referring again tb the type, of men who comprised our early settlers; men.who sq largely shaped events and whd subsequently" had much to do in making history, both for the community and the state, I will relate an incident as told to me by- Maj.

II." Rountree a few months death, He mentioned a celebration held in July 4, 1843. this meet ing an audience comprising from 800 to 400 men, women and children, could be seen Oeow W. Jones the first member of congress from Wisconsin Territory, and afterwards for twelve years United States senator from Charles Dunn the. then chief justice pf onr supreme oourt Nelson Dewey subsequently the first govern or of the state; Orsamus after wards member of congress and for many years chief -justice of the Supreme court Ben O. Eastman and J.

Allen Barber, botli subsequenly mem bers of congress Charles Gear fatli er of a future governor and Senator from Iowa; J. R.J7ineyard;.a legislator; both in 'Wisconsin find. Calif or nia a futurelegis la-tor and regent of Normal schools Rev. Dr. Samuel Mitchell pioneer Methodist Minister; of the first stone house in Platteville, now oocfu-pied'- by his desndniits Rev.

Bi Eavanaugh preacher in Platteville, and after wards -during, the Civil -war chaplain of a Texas rebel regiment S. Paine lawyer and afterwards county. Judge Frederick Hollman; Sylvester Gridley Bayley; Samuel Moore last Major J. H. lountree himself and.

for many years most distinguished and prominent citizen of Platteville. I have at hand mnoh data" relating to theperaonal history of many of the men i named, together with the por-raits of most of them. It my purpose to write biographical sketchesof ihose of whom I have data and ma-eriaL The object Is to; preserve she memory of our 'pioneer citizens in a mine' is better than it ever has been We hope to give more cpmplete report regarding this 'mine, in next week's issue NEWS OFl THE MINES. i Mining News iOitVthcT PiattevIHe. Wisconsin Lead and ZInc ft v.L.- District.

JUI-V Blank mining leases for sale; at this offioe. -t J. H. Webb buys and sells all kinds of lead and zinc in district? lS-tL 1 f. Madigon parties have purchased the Joe ick son rne? Mr.Dickson retains an Interest in the mine.

The cuttings jin the- drills holeat The LaFoliette Livingston is marketing good ore. AV W.y HLHiekey of Mil waukee the olty-ln he Interest of mirsj. Call and see EL ebbbeforii you. buy orVseUr your': mining stock, k- 1 There been axwo-foot sheet of jaok found at the bottom of theEnter- The CUmax mining company, located on the Preston adjoining the Powder mill will drii ling atohcAX: The Big. Mining companyls figuring on buying a drill to prospeot with; pn the Gollmar place west town on tlie Potosl -a- ,1:.

'v? Dessuer of Chicago, waa in this oity the first of the week look in over 'the minea He is Aheavy stockholder, in the Greafc Northern. Frank Stover and wife of Chica-go arein tho city or a- few days. Alr Stover is "Interested in. some of the mines of the Platteville Lead and Zin Wdl strfcty Jeff Crawf oid tf Hazel Green, G. VJeffries andf GG of.

Janesville were among: those who Vi if a -i 0 v. XT i 4 i i i i i .1 -I 1 4 the Enreka are -fine, and heavy with' sulphur and tiff '-at a 5 depth of 125 feet. One share in -the t'mine was sold last Week for-? 00L There are but ionrteen shares in this Drilling been started jat Slaok mine, on the Dr, Parmley farm near Mifflin, i in order toproveJ the ground mora thoroughly are numerated 7 1. Weight, of moving parts of old style 40,000 lbs. Weight j)f new style 8,000 lbs, (So much less power need ed.) c.vX-V' 2.X-Ore will roasted in eight minutes as against two and- a half hours a point of great importance as the operator will bet in' closer touch with his -treatment at all timea -Ex- In spite of the 4 many untrue stories the ofels not coming just beingv: circulated i in regard -to the right.

we wish tc change the feed or Platte Zino -Mining companys prop- fire OT air we gee the resnlts of such erty north of this city, the mine keeps a change jn eight minutes, whereas stmdily growing larger and the stook- the old style we have to wait holders are more pleased with $wo one half hours to fee what the showing of ore aif each block of work is finished. More 140 feet ore will not be ground up of tunneling has been done within the t6 dust as in the old style as it'ts only last month, the east and west tunnels jyed for the eight minutes andvthen both having readied the pitch and I dnlyonce in' each minute -as against been connected with each other. The a constant grinding in the style sheet. of ore exposed by this jconnec- for two and a hall1? hours The old tion is about eighteen inches in thick- kiin.iiVptilA'laai mill in nete and- is At a depth of l45 feet, I this respectr This will do away with leaving forty-feet height, of the tjje enormous quantities of dust en-vein exposed to all who care to look countered heretofore and will prevent at ranging from a few inches the loi of zino through" rich dust at the top where first struok. to three I being camed out the smoke stack feet thick in Great; natural AThe fire the Trego kiln openings extend on both sides of the I jgijot contracted at as in the old show eryHCavy ore at all gtylo as there is no sinall neck to pUyes where the -pitch has-been ex-1 enter and the bridge wall opening is posed at all The mill is now (carried the full width, of the grates ning and will thoroughly ad nsted I directly into the kiln we thusobtain in a.few; more shifta This oompany (the fill effertlof the ooal withno is -fortunate in securing of the I Hg to heat wastef ully, and a oonL new.

Trego the start as I gquent saving of coal. thcivore will be fairly heavy in iron, increase in capaci ty hut one-half-the space Ten holes: havq: been drilled and I and therefore saves Jnthe building. work, started7 on theeleventh at the 7. Better assays on the ore Elar-Piquett mine on-the Elar Bros. 8.4-No expensive parts- subject tb farm isthree andone-half 1 wear and hence -a; saving.in rexainL miles sontoWest of Plattevilie, and I (A big item inToasting plants.

three-quarters bf aznile due easfeof I moat important item and the Rose1 mine, which is a bia div the least thought of is. the perfect idend payer. The lease covers 200 1 oontrol of the supply of all the neoes-acrea In the first' six boles no jack irazy elements for the proper chemical was found, but heavy sulphur. Ini reaction 'wanted the seventh hole the drillers went j. ore can at all times be through three feet of good lead 1 watched it Is being roasted a The 'drill, was then moved, thirty-two (feat impossible with the old.

eyle. feet southand went through the The above are among the few items same 6trata of Then the drill I of benefit wbich have been explained "moved; forty-three feeVnorth of I to uxbyMf, he assures ui the first hole where lead was struck I that there and jack was found at a depth of sv- This is bound7 to be bf un-enty-five feet, from seventy-five to I told benefit tothls zinc district where eighty-seven feet good fair cuttings our ores are heavy in iron and where of jack were found and from eighty-1 we axe striving constantly to better seven to a hundred and two feet the (the qualityof four products to ooin-riohest drillings probably fever taken (pete with the purs' ores from the Jop-out of af" drill hofe in this district lin diitricts, and any improvement were The drill was then in our machinery and treatment moved'; about feet' north (should be bailed with appreciation by and' eighty feet west, on eight feet (the operators of our' own field, higher ground where jack was-struck IWfr. Trego has' also xnade' efforts and at about eighty-one feet. From has been successful in improving onr eighty-onb feet? to about ninety feet millar He the addition to the same cuttingsr i fbundablzu the JBmpiib mill which is saving them the previous drill hrol frofii ninety? neighborLood of two tons of bneto nihety-sevenfeetztilij-richer I jaek.per.day 5vliichthey were losing cuttings than.In-number three drill before the addition was built were in four. oity the past Week on order that afnture historian may A arrange the faots in a moreattractiye form; XXTCBSXLL KEV.

DR. rmrmr. fTl, rj -jt-H 4' So. i -1 fa' mining Interests. The New Jerser, Zino oQmpacny has leased some Of; the J.

P.iRundell land afc-sLlvingstan. A11- unu sual thing occurs 'on this land for its the. presence of two artesian TheGruno mine? of Mifflin is shipping on ran' average of from 125 to 140 tonl a month. It has been rumored that his minV- has been sdld.for $100, 000.00, but'we are unable at this writing tp confirm the; reports The drillers at joe finished their; flint bole on the NeU Rioe Saturday, and started the second one Monday This hole is about forty f. feet south of the old lead range running along Lancaster Thq- Mineralpoint company has nearly completed their improve ments started this spring.

com pony, received over one tons of" Wisconsin fores "last week. Mr. Smith, superintendent of the company; reports all xino products are lit large' demand this The 8unrise mine At Rewey has declared a dividend a' little better than five per There was. some time ago an "assessment 'made of 15 per -They sn now; paying' back one-third of this assessment and get ting into shape to declare a dividend every month In time this" promises to-be of the beat, mines in this j''': section. 1 pWaa.

Gruno i in he city purchasing cars and traokor his mihe. Maj. Roontree was married Aug. 1828 in Galena, III, to Mary Grace. Mitchell daughter of Rev, Samuel 1 Mitchell then a resident of that city.

His honeymoon trip was made the next day. to his log cabin which then stood' near, the site of his later brick mansion. Mrs. Rountree died in 1837. On Sept 3, 1830, he was again mar rid to.

Lydia H. Sorxthworth of Clin-, ton. New Tork, at the time: a member of thefamily of her- nnole Sylvester Gridley, leading merchant of Platte villA Mrs. Ic H. Rountree after a pleasant and happy companion-' ship of over forty years died Jnne 16, 1881 j- It; would require a volume to re- count tlfe jleeds and activities of Maj.

-J Rountree's sixty-three years' residence in Platteville. This is an impossibil-I itv.ifl a brief newspaper article. The nderons positions of 'trust held by himsXre the best qvidenoe of his high standing among his neighbors and fel The Bonthwestern Mining company, near. Calamine have" had a Utile hard look, in that tieir drillas been stuok for a short are taking out a great deal of ore from 'the shaft -A great mining company has sprung from: the unpretentious Roosevelt, near Cuba. A re-organization took plape last week, and new officers were elected, people are heavy, inreitors ln this i ifohn Matthe of Denyer has leased ground.

in Georgetown for is the Cabahis place and from this land in1 the early large deposits of lead were taken. Work'-will begin inside of ninety The Northwestern Mining company started to Bink a shaft on the Barnes land 'hear -the camp ground. It is being sunk hear the drill hole where good lead was struck, at a depth of 44 feet. Another drill hole was also started on Mondays has been 60,000 pounds of jack taken hut of the Sunset mine during the last two weeks in chunks weighing from five L. to 1,500 ponnda This work has been done by five men with hand dning.

This mine Will be a large dividend payor as soon as the mill is. erected. V'i Benton Adfooate Anew mining company rahorganized Friday, and will oommence operations on the G. A. Smyth farm two miles south of Benton, It will be called, the Bunker Bill Mining company.

The company is compoad" of people. They will commence work next week. Jna Pitts, Jno. Klebenstein, and Wonn are jprospeotlng John' Clarefarm, about a qnarter of a mile east of the Elar-Piquett mine. The shaft is now down "about thirty feet and a two foot of sulphur with' sprinklings of jiack and 'lead was foind pitching into the hflL I Disinterested parties who have inves't igated this, it to be a brjghi proenebt 'wm jonx ROUNTREE.

Ji (wits 70 old, from Stf Engraving.) ry, Adjourned School. Meeting, Notice is hereby given that a meet ing of the qualified electors of joint school district No. 4 -of the city This being the centennial year, ef jow citizens. In 1829 he was appeint- Maj. Rountree birth, and last Week at' PlatteVille, (up to being thofifteenth anniversary of hisithedjlta ofbU commission this local- death, it seemsAipropriate that a brief I known as Lebanon) and was biographical sketch of the life of timei In 7829 he Plattevllles most distinguished pio-1 was appointed jnstioe of the pesas for neer should be related at this time, in I jowa county, Michigan Territory, of order that the city Jib founded and Rs vvictv Wisconsin then formed a xrl citizens whom he loved, should tp re-1 1SS3 he raised a company of mount; ed volunteers to during the minded of him and of the work he hole'and at ninty-seven feet the drill: went' into" open groonr -they took outwith the sludge bucket some very rich cuttings of jack with rock ahci jack attaohed in sheet formation.

From this to 107 feet very rich drill- which is four miles east tf Rewey town of Platt eTille will beheld atthe ings of jack were foond and the clay city, halt lu said district on the 10th bedwas The drill is nowj day ef at 7 0 o'clock in and two miles southeast of Miffiin bn the R. Willis farm. Mn Grnusw tells us themine looks very 'favomble, andpresenfcs good showinW; of-, both lead, and jack. 5he shaft is down about eleven feetand ore was found five feetfrom thesurface.The tun-nel ls no heing run iuto the hilL A Black' Hawk. of which he was appointed captain.

In 1834 he was apponted by governor of Mich- did during his active and busy John Hawkins was in Warren county, March 24, 1805. His great gnfadfather, Randell Rountree emigrated from Ireland, in am nr. the', afternoon, pursuant to menl XX I- "Dated this Srddayofjuly, 1905: Philip Fden Clerk. -7 i- moved north about thirty feet and one hundred feet west. After making these rich 'stock jumped prices and the owners are refusing 2,000.00 a share.

Continued bit eighitf-fagi i -i-V--. rf .3. n-N Th. 7 5 0 V- 'V. i i -1 v-; i.