The enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1804-1815, 1804-11-21
Nane5 Of TIE Mines.

"otAhen lu!hC;Silt 10 occupy the mines TO adj
vantage.
Manner Of The Mines.
l. Mine Barton. 6. Mine Ia Plate.
.. Mine Robuna. 7. Mine Joe.
s. Old Mines 8. Mine A Lanye.
q. Mine Ranauit. g. Mine a In Mott.
S. Mine Maneto. 10. Mine Gerbore.
1. The Mine Burton, fituated SO miles WEI
north welt of ST. GencvieYc was diicovered by
Francis Burton, about the year 1868, on n fork
OF Grand river, % miles from its junction with
the main river, after which it takes the name of
RanaultS fork OF the MorimaS, and unitcs with
that river, about 25 miles above its apetion with
the Mitiiiippi. The Fauche Ranault is nav;ga-
bic in the fpring ieaion, within 10 miles of the
mine Burton. lii the year 1898, 4 coacs;.ion
oil one league IL iuperhce, conprehending about
one third part Of the mine <oa condition he
ihoud erect t,nelting furnace, ano etabl1h q
lead manufacture was granted to NJ. Auit,n !;
all OF which lie has carried into execution
Francis Burton, alto, obtained grant OF four a.
cres, as a compensation for the ditcovsry.
Inere is FINAL village at this place, of TWEEN
ty families, who cultivate little land near the
mines but have no couCeiionS. Two GRIT
mills; with faw mil, fIrniih the inhabitants
with grinding and plank.
The greatelt part OF the workings at the
Mine Burton are IN an open prairie which ri
les nearly an hundred feet above the level of the
creek.-The mines NAV be fad to extend over
two thouiand acres OF land: but the principal
workings are within the limits Of one hundred &
hXty acres and perhaps, no part Of the world
turbines lead ore IN greater quantities and pu-
rity. The mineral is found within two feet OF
the iurtace of the earth, and il is fsldom the
miners dig deeper than ten feet, not that the mi
neral diicontiEucs, but hecaufe they find it
troublefome TO raiie out of the ground; The
French miners being unacGnai..ted with the u
tihty OF machinery, and generally are able to
procure In plenty nearer the fuitacc.
The manner in which the mines have been
wrought, renders it impofIible to determine
whether the mineral terminates in regular veins
or not ; tor when the miner finds himielf ten or
twelve feet below the iurface, his inexpcriencc
obliges him to quit his digging and begin anew,
notwithstanding the appearance OF mineral may
be good. Thus one half mis- time is taken up in
linking new holes or pits.
The mineral is OF two qualities, gravel and
fo!fil mineral. The gravel mineral is found inn
inCdiately under the foil, ntermixed with gravel,
IA pieces from to SO pounds weight of fold
mineral. After pafiing through the gravel,
which is commonly from thrSs to four feet. IS
found fand rock, which is eafily broken up
with pick, and when expofed TO the ali, cr,lnl-
Ave or fix feet, and contains mineral nearly of the
fame quality as the gravel but mineral of the
INIT quality is found III bed Of red clay, under
the iand rsrk, in pieces from ten 70 nve hun
drcd pounds weight, on the outiide of which is
white, gold or FLYER co!oured fpar or foiiil, of
bright, glitteTing appearance, as fold as the
mineral itielf, and in weight as three TO two {:
this being taken off, the mineral is fold, uncon.
ne6tcd with any other fubfance OF broad
grain, and what mineraosiits cali potters ore
When it is fmelted in common frelting fur
mace, 1t produces iiXty per cent. and when again
tmeited in flag furface, produces fifteen per
cent. more, making clednly lnelted, feventy five
per cent-The graveimncraliS incrutatcd with
dead grey fubGancc, the eighth of an inch in
tbickuciS-has iagaii veins of fulphur through it,
and will not produce more than fixty per cent.
when cleaniy inlelted.
When iirG knew the Mine Burton in the
year 1897, the French imered their mineral in
ftone furnaces, fomewhat fimilar to Emc-!,iIns.
At the bottom they put floor Of the Target
logs to be found, iettng ftnalIcr ones round
the fides of the furnace. In furnace
thus arranged, is put from three to FIVE thou
fand pounds weight of mineral and a fire be-
ing lighted under the bottom of the furnace, is
kept up until the mineral is entirely fmrlted,
burnt or loft in the afhes. In this way, each
tEIECI InelteQ his own mineral, extracting a.
bout three hundred and fifty pounds fiead
from each thouland pound weight of moeral.
But iince my works have been eftabliihed, they
have found It more advantageous to fell their
mineral than to irnelt it themfeves.
In the year 1903, there were 20 French fBr-
natcs: but in eighteen hundred & two one on
~ was in uie.
The time for working the mines, is from Au-
gut 20 December. After harvef the inhabi-
tants 81. Geacyieyt and n. Bourbon, refort
to The mines; the rich fend thsir negroes, and
the poor cliffs depend on the mines to furnifh
them with lead 10 purchaic all imported arti-
cics. From the middle of Augul to the 18th
or goth Of December, there are from 40 to 50
men employed in digging mineral the remain
der Of The year, bus itt!e mineral is drawn from
the mines, and but few hands ernploycd-
From the year I7o3 to sos the average quan-
tity Of mineral may be fated ct i've hundred
and fifty or fix hundred thoufand pounds French
weight each year procured molly in four
mUnlbs, by not more thaH City men--The fame
number OF hands employed the year round,
would produce at Leaf fifteen or fxtecn hun.
| drcd thouiand pounds, making proper allow.
; ance for fpring rains. From the extent of the
mines one thouland men might be employed f.
! equal advantage.
! Q. Mine Robuna, two miles ean fomth-eal
! Of the Mine Burton, WAS difcovcfed about
| he fame time. This mine has not been
wrought for many years, until the laf feafon
| a few experiments were made and a final
! Quantity Of ninera, RATED. The old dice-inc,