Evening Republican, Volume 15, Number 104, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 2 May 1911 — IRON MINES ARE UNEARTHED [ARTICLE]

IRON MINES ARE UNEARTHED

81 te of Old Junk Yard Yields Wealth to All Those Who Are Willing to Work Hard. Chicago.—There Is a mining camp In the heart of the West side. It is a real camp, that grew in the same sporadic way as the old western Eldorados. It began with a discovery of valuable metal and a rush to uncover mineral wealth. There was claim jumping and anarchy, followed by the establishment of a crude government to protect the claimholders. The camp is located In a large vacant lot at Vest Taylor and Jefferson streets. It all began a week ago, when a young citizen of the neighborhood uncovered a quantity of old scrap Iron while digging on the lot. This be took to a junk dealer and was soon exhibiting ft bright sliver quarter among his playmates. The story of wealth spread and within a. few minute# the lot was covered with children of all ages, industriously panning out the Iron. The pennies, nickels and dimes brought home at the end of the first day's work caused the older relatives of the children to take notice, and the next day there were scores of adults on the ground, with pickaxes and wheelbarrows. ! The “pay dirt” Is on a lot which was covered for years with gigantic piles of junk, which was recently removed. The weight of the piles forced smaller pieces down into the soil, and these are now being recovered by the hundredweight. When the first mines ware opened the discovery of quantities of copper aad large pieces of Iron which netted the finder $7 for a day's work caused the news of the underground wealth to spread over a wider circle, and soon there were more claimants than claims. V/ , A few fights followed, end the original discoverers sew that something

must be done or they would lose the fruits of their finds. Their remedy was the effective one of the primitive western camps. When the next claim Jumper tried to drive out a holder he was beaten down by a score of neighbor miners. That ended all trouble, and now the camp Is a scene of peaceful industry for twelve hours every day. Entire families are at work digging out nickels, which mean the necessities of life to them. The mothers and older boys and girls are digging up the ground with picks and shovels, while the younger ones are carrying the recovered metal In baskets and cans to carts and wheelbarrows on the sidewalk.