The enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1804-1815, 1810-02-10
From the Pert Folio.
ON THE EXISTENCE OF
N TIV Z A N tt M o NY
IN THE UNITED STATES.

| If that citizen who makes a grain of wheat
grow on a spot of the surface of the earth where
! it never grew BEFORE deserves well of his coun.
try, no less entitled to appreciation is he, who,
! from part of the interior OF the earth, which
| never yielded them before, draws materials of in
dispensible utility for the existence, comfort, 8,
accommodation of man. The riches of the soil
or surface of our country, are well known, and
well improved but the value of that part OF it
which lies from 20 to 500 feet from the surface,
though doubtless immense, is, generally speak
ing, as little known to it's propretors, as the
| explored caverns in the anfathomable abyss OF
| the Atlantic (; and seldom thought of.
This neglect is at all times circumstance of
regret to the real patriot; but more particularly
| at the present extraordinary period, in which we
| live when the devastation committed ON our TO-
reign commerce, by the two gigantic powers,
who have convuised all Europe, in their struggles
| for supremacy, threaten its total determination,
and force us TO the alternative of curtaiiiDg our
expenditures for foreign commodities, of seek
ing within cur own territories those articles OF
| necessity, which hitherto we have been accus
toned to bring from remote quarters of the
| globe.
| ! am led to those observations by ref-c.;ng
on fact, lately communicated to me by friend,
viz. that great is the scarcity in this country
at present, Of the mineral called antimony SD in
dspensibly necessary IN the manufacture Of prin-
ting types, that unless q supply can be speedily
procured from Europe, the propnetors of the
| type foundeFy in this city, the largest and most
extensive in the United States, will be obliged
to discharge one half, or perhaps two thirds OF all
| their hands and thus Will a severe check be Civ
en- to the present unexampled progress OF arts
and literature in this fouriShng, peaceful and
] happy country, for want OF a single article which
perhaps lies at no great Distance in nexhaustible
quantities, under very feet.
| I confess less mortified to hear that the expor.
tation of this article has been prohibited by the
respective governments of France and Grea,
Britain, than to be told that anthony is no where
found native within the territory of the United
States, and that to procure it, we must submit
to the most humiliating impostions. If the frs
of these assertions were absolutely true that il
an extent oftwo thousand miles by one thousand
Of plains, valliss, mountains and precipiccs,
| S.hgle mineral, so common in other parts of the
earth, should be entirely wanting in this, it woub
be kind OF miracle in the Mineralogy Of our
country without parallel in any other part Of the
globe.
| But this is highly improbable nay, have no
hesitation in asserting il my opinion, that ma
tive anthony does actually exist in this country
in great quantities, and perhaps as much puri.
| ty as IN any other country whatever AND, that
If proper search was made, it would most certain
| y be found. The E. 5 and circumstances on
which This opinion is founded, shah, for the in.