The Abbeville banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1847-1869, 1859-09-08
CONTRIBUTIONS TO THE GEOGNOSY OF ABB
BEVILLE DISTRICT.
CAMP GE"L. SURVEY So. Ci.;I
August, !cJ9.
NUMBER. II.

Mn. EDiroE hDBENILLE BASSEK:
Having cursorily noticed the various rocks
of the Savannah half of Abbcvillc, we may
now ucvote Il few words to the minerals Of
economic Importance.
Gold is SO satisfactorily represented by
Dorn's mine, that although there number
Of other occurrences Of that metal, it is scarce
ly necessary just now to allude to them, for
this article has already outgrown its intended
dimensions. A description Of this mine was
given some time since in the Farmer and
P"nter, and believe you have furnished
your readers with extracts. The only matter
in connection with gold TO which ! should ad-
dtionally desire to call your attention, is the
fact that Immediately south and southeast Of
Lowndcsvillc there occurs II body of precisely
the same slate at Dorn's mine, striking some
what north Of east. OF course my time is too
limited to have been nhle to institute any un-
deryround explorations sufficient to settle the
economic question suggested beyond dispute
To enter into any mining operations for the
purpose of actually determining the facts as to
| the quantity Of gold present must be left to
those whose interests are more Immediately
concerned. My services in such cases must re-
main Indicative; or the duties. laLors and cx-
Pcnscs would be incalculablc. I mention this
on account Of those misconceptions which oc.
eur now and then. In the case here referred
to there are siliceous beds OF veins resembling
those of Dorn's and similar mines. They
abound too in the cubiform remains of iron
pyritcs. and arc thus of promising appearance,
although do not know that any attention has
been paid to them Mt this point though in
the same rock formation gold has been worked
to small extent north west, or rather west of
Lowndcsvilc.
Lead Is found in vein near Parsons Noun
tain on the land Of Mr.. Isaac Kennedy. This
vein belongs to a class which invariably in
depth lca'lsto copper.
Copper will expect also be found in vein
| of Mr.. VIM Halls in the extreme northern
part OF your district, not far from Rocky River
This vein also belongs to the Carolina Type,
(scc Report lII.) nol us far as it was possible
| t" Judge from the mere outcrop is Of very
| promising nature. Mr.. Hall has commenced
underground explorations.
While on the subject of copper, l would beg
You to permit me through the columns of Your
paper to correct an erroneous imprcssion-to
| ME, admit, difficult to unlcrstanl-wlich
| observed in recent notice of my last Report
in another journal. I;y some very unaccount
able mistake it was supposed that I had assert
ell our State TO be separated from the cuprifer-
Gus region by the Blue Ridge, while have en-.
braced every single occasion, which was afford
cd Inc to express my conviction that good COP
per veins on our side Of the Blue Ridge are far
more reliable than those which are worked on
its western side. The Blue Ridge is the divi-
ding line between two grand types Of cupre-
tirous veins, which described rs the Duck
| town CTcnneasec) aud the Carolina types
classes especially different, although both con.
tnining the same metal. The Ducktuwn veins
MS far as 1t is possible to judge. Of local forrna.
ton and limited down~a:L extent, while the
Carolina veins belong to the class Of persistent
or Permanent veins. The latter closely rcse,r,-
blcs the most Of the European copper veins,
which have been worked for centuries AS
Yet the real ore which l'as been exported frorl
Dncktown in large quantities is merely dcri-
we'd from that portion Of the veins. where the
action Of the atmosphere and Of water has
concentrated with comparatively small space
the entire quantity Of copper, which was orig
| nally diffuscd through much greater space.
1t is what may he called a secondary ore. BE.
low the action Of corroding influences the un-
altered copper ore is so Intimately mixed with
iron pyrites, that they have not been able to
make it available. Nor is it at all likely that
even this poor ore will continue onward for
any great depth. The Third Report re fers TO
Greenvlle and Pckens Districts, and it was
stated only with regard to- them; that cop
per had not yet been found in quantity The
search for copper in those portions of our
State, where the metal is most likely to
abound hns been exceedingly limitcd-gold
usually engrossing the entire attention Of those
interested in mining operations-so that we are
forced to defer to the future almost all practi-
cal knowledge Of the commercial resources Of
our State i'll this respect. The prospect is how
ever very promising
Iron occurs in magnetic, specular and hydra
ted ore in the vicinity of Calhoun's Mills, not
in sufficient quantity however to be worked
Nevertheless. even if the ore were sufficient
ly abundant, the still unaJolished fence laws
would prevent its being rendered available
They have already proved fatal to the once ex-
tensisc iron production of Spartanburg. and
certainly no iron production dependent on
charcoal could in its struggling infancy resist
their bancful influence.
In Northern ALbcvillc occurs fine porcel.
lan-clay, which may some day be rendered
serviceaLle, especially as the felA*par needed in
the manufacture Of the better Kinds of crock.
cry, abound in it's immediate vicinity. Some
very beautiful an.ethysts are found not far from
the same spot; but l. have already detained
your attention too long to desire to extend
these notes any farther, and therefore beg leave
to sign myself, yours,
| Very respectfully,
| OSCAR NJ. LIEDER,
State Geologist s. G..
|