Weekly standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1858-1865, 1861-06-12
---.. For the Standard.
CHATHAM COAL FIELDS.

CHATHAM COAL FIELDS.
Mr. EDITOR: According to promise, will give
you some account of the iron and coal-fields in
Chatham county, and what is being done in the
mines.
Arriving in that region, first visited Ore Hill,
twelve miles above Egypt, on Deep River, where l
found blast-furnace nearly ready for the blast
am indebted for much information concerning the
coal and iron deposits of this section, to the polite
ness of Mr.. B. B. Burlington, gentleman of much
skill, and who has had considerable experience in
making iron from the ore. He accompanied me to
Ore Hill, which comprises about five hundred acres
of one solid mass of ronore. l was informed and
my own judgment endorses the opinion, that this
will yield As per cent. of iron. There is large
quantity Of it already got out for the furnace This
is the kemctite ore Of which iron is made for such
articles as require great strength, such mgear,
car-wheels, cannon, &c. l was also conducted to
the dollhouse, where they have very large amount
of coal to be used in the furnace and next to the
furnace-b building, which is completed and has the
ponderous stack already up. Mr.. B. informed me
that he would be able to take out about six eight
tons Of iron per day. After survey Of the works
at this place, babe adieu to my gentlemanly con-
ductor, with hearty wish that the company may
meet with the most abundant success.
l next visited the "Gulf" on Deep River. where
found three men raising coal by hand-power, with
wind-lass The coal is obtained about twenty feet
below the surface, and they informed me that they
were taking out about one hundred bushels per day,
and the coal is of very good quality. l next came
to the Egypt coalfelds. 1t is known to the public
that the company operating here, met with serious
misfortune some three or four years ago, BY having
their shaft blown up by fre-damp. Since then, the
mine has not been worked, for want of an outlet
The Coal-field Railroad from Fayetteville is COM
peted to within two miles of this place. The com.
pany who own these mines, seeing the troubles that
were coming upon the country, and knowing that we
must soon look entirely at home for our supplies OF
coal and iron, commenced to clear the shaft OF the
water, of which it was full, to accomplish which
will involve an expense of several thousand dollars
Mr.. Mclean, who superintends the operations, in
formed me he would be able in short time, to raise
forty tons of coal per day., He said they had the
power to raise two hundred tons per day, but II
they can find sale for forty tons he could keep going
and pay expenses
Now, shall this company be sustained, or Shall
it be allowed to 60 down? that is the question
hope it will be sustained not for the benefit of few
only but for the whole State. 1t can be sustained,
and spring into new life and vgor, if the Conven-
tion in session. will authorize an appropriation
to erect rolling mill at the Coal-feds for the pur-
pose of rolling out bar-iron, railroad iron, and iron
for other purposes for the use Of the State sup
ply of coal and pigiron be furnished by ndivld-
ua enterprise, to keep the mill constantly going
Every industrial pursuit will be checked, and many
entirely stopped, unless something of this sort be
done. 1t may be said by some that the State is not
now able TO enter into this thing; so be it. And
we soon will not be able TO run our plows, nor our
mills, nor repair our railroads. build houses or
vessels. Let the enterprise be fostered by little
State aid, and we will soon be independent of the
North and of every where else in this respect at
least No richer mineral deposits lie imbedded be-
tho rfac nf tho VrouD1 than he fOun0
in North Carolina, and no State can come nearer
producing everything required to give her people
all the necessares and luxures of life, than She
1t is only necessary to go to work and develop her
natural resources to make her almost independent
Of the world and to turn the current of trade to
make her an exporting instead ofan importing people
These facts, Mr.. Editor, l have hastily thrown
together, for the consideration of the Convention
and of the State, and hope they may receive that
attention to which their importance, and not my
imperfect sketch of them is entitled.
Yours, &c, PRACTICAL.