Weekly national intelligencer. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1841-1869, 1847-12-04
MINERAL RESOURCES OF NORTH clRoLINA
FROM TIE RALEIGH nrn1sr

FROM RALEIGH REGISTER.
We copy from the {" Richmond Southener" be following
notice of the mineral wealth of North Carolina An agent Of
that paper is travelling in the western part of theSta and
derives his information from personal observation
81 visited the Washington Lead Mine near Lexington in
Davidson county. This mine accidentally by
picking up some specimens of lead and silver in snail creek
near In company with Mr. Greenfield, the genterany
perintenden made visit to the depths below and kas per-
fecy delighted as wendell my way candle in hand Through
the dark suberranean passages II that ll8ught
was getting little too bW in the world but my gudA
man OF strong and bold movement and succeeded
in nfusng into me the spirit, and before left fet
perfectly at home would in the blaze of the sumner
sun he great variety of specimens which the priced
eye will moro than compensate the trouble OF descending
hese long ladders e entire depth of the shaft is two hundred
ee ana you come back again life much wiser for having
penetrated the bowels Of the eah and deeply impressed with
Tue rue character OF that Almighty Power atwhose fiat
created The following specimens of minerals
VIZ Carbonate of lead, yielding seventy per sui
phaie Of lead, seventy per cent cabonse OF lead with
mixture of copper and silver phosphate cad glass carbon
ate of lead white carbonate Of lead, needle form zinc in
endless prousion blue vo phate copper and sui
phur abundance. here specimens Of the phosphate
of lead for the first me and they truly beautiful II is
the only mine in America which yet known have pro-
duced this description of mineral The lead of this place con-
two hundred of silver the one hundred
pennyweights of gold This mine during year, an
actual capital of only fifty thousand dollars actually cleared
twenty five thousand dollars and Mr. Greenfield told that
during the shaking of of their shafts they discovered
pocket of silver from which they procured five thousand
dollars in few weeks and he hopes that there few
left of the Sort Fhis now owned by
company from Philadelphia, who constructing engine
for puerizng the ore which will the pre-
vopsy employed and facilitate the operation perhaps four
/ fold
"The next mine which visited is situated in Rowan
ty fourteen miles from Salisbury and known Gold Ill.,
This very interesting place, not only on account of the
gold but especially reference to the population which
has been attracted here procure business &c Three
ago this place contained two three log hus and there
is population of hundred souls, and the cry is still
they come This place originally belonged to two three
individuals but recently purchases have been made by the
operatives which have increased the number of PROJECTORS
Those who lease privilege of mining pay seventh Of all
they make the proprietor equal fourteen per There
eight different mining interests Mt this place all doing WELL
understood from Mr. Randolph Gone of the popetors that
they often averaged fifty cent upon their capital and some
had done better He remakedto that he bad tried
merchandising and variety Of other pursuits but salts
fed that he had got the right occupation last This mine
has already yielded about hundred thousand dollars and
by increasing the power of the engines and the number Of
operatives they might extract millions out Of the bowels of the
earth.
"Nea Salisbury, in the county, there is Of the
best quarries oil granite that have think the
quality superior to the New Hampshire Connecticut. II
is Of blush cast, mingled with dark brown particles, which,
when finished off by the chise, really beautiful This
quarry nexhausbe Solid columns thirty feet long could
be taken here.
"There is bed Of iron in Lincoln county called Big
Ore, which is supposed to be nexhaustibIe. of fine
quality and easily worked. There is also Castor
", Lincolnton, called Yellow Bank which is sup
posed furnish iron enough for any State the Union for
the next century TO work these there in Lincoln
county three furnaces aud three orses ChalAyba county
two oges and in Castor county three forges furnace,
and rolling mill and nail factory. The rolling mill and nail
factory has recently been sold for S75000 and rented
on lease of five years for 81, 500 per aDnum.
"Withn two miles of Lincolnon there is found large
body of plunbago. have made any experiments with
it and cannot tell any thing of its qualities.
Three miles from town there is fine bed Of red chalk OF
fine quality have think that it night be
used for lead pencils, ed perhaps for painting purposes
II il for paint, (and have doubt wilL) will
yet been ascertaned. ..
"In company with Mr. H. CansIer, (who resides Lin
conton visited several gold mines contiguous the
These mines Of descriptions, viz the branch
face deposte and the regular gold ore or vein mine The
branch depose easily worked by simple process that
is by throwing the gravel containing the metal into rocker
perforated with holes. The rocker kept in motion by
person meanwhile the water is streaming upon it in
rent sufficiently large to give thorough washing The
gold and fine particles ofgraye &c descend through the holes
and the part washed BY the use of qurks
the of the rockers the PARTICLES of gold become
united and removed at the close OF each day. The
lar which the bowels the earth, IS very often
quite difficult be obtained The cost OF engines ropes
buckets, &c, together with the immense labor oil building up
the entire shaft with firm heavy logs OF green wood quite
item OF expense but in has been found to pay
we'll In travel tract OF country oil about TWO thou
sand acres about thirty forty veins OF gold ound
all of which have doubt would pay well to work them
One place where Mr. Canse had experimental TO about
twenty feet deep, of the richest quality was found, sup
posed contain twenty dollars worth OF gold to the bushe oil
oie Mr. Johnson and Mr. Canser found specimens qf gold
lin branch deposite near this rich which weighed 1893
pennyweghts These in solid mass There are now
two branch depostes this place now being slightly work
eJ-one by Mr. Shade and the other by Mr.. Sumner. AT
MI SHADES they average and halt pennyweghts
day TO the hand and expect make five thousand penny
weights in the wear with ten hands Each heavyweight
worth ninety six cents so YOU will perceive that each
will Weld four hundred and eighty dollars per gross
whereas in planting they cannot At best average more than
thirty dollars gross pC han and an told that moi one plan
= tel in five has done tn much
oThere is large he'd of ncslone which lies contiguous
to this town. and is ascetaned to be OF good quality The
. white sandstone i also found TO unlimited extent.
reruer quarry fine varcgatcd marble has been found
near tbe limestone II susceptible Of the highest polish,
and will no doubt prove equal to the real Egyptian
uDr Burop OF !nconton, has recently discovered vein
oe Lo5s LazH ulra-marne) II is Of beautiful color
and NAV no doubt prove highly valuable especially should it
yo vI with OIL Professor IRE, in his Dictionary Of Arts
81 ; 1868 saws Its price in Italy, few years ago,
ouineas the oulcc The trouble of preparing it incon
;,orohIc piece c the has b. forwarded DR., ORA
mr. EDITOR Of Kaa Chemistry Ian English work repubshed
= New York who has analysed it and pronounced to be
i of Good QUALITY believe that this is the first Laps Lazu
4 ever found in America
stecnen of elastic sandstone was shown me BY gen.
toman Of the lar residing in this place. whom it had been
nrsened THIS was found in Yancy county, in this State
i perccy plable and be bent similar piece Of In
ala rubber It's appearance said be indication of