Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1856-05-15
For the Yorkville Enquirer.
MINERAL RESOURCES OF YORK.

MINERAL RESOURCES OF YORK.
M,ssrs. Editors:-As you have expressed de-
sire for further communications respecting the
progress of the meteorological and geological sur
vey of York District, take pleasure in informing
you of some facts relative to that porion, so rich
in various minerals, which extends between the
ranges of Kings Mountain and Whitskers Noun.
tain.
This wedge. shaped belt, which widens towards
the Southwest, is, perhaps, the most interesting
portion Of the State to the miner and to all enga-
ged in those pursuits, which depend upon the
practical application of the sciences of geology
and mineralogy. 1t extends from the highest
peak of Kings Mountain, into Spartanburg Dis
trict and contains the different limestone belts,
the iron-beds, manganese, gold, lead and copper
veins, and, and the itacolumite or flexible quartz
rock, which, only in spart&nburg exhibits its
greatest degree Of elasticity 1t is this rock which
Humboldt regards as the true motber-rock Of the
diamond, and it is singular indeed, that this miner
our State.
The limestone belts, of which there ore two prom
inent ones, really belong to the original bed
and have been separated only by the parallel folds
characteristic of all the ridges connected with
the Alleghanian chain, and by subsequent denuds-
ton, bed OF ttalcoargllaceous slate suitable for
roofing purposes, occurring between. These belts
may be traced from the North Carolina lire to
| ;n,a okopa and 81
to be in connection with the aacolute the main bo-
dy of which underlies them, while frequent inter-
stratifcations of tacose slate occur in both. am
indebted to Thomas P. Black, Esq, for being able
to point out third, North Western bed of lime
stone IL feet in diameter, which is exposed on the
South Eastern point of Whitaker's Mountain, and
which has not hitherto been worked, and has, in
deed, been known to one or two individuals only
1t is of a coarse but good quality, and resembles
the limestones of Spartanburg. OF the iron-ore,
magnetic, specular and red hydrated peroxide, it
will scarcely be necessary to say much here, as
they have been sufficiently tried to prove their e1-
cellence. The gold has not been worked much in
this belt except at Briggs mine in North Carolina
though aurferous quartz is seen at various points
on the East side Of this mineral belt, and almost
all the streams contain some gold in their sands
and gravels especially in little pockets or de-
pressions in their rocky bed, where the conse-
quent gyratory motion Of the water has caused
the heavy metal to separate more completely from
the sand and gravel The famous Morgan lead
and copper mine in spartanburg, (about to be pur-
chased by an English Company is on continua-
ton of these veins, so that these two valuable
metals must also be added to the list of the econ
omc minerals ofthis belt, especially as have found
both at the other extreme in Briggs gold mine
North Carolina have also latterly found cop
per pyrites in veins which had been sunk upon for
gold on the waters of Wolf Creek in this district,
where it was first discovered by Count Podezaski
Whetstoncs of q superior quality, silicious
talcose slate, of a very fine grain occur on Mr.
Cavenys land, where also other talcose states are
quarried for tombstones. Kdolin is found connec-
ted with the ron-beds of Whitaker's Mountain
known as the Hardin bank and we might also add
to the list asbestus, nesope, tale, tnrmdlne, gar
nets and heapy-spar the latter sometimes occurring
in beds or veins two feet in diameter
have taken the necessary measures to have On
accurate geodetical survey Of this regionsmade.
am gentlemen, most respectfully yours,
O. NJ L.
C,vp Nav 1896