Mining Terminology

8 o'clock, 10 o'clock, etc: Ranges whose course bears toward the sun at those hours of the day.

Bar: Denotes a band or belt of very hard and unproductive rock, crossing the crevices and sheets. In crossing a bar, all sheets come less productive and are sometimes entirely lost, the crevices usually dwindling to mere seams. Their width varies from a few feet to many yards. Wash dirt: This is the name give to the small ore, as it first comes from the mine, mixed with small pieces of rock and clay.

Boundaries and Area: In Wisconsin, the lead region may be said to be bounded on the north by the northern outcrop of the Galena limestone, running parallel to the main water-shed from the Mississippi to the Blue Mounds; on the west by the Mississippi River, on the south by the state line; one the east by the Sugar River. These includes an area which is about 1,776 square miles.

Brown Rock: One of the terms used by miners to designate the different strata in which they work.

Chimneys: These are irregular shaped vertical holes found in crevices; sometimes connecting openings, and at others extending from the surface of the ground to some particular stratum of rock. Sheet: This is a term usually employed to designate a solid body of ore, exclusice of other minerals, which may fill a crevice or opening. A sheet is said to "pitch" when it inclines considerably from the perpendicular.

Crevice: This term denotes a fissure in the rock, vertical or nearly so, but a few inches in width, of indefinite length, which may or may not be filled with ores or minerals. When a crevice becomes very small, less than an inch in width, it is called a seam.

Drift: An underground gallery or roadway.

Glass Rock: Indiscrimately applied to all the strata in the bluff, blue and Galena limestones.

Gouge: This is the soft rock or clay frequently found between the sheet and adjacent wall-rock.

Lode or Lead: Words usually substituted for vein; they are, however, generally applied to ore deposits found either in crevices or openings.

Openings: They are two kinds, vertical and horizontal. Vertical openings are known as crevice openings, which are mere enlargements of the crevice in certain parts, these being sometimes co-extensive with the vein in length, and sometimes mere local enlargements. There are in the same crevice frequently several openings, situated one above the other, separated by beds of unproductive rock. Crevices vary in width from one to several feet. When very wide and high, they are sometimes called tumbling openings. Horizontal openings are large, irregular spaces between the strata, which contain the lode. Such openings are usually from one to four feet high, and are frequently superimposed upon one another, separated by an unproductive rock, called a "cap". The cap of one opening being frequently the "floor" of the one above it. Pockets: Pockets are small irregular cavities in the strata, in which ore is frequently obtained.

Pipe Clay: A light-colored plastic clay, frequently found in the openings and crevices. Drift: An underground gallery or roadway.

Pockets: Small irregular cavities in the strata, in which ore is frequently obtained.

Range: This is probably the most indefinite term in use, and, at the same time, one which is universally applied. First: A range denotes a single, or several, parallel crevices, containing useful ores or minerals; vertical, or approximately so; seldom more than a few yards apart; sometimes, but not necessarily, connected by quartering crevices. Its length may vary from a few hundred feet to a quarter of a mile or more; in short, so far as the crevice or crevices have been connectedly traced, or there is a reasonable probability of such connection. Thus, different parts of the same range often have different names given them before the connection between them is proved. Second: The term range is also applied to hortizontal bodies of ore, of which there may be one, or several, superimposed upon one another; sometimes, but not necessarily, separated by unproductive layers of rock, limited in length in the same way as a vertical range.

Sheets: This is a term usually employed to designate a solid body of ore, exclusive of other minerals, which may fill a crevice or opening. A sheet is said to "pitch" when it inclines considerably from the perpendicular.

Swither: A metalliferous crevice, making an angle with the principal vein or lode; sometimes called a quartering crevice. 8 o'clock, 10 o'clock, etc: Ranges whose course bears toward the sun at those hours of the day.

Vein: This term is little used. It denotes the filling of ore and accompanying minerals, or either found in a crevice. Lode or Lead: Words generally substituted for vein; they are, however, generally applied to ore deposits found either in crevices or openings.

Wash Dirt: The name given to the small ore, as it first comes from the mine, mixed with small pieces of rock and clay.

Mineral Types in the Lead Mining Region of Iowa County

Anglesite: Traces of this mineral are reported as occuring in some of the mining districts. It probably originates from the decomposition of galenite.

Azurite: It occurs similar to malachite, massive and in seams, associated with chalcopyrite. The Mineral Point mines afford very beautiful specimens of small rhombohedral crystals of dark-blue color.

Barite: It occurs usually white and massive, but sometimes in lamellar and crested forms. The only place where it was found in distinct crystals was in the railroad cut as Scales Mound where it occurs in small cavities, as small but very perfect transparent crystals, associated with dolomite and pyrite. It is not a very abundant material, but is found in several of the mining districts, especially Dodgeville and Mineral Point.

Bornite: Bariegated or purple copper ore. This is a quite rare mineral. A few pieces have been found in the copper diggings near Mineral Point.

Calamine: This mineral is of very rare occurence in the lead region. It is found in small, drusy crystals; coating, Smithsonite. The crystals are very brittle, colorless and have a vitrious luster. It is found near Mineral Point.

Calcite: This is a vein-mineral, common to all the deposits of ore, whether in crevices or openings. It occurs crystallized in modified rhombohedrons and scalinohedrons. The variety known as Dog-tooth-spar is a very frequent form, especially in the Shullsburg and Linden districts. The Mineral Point district affords handsome rhombohedrons and the Linden mine affords handsome twin crystals of calcite set in sphalerite.

Cerussite: Occassionally found in small pieces, but never in sufficient quantities to form an object of mining. It occurs in irregular rounded pieces of a yellowish color, exhibiting no crystalline structure. it has been found near Mineral Point, and in former years quite frequently at the diggings near Blue Mounds. Cerussite is found in small irregular translucent crystals of a white or light yellow color, in the mine of Merrs. Poad, Barrack and Tredinnick, near Linden.

Chalcopyrite: This is the principal ore of copper in the lead regions, and is most abundantly found in the vicinity of Mineral Point. It usually occurs massive, frequently mixed with Pyrite; small and indistinct crystals are occasionally found.

Dolomite: Bitter spar or brown spar. It occurs occasionally in small rhombhedral crystals in cavities of the Galena limestone. The best locality for obtaining cabinet specimens is in the railroad cut at Scales Mound.

Galenite: This is the only ore of lead found in sufficient quantities to be of economic value. It is universally known in the lead region as "mineral."

Hematite: Impure arenacrous varieties of this mineral frequently occur, nowhere, however, sufficiently rich or abundant to be of any economic value. It seems to be chiefly due to the decomposition of Pyrite and is most common as the ferruginous sandstone concretions in the upper beds of the St. Peters. It is also frequently found as ocher, with other vein-minerals, especially in the flat openings.

Hydrozincite: This is a mineral of rare occurrence in the lead region. It is found at Linden and Mineral Point as a white, finely crystalline, fibrous incrustation on Smithsonite.

Malachite: It is occassionally found in small seams, mixed with other ores of copper in the Mineral Point copper mines.

Marcasite: The difference between this and Pyrite is but slight and chiefly due to crystalline structure; the former belonging to the mono-metric and the latter to the trimeteric system. It is somewhat lighter colored than Pyrite and decomposes more readily in the air. It is quite a common vein mineral and occurs in globular and cockcomb shapes. It is abundant in the New Diggings district.

Oxide of Manganese: A substance consisting of manganese with a little oxide of iron, zinc and traces of magnesia, according to an analysis of Dr. Bode, of Milwaukee, is found in crevices in the Trenton limestone, in some diggings. The mineral is a light as cork; color brownish-black, sub-metallic luster and streaks; soils readily and is infusable. It is very soft, and does not occur crystallized. It has a structure in thin parallel layers, resembling wood.

Pyrite: This is the most common vein-mineral found in the mines. It is universally met with in veins, lodes or other deposits or ore, and in many cases impregnates the rock when all other minerals are absent. In crevices it frequently appears to have been the first mineral deposited. The Crow Branch diggings and the Linden mines afford large quantities and good specimines of this mineral.

Smithsonite: Often improperly called calimine. This mineral, commonly known as Drybone, is one of the two ores of zinc found in the lead region. It is found most extensively in the central and northern parts, and usually in connection with blende. It crystallizes in rhombohedral forms; such specimens are, however, rare. It usually occurs massive, having a structure similar to partially decayed bone, from which it derives its common name.

Sphalerite: Blende or black-jack. This is one of the most abundant minerals in the lead region, besided being of great economic value as an ore of zinc. It is almost invariably found as an associate vein-mineral in the horizontal deposits of lead ore. It is usually found massive and compact, of a dark-brown or black color, due to a small portion of iron contained in it, and more or less mixed with with gelanite.

Sulphur: Native sulphur is found, but seldom in the lead region; its presence is usually due to the deomposition of iron pyrites. Some pieces weighing an ounce were seen at Hazel Green in some of the Buncome mines and in Mineral Point and the Crow Branch Diggings.