New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1844-07-23
Mineral Riches OF the South.

resources. A short account Of the Country sent
on to the Editor of the Boston Courier was pub
lishcd in that paper. II may not be uninterest
ing to some of your readers to learn the amount
of mineral wealth in this region, particularly as
it can be SO well exemplifed BY the specimens
brought away and have now in my Office in this
city.
The tract of country TO which l particularly
refer lies in Cess, Cherokee and Cobb Counties
1t is in part limestone, partly granite region
billy but not mountainous, traversed by fine
quick running streams, Astounding in good soil,
and enjoying delicious climate. Though set
tied by the whites only about ten years, the land
came to them in such state Of improvement
from its original proprictors, that finely cultivated
farms and the richest peach orchards are almost
The gentleman at whose house resided in Cobb
County, possessed old Indian peach orchard,
which y,ldcd ahou: five hundred bushels of
peaches yearly. The fertility of the land is such
that the ncccssaries of lie are procured as cheap
~ as in any portion .? the United States. Towns
and villages have sprung up, and a railroad has
County tG Augusta, about 300 miles, and is
graded in the olheS direction to the Tennessee
River.
This road crosses the Eiowah River in the
midst Of the Ailatoona hills. Thest hills extend
in n North East and Southwest direction and
are made up CT Qnnriz Rock and the States
which contain the Cold Ore. The Limestone
range is parallel u these ridges On The Nosih
West side. Between the line OF the bells of rock
which contain the Gold, and the Limestone for
nation, arc immense beds Of iron Ore. They
lie in Quartz Rock, and arc sometimes close 20
the Limestone, sometimes near the veins of the
Gold Ore. The quantity of the Iron Ore is so
great as to form knobs, which appear TO consist
Of nothing else but Iron. Every rock exposed
is Of this character, and the plies Of ore ready
almost without any selection for the furnace, lie
heaped up so that one cannot ride over them on
horseback. Some Of these beds have traced
with scarcely any interruption for more than
eight miles, and recognized them at different
points on the same range for an extent Of forty
miles, while they arc known TO continue into
Paulding County much farther.
have carefully explored the famous " Iron
Mountain" Of Missouri, which has been so boast
ingy described as containing Iron "enough to
supply nations wants." but must say / was
much more struck with the apparent extent and
value Of these beds of Georgia. For the shoe of
ore in the Cherokee Country is greater, there are
more knobs covered with it, which appear on
all sides, while none is TO be seen on two sides
of the "Iron Mountan;' - and besides this,
though the Missouri ore contain a large per-
centage of Iron, much of that Of Georgia is far
superior to it for practical purposes. 1t is not
the "richcst ore that is the most valuable, but
that which is most easily wrought into good
Iron. The Iron of the Iron Mountain is of
most refractory character, such that no Iron
Master will attempt to work without bringing
it down by large admixture with poorer Ores
1t will yield on analysis about 20 per cent more
Iron than the ore from which ls prepared the Ju-
nlata Iron, or the well known Salisbury Iron;
yet there is no question as TO the much greater
value of these last named ores. Now the Geor-
ga ore is in great part of precisely the character
of the ores which make with the least expense
ire best quality Of Iron, viz. BrOpn Hcmatite
Beds of this have found by pacing to be, some
twenty, some fifty yards across, and as the DIP
was very steep, line across would give about
their true thickness. Other parallel beds contain
other varieties of ore of less value, but greater
per centage. Any amount may be obtained al
the same character as the mlcaceous Iron ore OF
the Iron Mountain or ofother varieties, which give
the smetcr the means of making any variety Of
cast or bar Iron he may wish for
But it is not in the quantity and qualities oil The
ores above that they appeared to me of more I'M
portance than the Missouri ores. They are STU
ated in practicable region; one that admits Of
high state of cultivation, already traversed by
a railroad, and on the very point where the rail-
road passes over the Iron Ore beds traversed also
by river navigable for large boats, and within
about fifty miles of steamboat navigation below.
At this same point the Etowah Falls give any
amount Of water power, and the hills around are
covered with the greatest abundance of fine trees
for fuel. The Etowah goes into the Coosa. and
the Coosa into the Alabama River, and for the
whole extent Of these rivers to the sea. through
the midst OF rich cotton growing districts there
there are no Iron Works. The railroad crosses
tire Chattahooche about forty miles East of the
E,owah, and that is navigable for fat boats to
Columbus, the head of steamboat navigation -
The country on each side of the Chattahoochle
is like that ON the borders of the Coosa and A!a
bama. When the convenience Of the ore 10 beds
Of good Limestone, adds greatly to its lmpor-
lance. There are places where ali the materials,
Ore, Limestone, abundance of fuel and good
water power mag be Obtained within tho COM
pass of three or four miles, in one instance OF
one mile.
The hills, which will not repay cultivation,
and which contain these ore beds, are covered
with good growth Of oak, hickory, chestnut
and yellow pine; and the land three or four years
ago could be purchased from S5 10 $40 per lot
OF forty acres. But the rich bottom lands were
worth about $50 per acre. 1.:ese are extensive
fields, generally planted with the the tall South
eTn corn, and yielding large crops.
Most OF the Iron which supplies the States OF
Georgia and Alabama has been brought from
North Carolina and Tennessee. Two years since
the only furnace in operation in Georgia was a
small one in this district have described. II
could not then keep those supplied who came to
it for Iron. Since that time some farther i'm
provemcnts have been made there.
There is a want of Northern skill and enter
prise and capital, to render these great advanta.
ges productive. The fine climate and beauty of
the country and other inducements have led
many there from the North, but none yet who
have the means to improve its resources in Iron.
One man from Pennsylvania, first contractor
I..@ nF.I n