Black Lead Mine

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A mine of plumbago or black lead has been worked for a few years past in New Hampshire, and supplies, to some extent, the New York market. The following is an account of the discovery :— In April, 1848, Mr. Moses Carleton, of Lancaster, Mass., having heard that black lead had been discovered in Nelson, N. H., a town lying twelve miles east ot Keene went there to see what could be found. He found the lead to be of good quality, and thinking there might be considerable of it, bought of the owner all the ores and minerals of every description on forty acres with the right and privilege to carry on the mining business to the best advantange that he could were he owner of the land, for which he paid $155. Mr. Carleton got out about five tons the first season. Finding the lead was well liked, and would sell readily at $100 per ton, be concluded to go into the manufacture more extensively. The second season he got out 40 tons, which he sold for about $4,000. The business has been increasing every year up to the present time. Last year there were 85 tons taken from the mine; this season, from April 1 to October, 100 tons, and if tbey continue to work until the 1st of December, which'is the time the cold in;:'".!!- usually compels them to leave, there will IjelrniiL 130 to 140 tons taken out—employing about eight men per day, with one yoke of oxen. Over 60 tons of the lead taken from the mine this season has already been sent to New York, and sold, on an average, for $100 per ton. The freight per ton from Nelson to Keene, is $1,25, from Keene to New York $5. The freight paid upon the product of this mine this season will not be far from $800. The Common Council of New York have passed a resolution to have a railroad in Broadway,—it has cri:u"i>!i a sensation.

Scientific American Magazine Vol 8 Issue 11This article was published with the title “Black Lead Mine” in Scientific American Magazine Vol. 8 No. 11 (), p. 81
doi:10.1038/scientificamerican11271852-81b

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