From: PART II . - ORE DEPOSITS AND MINES. By W. S. TANGIER SMITH.

THE OLD JIM MINE - The Old Jim Mine is located approximately 3/4-mile southeast of the famous Columbia mine. Of the Old Jim there is an absence of fluorite and calcite, the ore consists of zinc carbonate with a minor proportion of Sphalerite. In the occurrence of the ore body parallel to and in contact with a narrow but vary persistent dike of Mica-peridotite. The Old Jim has been the largest producer of zinc carbonate in the district (district - Illinois, Kentucky fluorspar district). The discovery took place in the fall of 1900, but no real prospecting was done until May, 1901, in the latter part of which month the first carload of ore was shipped. In 1901 3,154,151 pounds were shipped and by September of 1902 a total of 3,036,390 pounds was shipped.

Assays of samples from different parts of the mine and from the washings, etc., made by Waring & son, of Webb City, Mo., show the following amounts of metallic zinc (pure smithsonite contains 52 % of the metal zinc).

Flint carbonate¼ ¼ ¼¼ ¼ ¼ ¼ ¼ ¼ ¼ ¼ ¼ ¼ ¼ ¼ ¼ ¼ ¼ ¼ ¼ ¼ ¼ ¼ ¼ ¼ .51.80 % zinc & 00.00 % iron.

Turkey fat¼ ¼ ¼ ¼ ¼ ¼ ¼ ¼ ¼ .....¼ ¼ ¼ ¼ ¼ ¼ ¼ ¼ ¼ ¼ ¼ ¼ ¼ ¼ ¼ ¼ .49.85 % zinc & 00.60 % iron.

Pea Screenings¼ ¼ ¼ ¼ ...¼ ¼ ¼ ¼ ¼ ¼ ¼ ¼ ¼ ¼ ¼ ¼ ¼ ¼ ¼ ¼ ¼ ¼ ¼ .¼ 34.80 % zinc & 05.20 % iron.

Washed tailings¼ ¼ ¼ ¼ ¼..¼ ¼ ¼ ¼ ¼ ¼ ¼ ¼ ¼ ¼ ¼ ¼ ¼ ¼ ¼ ¼ ¼ ¼ ¼ ...30.85 % zinc & 06.92 % iron.

The smithsonite, by the carload, (train car) averages about 46 to 47 per cent of zinc. The mine consists of two open cuts. Of these the northern and principal one has a length of about 400 feet and a depth of 27 feet. A dike of peridotite forms one of the walls of the cut. This is one of the many dikes that cross Crittenden and Livingston Counties.

The walls of the cut except where formed of peridotite, are of nearly horizontally, and bedded Ste. Genevieve Limestone, containing thin beds or lenses and scattered nodules of chert.

The ore of the mine is mostly all carbonate of zinc, mainly in the form of smithsonite; in addition to the simple carbonate, the basic carbonate, hydrozincite, also occurs, being found in considerable amounts with smithsonite just south of the shaft, a little above water level. More or less unoxidized Sphalerite is still found at the same levels at which the smithsonite occurs. While some of that associated with and altering into the smithsonite is of medium grain most of that seen at the mine is very fine grained, occurring disseminated in limestone.

The southern or minor open cut is shallow, and has a length of 170 feet, with an average trend of N. 17 degrees E. The ore, as in the main cut, is smithsonite, occurring in a narrow body between limestone walls. There had been too little development here to warrant a positive statement, but it seems probable that this deposit has been formed along a joint plane in the limestone. The open cut heads in a sinkhole leading to a cave from the walls which a considerable amount of smithsonite was secured. In the cave there is normal deposits of calcium carbonate (stalagmite & stalactites type material that covers the walls. Behind this calcium carbonate is the ore found in residual clay derived from the comparatively recent decomposition of the limestone.

Illustration: Cross section of cave at bottom of sinkhole, 300 feet south of the "Old Jim" hoist. This sinkhole is connected by means of an enlarged joint with zinc deposits adjoining the Old Jim dike. The figure illustrates the occurrence of the smithsonite in the walls of the cave.

Mr. Julius Fohs in 1903 obtained the following information concerning the open cut. The main cut was then about 37 feet deep, and a few feet below the water level. Near the shaft at this depth a bed of apparently impermeable limestone had been encountered, extending across the drift and completely cutting out the ore. Just above this, in the drift south of the shaft and west of the dike, occurs a bed of limestone from 3 to 5 feet thick, It is largely replaced for a distance of more than 20 feet from the dike by Sphalerite of fine though somewhat variable grain. Just above this bed of Sphalerite is a bed of limestone from 5 to 12 inches thick that's largely replaced by marcasite.

Information August 18, 1999, on a recent visit to the Old Jim Mine we picked up several nice pieces of "Turkey Fat" specimens 2 to 3 inches across. From information by Mr. William Frazer, owner of the mine, all the quality grade material was removed from the mine by 1904. There are still traces of ore, but near the surface it has not been located in mine grade quantities. One of the deepest exploratory holes (core drilling) in Kentucky is only 60 feet or so from the main open cut. The depth of this hole is around 3000 feet. Cores of good grade zinc and other materials were pulled out, but more extensive drilling will be necessary before any further mining could be done here at the Old Jim Mine. At present no exploratory plans exist for this area.

Since this ore came from deep within the earth it stand to reason that there is more deposits of Zinc Carbonate in the district. So far this deposit is a rare occurrence in the Illinois, Kentucky Fluorspar District.

Foundation stone of old mill works at the Old Jim Mine.

Photo by: Museum Staff.

Mica-Peridotite dike exposed in open cut of Old Jim Mine.

Photo By: Museum Staff.

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Thank you,

Museum Staff.