Evening Republican, Volume 15, Number 109, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 8 May 1911 — IRON MINES ARE UNEARTHED [ARTICLE]

IRON MINES ARE UNEARTHED

Site of Old Junk Yard Yield* 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 eamp, 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 clalmholders. The camp is located In a large vacant lot at West Taylor and Jefferson street*. It all began a week ago, when a young citizen of the neighborhood uncovered a quantity of old scrap' irbn while digging on the lot This he took to a junk dealer and was soon exhibiting a bright silver quarter among his playmates. The story of wealth spread and within a few minutes the lot was covered with children of all age*, 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 hunWhen the first mines were opened the discovery of quantities of copper and large piece* 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 claim*. I A few fights followed, and the orlg-

must be done or they would lose th* 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 wheelbarrow* on the sidewalk.