Makes Lucky Strike in Zinc.
Six months ago, George A. Tibbans, of Carterville, Mo., was “powder monkey” or shot firer at the old “Hero” zinc mine, at a wage of $3.50 per day. By the time he paid rent, household expenses, car fare, et cetera, he was in no danger of being forced to pay an income tax.
Believing he could do better for himself and family by working for himself, he secured a lease on the “Last Chance,” an old, abandoned mine that had never paid on account of the low price of ore. For several weeks he barely made wages, but as the price of ore gradually went higher, he began to receive weekly checks of forty and fifty dollars. Then he discovered a “pocket” of exceedingly rich ore, and right on top of this zinc ore jumped to $130 per ton.
Tibbans has leased a 100-ton mill and is now cleaning up something over $1,000 a week, with a good chance of doing even better, for the “pocket” is becoming richer, and zinc ore seems to be due for still higher prices.