Lynchburg daily Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1852-1861, 1854-05-03
From the American Statesman.
The Minerals Of East Tennessee.

in the streets of any of our villages towns,
that copper. zinc. lead some other metal ~ not
the engfossng subject. Almost every one thht
Won meet has his pocket full Of rocks, and for
tune If hundreds Of thousands of dollars is just
within his grasp. Every ridge and mountain IN
this section i undergoing the strietesi scrutiny
and investigation that the thirst for money can
/ excite Aud II our Geologist and Mineraiogist
who has been lately elected by our Legislature
will pay visit and faithfully examine one nan
the specimens OF metals that will be continually
thrust under his observation he will be the best
worked man in the State.
We have heretofore noticed IN n snmey hat
desultery way the reports of discoveries OF met
/ also that have been brought Ia our notice. But
this interest is becoming 80 important aud at
/ tracing the attention Of such large number OF
our population that IL deserves the particular at
teniion and fostering influence Of the press
Several years ago the first indications of copper
! were found at Ducktowu In Polk County IN this
i state But If we are not mistaken IL Is scarcely
two years since any attempt was made Ia work
the mines The first attempt OF this kind,
I though without the application of much skill on
account of the abundance, and the ease with
which the ore was obtained andi richness, some
times yielding from 10 To ~ per cent of pure
! metal proved successful. The location of the
! mines IL in the midst Of the mountnins-the pop
/ ulation was very sparse and there were no roads
! until the owner, OF mines opened highways to
/ the East Tennes see and Georgia Railroad and
the Ocoee River. Within the last year lands in
this neighborhood have increased in yaluo to IA
wonderful extent. Quarter sections ti60 acres)
have been estimated nj from fifty To five hum
bred thousand dollars. And real sales have
been made and offers refused at these prices
One Of the richest OF these mnesit was said, was
sold few years since for pet bear. II would
now obably, command from half To n million
Of dollars.
,...4, &C
per is taken out by the several companies Of
these mines per day. Bot understand that
one company il delivering about forty tons per
day ~ Charleston or the Hiwassee River to be
sent off by the East Tennessee and Ga, Rail
road. And we must suppose the amount taken
from the mines 10 be very large as it is aaid one
lahorer can dig a ton 81 the ore per day. The
is satd 10 be worth about II hundred dollars
pcr ton. This for profits beats the California
and Australia "diggins all hollow" aud we should
believe there was considerable exaggerhtion in
the statement, If we had net been assured 10y Sc
SeHl respectable gentlemen, that this is II rea-
sonablc estimate. The ore is sold in New Y DIRK
at from - To 100 dollars per ton so that il is
sonable Ia set II down as being worth an NV
emgo, one hundred dollars per ton at the mines
when taken out. From all the experiments yet
made the supplies ot ore seem To be inc xhausta-
bic. We hive understood that an English min
crnlogist, who lately visited tlpesc mines, stated
that there was more copper IN four miles Of Duck
Town, than was in ali England. The ridges of
mountains containing the copper at Duck Town
run through the whole length n East Tenne ssce.
They pass through the Counties of Polk, Nc
Mimi, Monroe. Blount, Sewer, Cooke. Greene,
Washington, sullivan, and into line State of Nir-
gna.
Certain evidences az copper iavc been found
we understand IN McMimi, Monre, and Blount
Counties, the three nearest counties to Polk and
the specimens Indicate thnt tbcorr of these couu-
tues II rs rich rs that at Polk ,bWt we have heard
rs yet OF no explorations al any Importance being
made by digging sinking shafts. We are sat
isfrd, however, hHt ooi+i,er in barge quantities
will be found in all the counties through which
these ranges Of mountains pass Several weeks
since, some al our adventurous rasi fennessccuus
went ON prospecting expedition 10 Graysou
County Virginia. They there fonod copper ore
IN vas, abundance believed II possible 10 exceed
the rich mines Of Polk county in this State. 4
large number of specimens were exhibited i'm uur
streets Il few Days since from thoec mines, about
which there could he no mistake. he nntirnl
copper was clearly ,hsoernihle in the rock in large
and uumstalIablc Jumps
From three To five millions Of doilars worth of
copper ore will be taken from the mines in Polk
county the present year As yet, understand
but one company has got fairly TO work, though
IN short time eight or ten companies will
be fairly under way, and in the course of three
orfour years the amount of copper taken from
East tennessee and Virginia, will probably equal
IN value the amount of gold now brought from
California, All the Indications Of copper yet
found in this section have been discovered almost
entirely by persons possessing but little knowl-
edge of lhineraogy, and there has been but little
! application of skill aud science in the working of
the mines We are in great want oi scientific
hlneralogsts and biologists 10 explore our noun
tilns. some lew are now among us, h ut there is
II very large field for others, and we can assure
them they will find one of the most interesting
countries TO the scientific mind BE- leo found in the
world
Besides the copper orc zinc has beer, di scovor-
/ ed in the county of Jefferson, at Mos sy Greek
and at cambridge, and ia short time the extent
and richness Of the will be tested, SILL rich
or specimens of zinc have been found 1T is beev-
ed, IN the counties of Campbell and Claiborne
which will also be tested in short time.
Lead has been found in almost every county
| in East Tennessee, but has attracted very little
attention in consequence of its being overshad
owed by the excitement about copper and zinc
But our mountains abound in coal and iron of tn,
very best quality, exceeding any part of tn,
world. Theron of East Tennessee, has attain
ed celebrity, we understand, at Louisville, Gin.
cinnati, and Pittsburg. And some Northern
manufacturers who have lately established them
selves here, have pronounced il the finest in the
! Union. Along the whole margin of the Cumber-
land Mountains in the counties of Roane, Nor
! gan, Anderson, Scott, Campbell, and Claiborne,
coal and iron ore is found in such close proximity
that II Is believed iron can be manufactured
cheaper than in any other part of the world.
The GuANo TRADE-IMpoRrANr MOVEMENT.
1t is stated that the agent of the Peruvian Gov
eminent centempates the removal of the agency
tpaf.. n.,1t IL