The New York herald., 1849-02-12

recovering from the depression OF the recent war;
will soon be awakened and excited by the sams
msLia. The Mexican republic, with an organized
government and an industrious and energetic peo-
people, could soon make itself the great highway
between Europe and California for she posses
the ans and the accommod atoms 10 iurnish a
transit to emgrants better than any mode that has
been yet discovered or devised But this is not all
in the way OF aq,taiing and kicking up the excite
ment for gold hunting; for il now broken out In
tins region of the world. California presents an
El Dorado Of the most tempting description on the
Pacific coast but the Atlantic side is not without
its gold mines and mineral wealth. During tho
last few months, an old gold NINE in Virginia
has been re- opened, which ought to create as much
establishment in the present golden age of the
world, as any thing that has yet occurred in tho
discovery OF mineral wealth.
While the attention Of our citizens seems to be
directed TO California, where we have had such
glowing descriptions OF the immense deposit of
ged, we have thought proper to make some IN.
quiries about the Developments recently made
much nearer home. We have reference to the
NINE Of Stockton, Heies, Dexter & Co., near
Fredericksburg, IN spottsvlvania county, Va. This
property was purchased, short time ago, by
Mr.. Heise, formerly of the Union, one of the gen.
tlemen composing the firm, and after associatlng
others with him, an expenditure OF several thou
sand dollars was made to explore and develope II.
Fortunately, they soon found regular quartz veins,
containing gold In considerable quantities.
Commodore Stockton then became the purchaser
of an interest, and having charter granted by Ae
Virginia Legislature, the company Immediately
organized for practical oper atoms.
Since June last, the date of that organization,
the company have been engaged in sinking their
working shafts, erecting their machinery, besides
numerous out buildings necessary for their works.
and with the aid of R. G. Taylor, of philadelphia.
one of the first mneralogists In the country, they
have opened nearly fifty quartz veins, from six
inches to nine feet thick, majority OF which con-
tain gold. The only vein that ore has been taken
from, is very rich one known as the Dexter veIn
and IN fact, the first one opened on the property
From this vein, five or six tons of ore was taken
out in August, and sent to Mr.. Warwick, of this
city, for the purpose of being smelted In his fur
mace at Harlem. This was a mere experiment ;
yet the yield was near five hundred dollars of gold
to the ton of ore. Sixty pounds of ore was sent to
the mint at Philadelphia for experimental purposes,
and the company received In gold for it four hun.
| dred and ninety-four dollars.
| No other working of the ore took place until
the first of January; and this was only continued
to the S,h, with six hands. The product of that
labor was exhibited at directors meeting at the
Astor House on the llth of January, and was
proved to be worth nine thousand dollars!
| Since that time, this rich vein has been worked
| with few hands, and we are informed another
depcslte, of eight hundred ounces of gold, worth
nineteen dollars per ounce, was made at the mint
on "Wednesday All this gold has been separated
from the without the aid of machinery. The
quartz rock containing it has been broken In a
common iron mortar, and the gold separated by
pan washing. One thousand dollars has been pro-
cured from forty pounds of rock, and specimens
are frequently found worth over 800. The COM
pany's machinery will be in full operation in two
| weeks, when they expect to work from 25 to 30
tons of ore per day.
| 1t cannot be expected that the vein from which
this gold has been extracted will continue as rich
as 1t now appears but there other veins on the
property that appear to be inc xhaustible, and which
will yield, with the aid Of their machinery, from
$500 to $500 per day. The success of this enter.
prise Is now not doubted. 1t was entered into by
few gentlemen, with Commodore Stockton at
thel II head, and under his superior management
the company has the pleasure to knew that, in
stead Of paying one dollar out OF their pockets
since he was elected their president, their ma
chinery Is nearly completed, their working shafts
sunk, their buildings erected, their debts paid, and
what is better still, they have In. fund several
thousand dollars.
Unfortunately tor the mining interests of our
country, 1t has been the policy of persons entering
into this business to make 1t a stock speculation
There is no doubt that our country contains the
greatest mineral resources in the world, and it
only wants energy, with capital we'll directed, to
make what Is now considered worthless the most
productive property. No State in the Union has
greater mineral advantages than Virginia, yet for
enterprise and energy she is far behind any of her
sister States. She has iron, coal, copper, gold.
and every other mineral you can enumerate, in
abundance. Visit her gold district and you will
see a few lazy negroes, and occasionally a poor,
sickly, half starved white man, with his two or
three thousand acres of impoverished land, that
produces him yearly few barrels of corn-just
enough to keep HIM and his negroes from starving.
Perhaps in the centre of this property is rich
mine of gold or iron. If gold, he will scrape the
surface, with the aid OF his negroes and some rude
machine, invented ''a long time ago." and be for
tunate enough to collect few ounces Of gold
yearly. AS to any further exertion on his part. 1t
Is out Of the question. Virginia must be settled
by people of more energy before her greatest source
OF wealth will ever be fairly developed.
In Spotsylvanla county there are thousands Of
acres Of land, some part of 1t rich in minerals,
that can be bought for mere song. This land is
near the best of markets. and as susceptible of
Improvement any land in the world; yet there It
is, worn out, neglected, and producing nsthing
This very " hIte Hall mine was once owned in
New York, by a company composed of Messrs
Wilmot, MCfet, Curtis, Wilder, Carvill and
Richards; and no doubt many citizens now living