Semi-weekly standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1853-18??, 1854-12-13
LETTER FROM PROF. EMMoNs.
For Che North Carolina Standard.


My former communications have related to the
Agricultural interests of North Carolina; interests
which of all others stand first and foremost in this
State. say this, well knowing that it must be the
sense of every rejecting man in the community.
This view does not lessen belittle any other in
terest so long we must all have bread and meat
and so long as trequires very large proportion OF
the aborers to produce the required sustenance for
the agricultural and non-agricutural consumers. l
have not deemed it necessary to present to the pub
lie my views upon the mining interests of North
Carolina; those interests were being promoted by
numerous observers, and certainly for the last eigh
teen months required stimulants to ensure atten-
tion At the present time, however, something
should be said upon this subject it should be gen.
orally known to the people Of this State whether
the present acknowledged depreciation of mining
property is owing to poverty and failure of the
mines themselves, or to extraneous causes. have
looked at this subject With the care its Importance
required. l have carefully examined all lis large
and well developed mines, and very large proper
ton of those which are only partially explored, TAX
ing their dimensions in length and depth, and not
ing at the same time the Irregularities and disturb
to which they have been subjected the amount
of metal they carry, etc. in order that the whole
subject may be understood by those who are partic
ularly interested in this kind of property. These
details however will not be interesting to major
ity of the readers of this publication they there
fore reserved for my forthcoming report to the Leg
islature of this State, in session. In sustaining
the favorable views entertain of the mineral wealth
of North Carolina, | will mention number of pro-
ducts which single district may transport to mar
ket when the means have been completed which are
in state of forwardness 1 allude to the parts
of Chatham and Moore bordering upon Deep River.
have found, first, inexhaustibe beds of roofing
slate article which is not only excellent for roof
ing but when quarried in thicker layers than are
required for this purpose, is adapted to great va
riety of other purposes. These states and flags
largely developed upon Rocky River, and not far
from Louisville on the south side of Deep River.
1t may superhuous to mention the coal of Deep
River, but the opinions which were expressed in
may state in passing that have been fully sustain
ed by Developments and by the opinions of able
Biologists. The coal of Deep River, had it have
been in market any time during the last ten months,
could have sold for ten and twelve dollars per ton.
In connexion with the coal of Deep River, have
traced bed of iron ore, which in many places is
from ten to fifteen fee. thick which appears along
the outcrop of the coal series at many points for
fifteen miles. In addition to this vast quantity of
iron, the Deep River section furnishes also inexhaus
tble quantities of very fine of iron in the states
of an older formation than the coal SERIES Besides
the foregoing indispensable products, this section
furnishes the finest of fire clays freestones red and
gray, grindstone and milestone grits, of valuable
qualities. These all connected with the coal Sc
res excepting the roofing sate) and these also form
elsewhere important mining products The soap
stone, which belongs to the primary SERIES is mex
haustible and its quality being far superior any
rety of this rock which have known in the north
ern markets, will unquestionably bear transporta
ton to New York and other northern Cities where
there large demands for it for the lining of
and furnaces and many purposes in the arts, and for
domestic uses. The foregoing mineral products
be explored here, not simply because they exist in
quantities. but because the region is rich agricul
tural also, and in its borders support
dense population as any rural district in the king
dom of Great Britain.
1t becomes necessary, without further delay, to
speak of the larger gold and copper mines of the
State; for, these have made something of a stir
in market and at one time several of them comman
ded high prices, and as they are at this time in a
very deprecated state it is important to ascertain
whether the latter arises from elimination of met
al, from the operation of causes which entire
ly independent of their intrinsic worth The first
fact, which has bearing upon these questions is,
that they have changed hands and have fallen in
their management upon men who had no expert
ence in conducting mining operations. Another
fact is that the first class mines had been
fully and proftaby worked before their SALE The
mines which regard being worthy of place in
the first class the Gold Hill, McCullock, Fen
tress, Conrad Hill, Jones', and three four in
Mecklenburg and Cabarrus and the Gardner mine.
Others should be placed in this class, but the five
first designated have served to give character to
North Carolina mining interests. These mines have
paid large profits, and now some of them are in the
hands of trustees, and advertised for sale and
the impression abroad is that they have out So
far from this being So a recent examination proves
that they in better condition for yielding prof
its than ever; that they have been explored the
veins have improved in the quantity of metal which
they carry The Fentress mine has d feet in thick
of yellow sulphuret of copper. The McCullock
mine yielded $500 worth weekly of gold. The
Jones mine, though worked by Baltimore Compa-
ny at exceeding great loss, is to be worked
again by its enterprisDg and intelligent owner Mr..
Fisher. There is no diminuton of ore of it's rich
ness, according to my most recent examination. The
causes of depreciation to come at to the point
the introduction of bad machinery, and second,
of extravaganza in conducting all their mining ope
rations. Of bad machinery, l may say, unequvo-
cally that Burdan's machine has caused the entire
failure of a rich Baltimore company in working the
Jones mine, and has also failed in working kind of
which well adapted to success. if the
principle of the machine had not been essentially
wrong. Many of these machines have been brought
into the State and failure has followed in every
stance, believe.
Leaving the present state of the money market
out of view all the instances of loss in working the
first class mines, may be traced to the extravagant
expenditure, and the character of the untried
chinery which has been employed. The mines them
selves have sustained their former richness, and the
increase of ore downward has been perceptble, and
There is, therefore, not the least ground to be dis
couraged at the present mining prospect of this
State 1t is not the place to state the instances of
msnanagement, and to demonstrate the fact in par
ticular cases. but there are many persons who know
the facts and satisfied of the ectness of my
position. The evil referred to will necessarily cor
rect ITSELF The evils though great will result in
entire change to the profits to be sought in min
ing. Instead of seeking profits in the fluctuations
which can be made in this kind of business, by fc
titious representations of value, they will be sought
from the products of the mines in dividends. Econ
omy in working them will be maintained. A lesson
has been taught, that rich mines may be worked at
loss especially when salaries equal to the first of
fcoS in he pOva rpD to M N.