Lynchburg daily Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1852-1861, 1855-06-23

far as the eye could see, that was not only mt
poor. but trtrsmeiy FIRTH. And yet We ware told
that the season had been very bad: that last year.
in addition to the drought. the meadows had been
eaten bare by swarms of locuSt and that the green
manile whisb now covered them. was a feeble and
imperfect specimen Of what under favorable cir.
cuinstances the land would exhibit And here
| must say what have omitted before, that this
was the anyer saltemnpltipt in the Southwest
Everywhere the season was said TO have been the
worst, and the crors.the poorest samples of what
the country could show with good seasons. Yet
we were enraptured with the ever recurring scene
of fruifnlDess ard abundance the fields of living
green. which waved uxuriantly with the breeze,
covering both the hills and the meadows. II what
we saw be the had looks of the country. what must
it be when IL when ii let's on its brightest smiles
and gayest attire IL were .well for the Board
Of Trade not TO see it under moro favorable
auspices the mental effects might be dsas
trous
A sudden and heavy rainprepented US from go.
ing over the fielIs; but we were favored with u
sight oftwo three year old fat cattle, intended for
the Virginia State Fair. More beautiful animals
could hardly he imagined. They weighed 900
and 1900 or about were admirably formed; and fat
as they were. their action was lively and good
If they do not take the premium, there must be
some better cattle here than ever Game TO the
Fair before.
The crop ofwhent the farm was very large,
and seemed TO be very fine, one. but The Messrs.
MeGavock were very apprrhensiye that il had
been nearly DESTROYED by heauy frost. which
happened the Monday preceding. The injury from
that cause is not fully ascertained until the crop
is renped.
We stayed to supper at Fort Chswall,and had
a sample of what the dairy Of the South West af
ford-, as well as its excellent hpusewife,y. Tho
coffee and the tea, the varieties of bread. the but
ter, I've people, was ever such eaten ont Of South
Western Virginial) the cream. all-all were excel
lent beyond description. After these came straw
berries and cream. (yhan use that word Il wish
it distinctly understood mean it literally; for we
bid good bye 10 milk when went ever the
mountain. and never drank it exceptywhen at
least half and half never saw finer, strawber-
res-ndeed, they wereeg generally pronounced the
finest any body had seen. Asa well known friend
Of mine says, Il merely mention these things
now rs samples--as plaIks in the platform of so
cial comfort in the South West. platform shall
always swear by, whatever be the mutation and
changes of pariies
Duly Acknowledgements kindness we bed
ceived, we left Fort CLswel, and made the nine
miles to Wytheville in a.litte over hour
UytherHie has the best location of apy~of the
transmontane Virginia towns we have seeu AS far
as the surface of the land is concerned, 1t being
gently undulating and affording good view IA
round it. The streets are.wide and well laid out
and the houses very good. 1t is, indeed.
very pretty place, and there is, good IDEAL of
wealth about IT, We were treated kindly there.
We are especially obliged to Messrs. +. MEGA
vock, WIN. Gbbony, and their good ladies, for
their hospitalities.
Monday good part IF the exprditioners l,'It us;
but there were ten vet on hand to keep up the
important Investigations for which they started,
as well as 10 enjoy the good things which seemed
ready Tor US, turn where-we might. We who re-
manned spent the day in visiting the Lead Mines
of w ythe, which are located ON New River, Is
miles from Wytheville
In the language of friend, who commenced an
Editorial for OF the Lead Mines. among the
most remarkable features of South Western Nir-
ginia, are its mineral resources and upon its
remark liability in this respect, may pile up the
language of praise great way without exegge-
ration. The mines we visited are called the
''Wythe Union Lead Mines" and are owned and
worked by a company. The lead ore is gotten out
of high hill near the river whose machinery for
lifting water. crushing the that is blended
with rock and keeping up the blast is worked by
water the river, there having fall and being also
damned to give this power.
The ore occurs in a silcious limestone, general
" of white or grey color, though sometimes
blue. The veins are Irregular in dip and direc-
ton, frequently turning abruptly and sending off
leads or branches. On either side of the ore, the
enclosing material is soft on the upper side of
the vein is generally a reddish clay, while the
bottom is firmcr containing crystals of phosphate
of lead. The vein proper is generallysI2 inches
thick and yields: compact sulphuret or blue ore;
compact carbonet or grey ore;chrystalized sarbo-
net or cats tooth; carbonate and oxide, drown
and red: and finely divided sulphurat black ore
(according to Rogers, VIM. b. The blue ore
occurs in irregular masses or cups. The yield of
the rough ore from the mines is estimated at 80
per cent.
: horizontal shaft has been wrought into the
side of the hill from the plain beow.e4t great ex-
pense; but it struck below the lead veins. A per-
pendicnlar shaft has been sunk to it. distance
of 225 feet from above and used as a Shot Tower.
The shot are conveyed along the horizontal shaft
Ito which they fall in makng) by a railway.
A great many shafts have been sunk in get
ting out the ore--the veines being so irregular.
These are all distances from 20 to near 300 feet
deep. Its strange that the is raised chiefly
by hand. A like primitive system prevails at
the works, where great many processes easily
adapted to machinery, are still laboriousy per-
formed by hand The sweeps at the buddlos or
watts, for washing, are worked by hand; and it is
strange enough TO see men aud little boys, each
holding on to the end of sweep jumping up and
down rapidly and stiff, like beings possessed A
cam wheel would do the thing SO easy
The ore in the watts of running water is rapid
ly dsengaged from the earth, and the heavier
particles settl ne TO the bottom. the layers, ac-
cording to Deight, are as distinctly marked ms
could be. The operative scales off each and sep.
araes it. The coarser ores blended with stone
have first to pass through the crushers; which
are grooved rollers fitting into each other
These works produce about 500 tons of lead
per annum, which is wagoned across the country
eight or ten miles to the Virginia and Tennessee
Railroad, at Mack's Meadow, where it is put on
the train for market.
Satisfied with an investigation. returned to
Wytheville,on our way getting dinner at Raper's