miles wide, along the Southwest Branch, amounting to nearly 1,040,000 acres. The company were entitled to dispose of any of these lands lying within twenty miles of the completed road. After the transfer was made and the prospective title vested in the railroad company, agents were at once sent out to protect the lands. Granby proved to be located upon one section of this land. The squatters at this and upon other portions of the best mineral lands, in view of the immense mineral wealth that only required their labor and industry to secure a sure and remunerative return, declared that the railroad company had no legal right to the land, and resisted every effort made on the part of the agents to control it. The agents demanded a rent; the squatters refused to pay it, and after considerable trouble, the railroad company abandoned the lead region until 1857, when a lease was made to Messrs. Blow & Kennett for ten years, for a rent or tax of two dollars per thousand pounds for all mineral taken from the mines.

At this time there were about 1000 miners at work, all of whom held claims jointly or severally, and worked them as they now doselling their mineral to the smelters, who had erected furnaces in the vicinity for the purpose of reducing the ore to metal. Trading and selling claims was here practiced, as is the case in all mining districts; some claims being sold at prices ranging from $50 to $1000 per acre, according to the prospect. It is estimated that at that time, (January, 1857,) 5,000,000 pounds of ore had been taken out by the squatters, smelted, and found its way to St. Louis and other markets, yielding some 3,000,000 pounds of manufactured lead. Owing to the scarcity of money, and from a want of proper system and encouragement, the mines had not been worked as vigorously as they were subsequently. Those engaged in mining at Granby at that time were not all of that hard-working, industrious class whose hands supply their families with the comforts of life, but principally held their claims for speculation, and depended upon their sales of claims rather than upon their actual mining operations. As soon as it was known that Messrs. Blow & Kennett had received a lease of the mines, rumors of every conceivable character prejudicial to the lessees were spread abroad by these speculators, informing the squatters that they would be driven from their claims and lose the rights which they regarded as belonging to them, and deprived of all profits arising from the working of their lots or claims. In the midst of these inflammatory rumors, Blow & Kennett appeared, with the evidence of their title, and called a meeting of the miners, before whom was sub

mitted their evidences of several right, with the course they had decided upon for the future regulation and government of the mines.

The proposition of Messrs. Blow & Kennett was, that the miners should continue upon their claims, and work them as heretofore, receiving a fair price for their ore, which was to be governed by the market value of the metal, less two dollars per thousand pounds, which went to the Pacific Railroad Company, that being the amount specified in the lease between the parties. For the greater security of the miners, a basis of 400 pounds of lead was offered for every 1000 pounds of ore, when the quotation price in cash did not suit them. Up to the present time, (May, 1860,) lead has never been called for, the cash price being satisfactory to them. These matters were understood as arranged, and Blow & Kennett returned to St. Louis for machinery and proceeded at once to erect their furnace, which was put in successful operation on the 18th of January, 1858, at a cost of $20,000. The furnace once in blast and the rules enforced produced dissatisfaction in the minds of some of the miners, outsiders, and speculators. Factions of disaffected miners were consequently formed, and were led on by disappointed smelters, caucassing and calling meetings both private and public in reference to the rights of Blow & Kennett, the legality of which they questioned. Speeches of the most inflammatory character were made at those meetings of the miners, and the life of Peter E. Blow, the masterspirit of the mines, was frequently jeopardized by some of the most. reckless and daring miners. Suits at law were found necessary to protect the rights of the lessees, and, after a severely contested action. by the claimants and defendants, during fifteen months, it was finally decided by the Supreme Court of Missouri, in March, 1859, that the title was, according to the lease from the railroad company, vested in Blow & Kennett, and that they were the sole owners of the mines during the time specified in the lease. This decision settled the legal difficulties, and the conciliatory and generous course pursued by Blow & Kennett soon brought about a mutual good feeling between the proprietors and miners; and now the mines are in a prosperous condition, the miners receiving good prices for their ore, and the smoking furnaces, under the immediate control of Peter E. Blow, Esq., are turning out millions of pounds of this valuable metal, which finds its way to the markets, from New Orleans to Boston, and lead bearing the brand of "Blow & Kennett" is receiving a world-wide reputation.

The Furnace and its Operations.-The furnace (of the interior of which we present an accurate illustration) is in size 136 feet front by fifty deep, with additional buildings for engine, sawing wood for the furnaces, water-pumps, etc. Six "eyes" or Scotch hearths are in blast, at each of which two men are employed, called front and back hands. The former receives two dollars for reducing 3000 pounds of galena to metal, the latter one dollar and fifty cents; which labor is performed in about five hours. They generally run only the 3000 pounds; but frequently they exceed that amount from 2000 to 3000 pounds, receiving the same compensation pro rata. The mineral yields, upon an average, sixty-five per cent. In addition to the above six eyes, the furnace has two "slag hearths," which, together, represent eight furnaces in the engraving. The Scotch hearth is familiar to every one who has ever visited the mining region, hence a description thereof is deemed unnecessary.

From personal observations we learned many facts relative to the manufacture of lead here. The furnace of Kennett & Blow makes twenty-five pigs of lead (weighing eighty-one pounds each) to the hearth, and frequently they exceed that amount. Three of the hearths about the middle of October, 1859, made fifty-six pigs each in seven hours, with the usual two hands to the hearth; amounting to the sum of 12,608 pounds. The men who made this extraordinary run were Buis, Hancock, and Perringer, each making fifty-six pigs of lead, weighing eighty-one pounds to the pig; in all 168 pigs, from 17,400 pounds of mineral.

Taking the Mineral from the Earth. - Galena or lead ore, at Granby, is found at a depth of from forty to sixty feet, according to the undulations of the surface. There are three strata, varying from eight to ten feet apart, which brings the lower lead or stratum about sixty feet below the surface. The "cap rock" is of a flinty formation, usually about eighteen inches thick, and is generally found above each stratum. Miniature railroads are in operation through the principal openings, by means of which the ore is conveyed to the main shafts, where it is raised by windlasses worked by hand or horse-power.

After the mineral is raised to the surface it is picked over by hand, and all foreign matter separated therefrom by the use of picks. This operation is known by miners as "pick-a-weeing the mineral." It is then taken to the furnace, washed, and smelted. Four hands are employed in breaking and washing, turning off about 20,000 pounds of mineral per day, which is then weighed out in quantities to suit the convenience of the smelter-no fire or smelter, however, taking less than 3000 pounds. The ore thus ready for the smelter, he pro