Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1860-01-13

its seat in Wall street and other similar gather
starts Il business with m Investment oi ;ln,0 900.
and realizes profit oi fifty per cent, lie will
consider it Il good enterprise. Surprising now,
he can make sales 10 such ar amount and IN
. such timr f he should feel inclined, never
; theless, to invest $50 ,00D or 800, GOO, in the
same line, he would soon iiud his income re.
ducrl to or 10 per cent This is practical
| illustration of the manner in which our mines
have been started and carried On. Instead OF
investing capital in proportion 10 tlc value Of
the mine, through ignorance, ar worse yet,
purposely, 4 company is formed with stock Of
a nominal value, far ahove the value Of the
property But this is only the beginning Of the
game Some influential specuntors are duly
elected presidents, directors, secretaries. &c.
with ext,ayagant salaries of 80 900 or $4,000
each; geologiSts write glowing reports on the
character and resources ni the mine, runlorS
are purposcly circulated respecting the iahu-
lous metallic wealth Of the vein, and the natural
times it's original value. The knowing sprcu-
| iaturs sell out their shares, and nunber OF
fools lose their money. Then the same spccu-
lators cause the stock to go down to almos,
nothing. i'll order to purchase again ard to re-.
peat the same game, until all confidence is lost
and mining coniennca iS worthless Srccrl-
lation.
SECOND drawback, especially in u,eIa
mining, is the want Of skilllu lahorerS familiar.
with the practical lnanipulations in the niuc
and the dressing Of ores, as also The want in
experimenting officers Of thorough theoreti-
cal and practical education, and with sufficient
experience collected in well established work
ings
To make Il ulne pay, il is Of the first i'm
portance TO ascertain whether the vein, bed or
deposit discovered. be true mineral vein Or
of n sufficient magnitude to make returns.
If this be proved to he satisfactory. the ST.
cond consideration is, to adopt means and sys
TENS for the working Of the mine III accordance
with strict economy, the nature Of the mineral
and the character uf the vein Or deposit. in
order to safely perform l.i<, much knowledge,
experience and skill are required and expected
irom those who have charge Vi such works.
Without knowledge Of Geology, Mineraogy,
Chemistry, Surveying, the praclics and know
ledge Of the different Systelus Of mining, u
thorough acquaintance with machinery used
as motive power and in dressing ores, the
manager OF a mine will often DE at a loss how
to proceed Geology nstructs Us as 10 tho n.
riouS materials ufwhich the ernst Of The earth
is composed, and the manner in which these
materials generally, and those OF more yauu-
BILE mineral character particularly, aro ar
ranged. M;ueraogy and Chemistry inform us
OF the true value Of minerals, ores and rocks
discovered. 4 correc; seolosco-topograph
ctr survey Of the surface. and a.detaled survey
Of the underground works as they advance,
will guide u, in carrying on tue workings
safely and economically. The knowledge of
the art Of systematic mining will give security
to the workings; and n thorough understanding
of the construction OF machines will enable the
mining officer to provide the mine with apIr".
pirate machines for draining the same. and
hosting TO daylight the ores and other male.
rials from points hundreds Of feet below the
surface. Machines and mechanical appliances
are again necessary in order to reduce the ores
to the required fineness. and to separate the
valuable metal from it's worthless mineral as
sociates.
From the aburr retnarks it will DC seen that
uining requires more skill than MAY be at first
supposed. The fine condition Of the mines in
Europe in operation regularly since the 18th
century, and carried down to a depth of nearly
1000 feet (for instance, the deepest Shaft at the
Ra,umclsbers. 200 feet, and several shafts in
Cornwall, $500 feet in depth) will bear witness
what skill and perseverance, llav" already
achieved. As matter Of course, we may
mention that capital is required 10 carry on
mining operations, and that it is by no means
economical to commence wilh scanty means in
proving and opening mine. Every spot that
shows n lump Of ore should not be regarded rs
mine, and will often prove not 10 hc such, and
few hundred dollars spent in thorough eX-
animation, directed by skilful men, may save
a large capital invested too soon in putting up
heavy machinery. 1t is to be regretted that
many of our valuable mines and properties
have already passed into the hands OF Northern
speculators, and that many such enterprises
hive had to be abandoned. after having been
ruined by the stock speculations alluded Il"
above
Our CAPITALISTS ut home should no longer
permit such valuable properties |" pass mt"
the hands of Northern men instead OF working
them themselves. That, under proper n'a',age-
menr, mines may he made to pay handsome
profits, can be proved in our own State. serc-
raj Of cur mines worked by o''r own citizens, arc
in prosperous condition and yield handsome
returns, us several Of our coal rnlir> anu canhei
coal works, the lead mines in Wythe county,
&C. Many other mineral properties, as yet
hardly known, particularly in the Western and
South Wcstern part Of the State, will be dis
covered in the course OF the geological survey
nronosed. and their value will be enormous.
II, in connection with tlie typographical en-
rineers, some efficient and energetic person Of
practical and theoretical experience ns alluded
to before, should be appointed either Temporal
rily or as permanent officer, many sections OF
the State would be represented in their true
light, Offering = fair and remnneral'e held Tor
the nutriotit advocates OF home manufactures,
and pointing ont a way for the safe a''h prolIta'
BILE investment of home capital
II the appointment is made solely with refer
ence to efficiency, the State will, with small
J,,,.,tnert ,chich will