Virginia Argus. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1796-1816, 1804-11-21

water Oti ana unhealthy. ihc mineral |
Is found IN regular veins, from two - four ,
dest solid. Five Of these veins have been |
opened and Wrou ,',t.--rhey are found /,
withia four Or Eve feet Of the surface !; /,
Ivi;h defamation OF about forty FIVE de-
grces, bu, cannot be mined deeper ION ac-
count Of water) than twenty Eve feet, and
10 hat depth only in the dry season. The
mineral i, OF = fine steel grain, said TO con-
tain atty ounces OF silver TO 4 ton of lead,
and IS highly charged with sulphur. Not
%thslahdlng, the French inhabitants of
this country nave followed the mining bu-
sness upwards of eighty years, yet they
have not advanced In the art of smelling
Sep beyond their ancestors. The me-
!A0d5 they pursue bespeak their surprising
ignorance. rs the mine la Mott, differs
from those already described, so does their
mode of smelling. The first process is,
by depositing the mineral in pile oE!ogs,
after the manner sea shells are burnt 10
lime; the piles being set on Ere and Leon
sumed, the quantity of lead produced, is
five per cent. 1t is then put into a fur
mace Of stone, such as before described;
from this process, If we'll attended, is pro-
duced fifteen per cent. more. After this
ina proper state for smelling. Therefore,
Collecting it from the ashes, they again
put it into the furnace, arranged with logs
at bottom aud sides, and make an end Of
smelling From the last process, they
commonly obtain about Gfteeen per cent.
making thirty-6ye per cent. the greatest
quantity obtained.
AZ the Mine Z IL Motifs also found, in
beds, what tine miners call gravel mineral
because it is found intermixed with the
soi, like fine gravel, in particles from the
size of pins head 10 that OF hickory
nat. This mineral, after an imperfect
washing is put into furnace, where it is
suffered TO melt into a Stag, no attempt
being made to create flu;i.lity OF the me-
Ia! from the dross. 1t is then put into a
furnace, not unlike miler's hopper, with
a CRATE at bottom, underneath fire is
lighted, and continued until the slags are
al! melted, and partial fiuxlon cEectad:
This mode of smelling produces about
two hundred and sixty pounds ct lead II a
thnueand OF mineral. Notwithstanding
the immense loss in smelling. the richTess
OF the mines and The small expense in Oh
tanning the mineral, leaves an astonishing
pront - the proprietors. found by ex-
rerments, that the mineral in the hands
Of skiiul smeIters, viii produce sixty, and
some Of the veins seventy per cent. A.
bout the year 1880, the Mine L.
Mott, was considered as public property
and the people, in general, were allowed
TO work at it: At that time il furnished
almost all the lead exported from the iili
nois. But soen after the discovery and
opening Of the Nine Burton, the Mine
Ia Mott was in greet measure aban-
doned; the mineral ct the Mine a Burton
being much easier melieI. The Mime q
Ia Mott, is at this time claimed as private
properly, in consequence of which the in
habitanls in general are denied The privi-
lege Of working; therefore the annual
quantity OF lead is greatly reduced. For
the years 1902 aC1 1908, the quantity OF
lead made at the Mine a Ia Mott, did not
exceed two hundred thousand pounds
weight, although ahont thirty men were
employed from four IL six months in each
year. 1t is evident, that fifty men under
proper maneger, with good smelling
furnace, might produce five or six hun
dred thousand pounds weight oflsad per
annum.
1t is difficult to say what part Of the
mine is private properly, but from the best
Information about fifty or sixty acres have
been granted at different times. The
mine although not SO extensive as the
Mine a Burton, is supposed to compre-
hc1d much larger boundary than wha,
is granted 20 individuals and may be Of
consequence to the public. The river St.
Francis will not admi of navigation for IN
hundred mics below the mines, therefore
the produce Of the mines must b. trans
ported by land 10 81. Genevieve, which is
the nearest To- water carriage.
%. Mine GerbnFe, on ne waters of
the river st Fiancis, eighteen miles north
Of the Mine p IL Mott, is also a discovery
Of Ranaui., who made N explorement in
l74J, but, not finding silver ore, the prin-
cpal object Of his researches, he abandon
cd It: After which it was wrought by a
Mr., Aura and Others, until the Mine a
Burton was discovered, when it was again
abandoned. The Old diggings are exIen-
sive, but the quantity Of lead produced,
have not been able 70 ascertain. 1t is said
To be eoucl 20 sUv Off s,ninre ~, The c(,,,,