Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1858-07-01
NOTES OF TRAVEL.
Correspondence of the Belmont Chronicle.
WAKEFIELD, Lancaster Co., Pa.,)
18th June. 1858.

T 18th June, lS5S-
! Mr.. EDITeR: left Cecil county on Il
18th inst. A friend there who. being po
, sessed of many of the conveniences of tn
world, volunteered to carry me over hel
in his gig, sffordirg me time to see Il
country at my leisure. With due apprec
alton of his gratitude, | accepted. TIL
morning was very fine when we starte,
the sun gimmering through white opacit
gave the verdaLt earth that dreamy spell
= binding charm that summer only brings
The country being sandy, with good
quantity of pebbles, the roads are neve
SO bad as when the limestones are NOR
abundant; and then they were just dam
enough to sti II the smallest particle o
sand. The country, as | before remarked
is very fine. nave never seen finer lay
ing lands for farming purposes, but thu
labor it requires in preparation for a croI
is immense. For corn it requires lining
each year, which costs from IA to l6 cent.
per burhel, and from thirty to fifty bushels
are used to the acre. For wheat lime il
no: used more than once every third year
this process is absolutely necessary to the
production of a cIop. When Carefully
farmed, do not see much differenci in the
amount produced, ard wheat here is not
injured by fly or other insects as in Mary
land Very much of what constitutes the
best farms now, were barren but q few
years ago; but there are thousands of scres
that can never be farmed, the whole sur
face being covered with large granite
rock and scrub pine. But still, strange to
say. they have become valuable. Many
hundreds of acres have been scimmed 10
the depth of three and four feet in search
of crome. This is called the surface Dig
gng, and all the earth requires washing to
procure it, as much of it il fine as blotiing
sand.
But | visited the large quarry. The
word quarry scarcely conveys proper
idea OF these diggings, and therefore will
attempt a brief description. But first le,
me say that about sixteen years ago this
valuable mineral was discovered bv dn En-
glishman, who had been procured upon the
sUpposition that erome there existed, for
that purpose. From tlat year until the
present these mines have been orked sue
cessfuly. They are located on the Souib
slope OF a hill, in boCy of timber, in this
county, and but for the immense piles Of
stones and stupendous works Tor drawing
water and car, nothing more than ordinary
would be discovered. From tie point
where the first rock was broken, the mines
have descended TO the depth of three hun
dred feet. This distance is reached by
means of simple ladders, with rests bewn
in the rock at The distance of twenty feet, |
and thrice day these groVellers in the |
bowels of the earth have this giddy height
to climb After you reach the bottom o.
the pit you turn South and descend dip
the drift of the oar--sixty feet deeper
This is the extreme depth, three hundred
and sixty fe' t. The crome is found in the
interstices OF very compact rick, which
requires blasting; some of it in Did pieces.
Cd ltu IUIh CiOucs ouu co"C IA
particles, resembling surface specimens.--
The fine or me requires washing, to rid il
o. anv extraneous substances that may
have mingled; and this is done by means
of the wafer pumped from the mines. The
water is drawn from the mines, through a
stock three hundred and sixty-six feet in
length aud twelve inches in diameter, by
means of wAter power afforded by the
stream Octoraro. About twelve gallon,
are thrown out at each lift. The power is
about five hundred yards from the stock.
but the leverage is supported by means Of
rollers, set at the distance OF twenty PAGES.
The ater, when thrown out, is conducted
bv meals o. troughs to larger tank, con-
structed for the purpose, below which are
set the washing tables. After serving,
the oar is emptied on to the tables and the
water lei on in jets of two OF thrte inches
each After washing, it is tramped. wash
ed and seined second time, and then cart
ed to the mill for pulverlz Dg. Returning
from the mill, it is barrelled and hauled TO
Port Deposit, and thence shipped | Balti-
more. The oar is raised by horse power
in tubs holding about one thousand pounds |
each. There are fifty hands emp Dyed;
and dangerous as the work may appear,
there are but few accidents occur.
The whole mines are in the ownership
of Mr.. Tyson, of Baltimore, and Certain y !
it is a mine OF wealth, as 1t sells for 20S
per ton at the mine. A new mine, close
at hand, has been recently discovered. The
magnesia mine is about mile distant from
the crome IL is dug from the side bank,
they do not burroHgh. There are some
fine slate quarries about four miles rom
here on the Susquehanna, which will try
and visit on Tomorrow.
w kefrld and neighborbood is remarka-
bly, healthy. No disease of ny character
is here now, and 10 witness the pleasant
valies, rich with fruit and studded with
fine farm houses, and grazed by the best Of
stock, is enchanting.
Yours, &C., B-PH.
MILL Town, New Castle Co, Del.
"a June, 1858.
Mr.. EDITOR: On the day after wrote
you last, procured saddle horse, and as
had expected to 60, visited the s late quar-
res. The road lay through a bushy piece
of woodland, pursuing the downward course
of smal Il strea N of limpid water, turning
two or three grist mills and a woolen fac
tory before pouring out into the biliowy