The Hodge Mines.

 This Article and Picture was written in 1902.  Some Interesting Facts About the Great Wealth Producer.

I presume there is no question as to the Hodge being the most extensive bed of this mineral in the county.  With a breast of some seventeen feet average and of unknown extent, it is hard to estimate the amount of the deposit, and it seems the irony of fate that the man who first discovered this mine of wealth sold it for a mere mess of pottage, as it were.  

I noticed several large "dumps" near the main shaft, and was told it was rich gravel spar.  There were hundreds of tons of it and it had all been discarded by he old company as worthless "tailings."

When Supt. Watkins assumed charge of the works, however, he immediately saw the value of this discarded stone which had now become a chief of the corner as it were.

A number of men are now engaged in sorting it and running it through the log washer, from whence it comes forth clean, first grade spar.

Most of the work at the Hodge is being done by contract, my old friend King being one of the principal contractors.  He has just completed a new shaft some fifty yards west of the main entry.

I noticed a large pile of very fine, white spar, lying to itself and on inquiry I was informed that this was waiting to be "jigged."  On examination I discovered the entire mass to be heavily veined with rich galens,(lead ore) running all the way in percent from ten up to ninety.

I was told that this galena bearing spar is about twelve inches in width and runs through the entire vein.  When jigged this galena will be clear gain to the company, while the value of the spar itself will be greatly increased as grinding spar.

The mine is now putting out about fifty ton daily, but the output is to be greatly increased at once, and a larger force of hands and teams put to work.

Great is the Kentucky Fluor Spar Company and the Hodge mine is its "profit."

The mine was located in the Frances community a few miles north on S. R. 855.