Berkeley and Jefferson intelligencer. [volume] (Martinsburg, Va.) 1802-1810, 1804-11-30

8 ID found Immediately under the soil, IN
termixed with gravel, in pieces from
70 50 pounds weight Of solid mineral.
After passing through the gravel, which
is commonly from three 70 four feet, is
found sand rock, whiehis easily bro
ken up with pick. and when exposed
to the air, crumbles to 6ne sand
This rsck also continues Ave or six feet,
and contains mineral nearly Of the same
quality as the gravel, but mineral Of the
first quality is found in a bed of red clay,
under the sand rock in pieces from ten
to Eve hundred pounds weight, on the
outside Of which Is white gold or silver
coloured spar or fossil, Of a bright gilt
tering appearance, Is solid as the nine
raj itself, and in weight as three to two;
this being taken of, the mineral > solid,
unconnected with any other substance !;
Of broad grain, andwhat mineralogists
call potter's ore. When it is smelted in
acommon smelling furnace, it produces
sixty per cent, and when again smelted
in Stag furnace, produces fifteen per
cent, making, eleanIy smei.ed, seventy.
. Ave per cent. The gravel mineral is in
erustratsd with q dead gray substance,
the eighth of an inch In thickness, has
small veins of sulphur through It, aud
will not: produce more than sixty per
/ cent, when cleanly smelted.
When FIRST knew the mine q Burton
. in the year 1897, the French smeited
their mineral in stone furnaces, some
what similar to lime-kilns. At the bot
: tom they put floor of the largest logs to
be found, setting smaller ones round tn e
sides Of the furnace. In furnace thus
arranged, is put from three to Ave thou-
sand pounds weight of mineral and a
6re being lighted under the bottom of
the furnace, IS kept up until the mineral
is entirely smclted, burnt or lost in the
ashes. In this way, each miRer smeltcd
his own mineral, extracting about three
hundred and 6fty pounds Of lead from
each thousand pound weight Of mineral.
but since nv works have been establish
ed, they have found it more advantage
Gus to sell their mineral than to smell it
themselves.
In the year 1898. there were twenty
French furnaces but in 1902, only one
was IN use.
The time for working Of the mines, is
from August to December. After har-
vest the inhabitants of St. Genivieve and
N. Burbon, resort to the mines the
rich send their negroes, aud the poor.
- class depend on the uines to furnish
them with lead to purchase all imported
articles. From the mitdle of August
TO the 18th or Goth Of December, there
ere from forty to Fifty men employed in
digging mineral the remainder of the
year, little mineral il drawn from the
mines, and but few hands employed
From the year 1898 to 1908, the average
quantity OF mineral may be stated at Eve
hundred and fifty or six hundred thou
sand pounds French weight each year
procured mostly in four months, BY net
more than fifty men. The same number
Of hands employed the year round, would
produce at least fifteen or sixteen hun.
bred thousand pounds, making proper
allowance for spring rains. From the /
extent Of the mines one thousand men
might be employed to equal advantage.
Z. Mine Robuna, two miles east
south east Of the mine Burton, was dis
covered about the same time. This
mine has not been wrought for many
years, until the last season, few exPe-
riments were made and a small quantity
Of mineral raised. The old diggings are
not extensive, although IL is SAID large
quantities Of mineral we're drawn from
the mines on its FIRST discovery. It is
public property. and there is every rea. :
son to believe it will became advantage.
GUS when the population Of the country !
shall afford workmen to open and work
the mines -. III
3. Old Mines, so called, from their
being discovered many years before the
mine a Burton. 1t is said the Old Mines
were opened and wrought by Mr.. Ra-