Grass Valley telegraph., 1856-03-04
The Mineral wealth Of Connecticut.


The Mineral Wealth of Connecticut.
The discovery and working of the gold
mines of California seems to have given
new. and increased impetus to mining opera
lions all over the Union. Thousands Of re-
turned Californians are turning their atten4
ton to the searoh for, ana working OF mines
in the older States, and in many instances
with very remarkable success. The newspa-
pers Of the East are also waking up to the
Importance of this great national interest,
and are calling public attention to the min
eral deposits in their respective neighbor-
hoods. 1t will be our purpose to note such
facts as we, from time to time, meet in our
exchanges, and shall be greatly obliged to
any of our readers Vino may place before US
any such information which may come under
their observation, and which may yet escape
our own researches. We are indebted to DR..
Tibbals, of this place, for copy Of the New
Haven (Conn) "Register," containing the
following interesting information with re-
gard to the mineral resources of Connecticut.
The article originally appeared in the Hart
ford Times" and will be read with interest
by all.
THE mineral wealth of Connecticut is de-
servedly attracting the attention Of capital
lists in other States, as we'll aS in our own. It
may not be generally known. that small as
our geographical limits are, and limited as
the explorations beneath the surface have
been, we yet have in our small territory
ho,f Of HhoI Il
eral species hitherto discovered throughout
the world. 1t will probably surprise many
of our readers, who look upon the good old
State as an area of farms, to know that there
exists beneath its soil not only the more use
ful minerals, iron. copper, tin, lead and zinc,
but that we have also deposits of silver, bis
inuth, cobalt, nickel, and barytes; as well as
the rarer metals, tungsten, uranium. titapi-
hm, cOlumhrium moi oiybdenum, &c. In some
places, diamonds, emeraids, and amethysts,
have been found-in others. coal and plum
pago, while we have large deposits OF earthly
and alkaline salts. and fuXes.
Bat the deposits of iron and copper are
probably destined to be the chief sources of
wealth to the State. It has for some time
been the impr ession, that our iron mines were
tending to exhaustion; but more thorough
geographical researches, together with the
Extensive workings, throughout the north
western section of the State, of this useful
mineral have established the face that not
bne half of the workable beds in that rich
district have been uncovered. With the mod
ern improvements of the hot hair blast and
new systems Of economical working there is
no doubt but that these ore beds will con-
tinue to be worked profitably for an indefin-
ite period, and may well attract capital to
the uncovering and piercing Of new deposits,
for they must ultimately become a source of
wealth to their owners.
The copper region of the State has not vet
produced a tithe Of the important results it
is destined to. This is not from the absence
Of the metallic treasures. but because they
have not had the necessary intelligence and
capital employed in their production, With
in the past few years, this deSideratum has
been measurably supplied, and our copper
deposits have been supplying the channel Of
national commerce, to a greater extent han
is dreamed of by many in thcif Immediate Vi
cinity, The extensive workings in Bristol.
where nearly half million of dollars have
been expended, and about eighteen hundred
tons given to the trade, and which are con-
Quoted with energy, intelligence, and scien-
tifc Skill-together with the recent re-wOrk-
ings of the old Newgate mines in CRANKY,
on large yields and profitable results, indi-
cate something of what we may expect from
this mineral, when the entire resources of the
State are developed, by the discreet use of
the necessary capital and skill.
A copper mine is now being opened at Tor
fington. with promising indications. and a
new company at Bristol have also very favor
able prospects. ~,.,
In addition to the copper mines in active
operation. we have the cobalt and nickel
mine at Chatham. in healthful and energetic
working; and another of the sulphate of
barytes, at Cheshire, which is daily sending
large quantities to market. The old silver
and lead mine at Middletown, is about to be
opened under the auspices Of a recently form
ed company IN New York. and we hear of
other projected workings in different parts of
the metalliferous region.
There is little doubt but that the metallic
resources of our State are we'll deserving tho
attention of capitalists. both at home and
abroad, and we are glad to find the attention
of our solid and enterprisng men of bnsinnoo
is being directed to them. It will prove not
only profitable to the Inventors, but bene6-
cial to the community at large, by giving a
new sphere of employment for laborers, while
it increases the demand for mechanics and
mechanical work" ~
In addition to the above enumerations by
the "Times," marble, soap Estone and lime,
tthe latter of a very superior quality, known
asthe Canaan Lime'' are found in this State
IN exhanstible quantities. A company has
been formed within the past year for the ex-
tensive working of soap stone at Torrington.
on a newly discovered deposit of this ma
terial13ru vs rfw .y.sfer f.s ssfs5J
Some speculation and much curiosity has
recently obtained relative to a. locality, the
precise position of which we believe is not
Known, but which exists somewhere about