Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1853-07-08
MINING IN VIRGINIA.

MINING IN VIRGINIA.
We have long been surprised al me BIO" p'os =,
ming enterprise in Virginia No country on '"e 'a.'
e,rh Of extent possesses mineral resources 81
or so valuable as hers IT,: ::
Wherever conducted prudenlly and JudciouS'! '''s "
iocomparabIy more productive and remuhefau'e' " w po'
or nocnn,,v nro6 not only 10 The individual capitalist but
10 The community Than either agriculture OF man"iaI'"
The mining interests Of England The chief basis Oh "e'
/ ,,h J ,os,er;,v They not only give employment 10
yos, Numbers Of operaves and 10 very large pofoh VI
her mercantile marine but by the immense mineral e"Po's
h;cb they suppy always commanding ready SAFE a. 'e
highest cash p,ices create large mercantile balances ~ "
favor in every country with which she lraues' winch 80
ony be discharged by return shipments OF plou"ee' ~
are universally made for the greater part IN nfs' ~
,h ;e,o, sx,,rrs of England are her commerce VITA
the cotton exports Of the United States are 10 efs '"e
support ament and basis OF her commercial prosperity
| NO where is mining systematically eohuu.e" 90 "
eo,ana Ills there pursued as business trade, an a'o
cation, 10 which the aborer serves an uppfe"'''er
which the eluraed man studies profession 10 ''e,
,s s,sc;,,Iy The United States. it has been followed
moro os lottery and as an adventure than as Regular
n,,e,r Rut in Great Britain enter The oushesS ~
Gated TO it, knowing thoroughly the conditions OF
failure; aud more imporan, than all, WIN sum-.
amour, Of monied capital 10 make the result certain '"o
profit :. o,oe 400.
The consequence is that although the English ores o. eve
~ metal are less rich than those OF The unie" So
extensively Astounding and have 10 De sought "''o "
den,bs OF the earth the English mining STOCKS anu
investments are the most productive Oh 'l'e aug
appears from The Mining Journal that many Oh ,'" an
III divide dividends ranging from lGO 10 SUI
a. n,, nor ,,num upon their capital stock As ai'olu'"s
soma idea ,t IN. value of the mining interests "'
!, i srfIcion 10 state that the capital stock {" % S
comnooies in Cornwall whose aggregate par 49, -
sc 96l $780, l. now worth in the marker si'0'o' H.;
per cent premium, although % OF 'ne'h nave ~
dends TO the amount of Sl94364oO
Such Is the value and produciveness OF h"s"'" ,
/, the United States the mining interest 'doo'e "
lin. ,de ,, evils under which il still abofs III 'he'''''
o,mrIv of being conducted lst with0ula sui'.'" p
minory investment Of capital in the proper machinery anu
. a., ;, -, sbafts and underground galleries; "a, W
- i,o,,o, - and utterly unsked in the arl; ahu d. as
40 dyan,ur. or game Of chance which was aoanuohcu 'e
.,, dis.,nuintment overlook the eSpecant oi !hieu'
ale wealth VI;
We trust these radical irrcts viii soon oe cu'e' III "
GINA and thai vast mineral resources WIN SOON oe
Inc subject patient well instructed sKlu' eh'p'e' sup
nre, by nd, qate investments oil money capital aea"S
are evidences oi such result presenting themselves 10 u
fcn nar,s ., The State II will be sering valuable pub
lie end for tic press Of Virginia 10 poht out as 'eit means
Of information permit, her mineral resources and localities
yirb view OF inviting here educated and experienced MI
from abroad az well men who have the capital and sci
nce reous, 10 success in the business, operatives WIN
mir families whose skill and experience viii ensure me
hiphest degree. al profit while they will augment the nohs
trial population Of the State.
The immediate occasion o these observations has been
most ting ann exploration made by the writer e
other day in some OF The gold mines OF Buckingham cou"
~ Il is singular fact that in the very as' 81 'i pre-
y,,ne e,c.nen, in regard to the gold mines of California
iuoa,r Is
ondon that gold is picked OF surface cuts 10 inc a'er
oo,,rv in lunps OF l2U lbs weight English companies are
purchasing large gold properties in The county oil bucS"g
h !, old Virginia Tie explanation Of the anomaly Is
smnlv this II is demonstrated. beyond question: tha gou
mining as business be most probably conducted 10
S,a,. with proper outlay OF capital in machinery ana
excavations.
This s all tina, John Bull wants TO know He Knows iat
mining or rather gold hunting is still an adventure ioe-
~ game OF hazard in the new Eldoradoes,-hat prices
no sell of labor OF u things ese are, in California ana
Australia high uctuating and unseady and mat nothing
in those countries of tho OF settled business
bu, everything of gambling or adventure SO John Bull In
vests largely in the gold mines of Virginia. where the law is
where government strong where institutions
and where prices steady and leaves secu-
laton gambling and luck to be pursued in California and
Australia by cdrcnt,rerS Of which lie is not one
1t is fact mol generally known that there runs along The
whole Atlantic slope Of the u States East OF the Allegheny
Mountains from Maine Georgia, in The direction OF
Northeast and Southwest aurifcous belt OF country
three hundred yards in width bearing golden
ore in large portion of liz course 100 poor 10 De "o'heo
with profit; bu many different points as in SpolsySania
Fuvanna and buckingham counties, Virginia. Charlotte
n North Carolina; and Dahonega in Georgia. concentrating
into veins remarkable richucse.
The mines of Charlotte and Dahonega. are well known
and been So very productive long have induced
the establishment branch mnts in their vicinity by ht
General Government
The mines OF Fluvanna in this Stale, have been worked
for several years by Commodore Stockton, with very SUI
perior machinery and very considerable outlay OF capal
but how successfully, we know not.
The mines OF Buckingham county have been worked su
perciay for many years They recently been made The
subject OF minute and thorough geological surveys bJ
English mincrnogsts and have elected from these scientific
men very nat!erng reports The celebrated professor Ans
Ted Of London who recently published several letters in tho
London Times defending the South from the aspersiuns
Mrs Stowe wrote from personal observation made during
visit exploration OF the coal beds in Western Flg
MIA and these Buckingham gold mines in Eastern Virginia
He examined aud explored the mines in Buckingham known
as The "Garnet hoseey and report very strongly in
their favor; but did examine either OF The other mines IL
| that county.
The mines Buckingham, have for the most pari been
worked ultiv and supcthclaly Tor many years, aimos
wholly from , surface If shafts sunk they wer,
sunk only 10 The level water there abandoned AT the
very point where veins found Become richest
Yet though worked rudty and specifically altogether
by native labor and with little mining skill experience they
have all paid we'll Some OF them have yielded large
of guJ and many hundreds Of thousands OF dollars have been
extracted in The county The veins upon the mining proper
ties are rich and productive from the surface but concentrate
and become richer they ssunk deeper Not only is
gold obtane from the veins but the beds of many OF the
streams have cen worked for considerable distances and
large amounts Of the metal have been thus derived The
aynes of tbs, streams said by who have seen
both 10 pre-, s,y resemble the plarers OF California.
From the. general remarks as 10 super fetal and rude
working m excepted Of late the Ganctt and Aloseicy
mines which lie near the foot of that singular geological
phenomenon the Willis Mounain--an immense mass OF
rock standing solitary alone, in undulang Piedmont
country doubtless the work Of volcanic CONFUSION Geoo
gis suppose tina, superior richness of the so! veins in
Buckingham the result Of the volcanic action
which has created this huge solitary mass OF rock.