The Baltimore County union. [volume] (Towsontown, Md.) 1865-1909, 1866-01-13
The Mineral Wealth Of virginia.

In Harper's Magazine for December, is a paper
on the Natural Wealth Of Virginia, giving in
formation, we have no doubt, which is entirely
new to great majority Of its readers. To many,
the knowledge obtained Of that State was con-
fined to the swamps Of the Chickahominy. the
barren sandy plains South Of the Potomac, the
dreary pines of the Wilderness, and the worn out
region around Petersburg. But he who has
campaigned in the famous Valley of Virginia,
has entered the vestibuIe of the great Agricultural
and Mineral Region of that State, destined at no
distant day to rival California in richness, and
excel it in actual value, as it lies so near to the
great centres of trade.
This golden Yone can be traced on the mapfor
more than 500 miles, from Maryland to North
Carolina, running parallel with the Allegany
mountains, and is from two to twenty miles in
width. Prof. Overman, in 1851, in work on
practical minerology says tive have belt of gold
ores of unparalleled extent, immense width, and
undoubtedly reaching TO the primatiye rock,
which cannot be less than 1000 feet deep. Here
is mass of precious metal which cannot be ex-
hausted for ages, and in this respect this region
is the most important of all known gold deposits,
California not excepted"
This gold is found in the quartz rock, which
appears to be upheaved between the granite and
slate formations. But it is not gold alone that
gives this region such great value. 1t abounds
with iron, copper, silver, tin, lead, coal, marble,
and many other valuable minerals. 5a
The writer of this article, since the suppression
Of the Rebellion, made tour througha portion
of the gold region, and gives his experience in
very interesting paper. aa
In all the localities visited, there was the same
want of intelligent exploration and working
The veins were followed until the water was
reached, and then abandoned, no arrangements
having been made for pumping the mine, when
it is known that the richness increases with
depth and the rock was reduced in very
rough and incomplete manner, by small water
mills. He visited some dozen mines that had
been previously worked with profit, and with
modern machinery, and in the hands of energet-
ic practical men, there is no calculating the
amount of riches that might be obtained, and the
effect this region may have on the future Of that
great State and of the Nation.
We will close this notice by giving an extract
from the paper in the Magazine.
''The geographical position of Virginia is most
remarkable, and few realize it until they careful
Iy examine map o: the United States. 1t is
nearer from St. Louis to Norfolk, than from st.
Louis to New Orleans. 1t is nearer by several
hundred miles from Cincinnati to Norfolk, than
from Cincinnati to New York. The shortest
pathway from the great basin of the West to
tide-water, lies directly across the State of Virgil
MIA, by route which the frosts and snow of
winter never blockade. Across this route lies
the extension of the Pacific railroad, in straight
line to the Atlantic. The lake cities, Chicago at
their head, are taking away the trade of Cinoin-
natl, Louisville, and ST. Louis, by reason of their
lying on the great water line of transportation,
leading through the great lakes, and over the
New York and Erie canal. These central cities
must and will open short route for themselves
to the Atlantic, and that route will be directly
across the State OF Virginia. The Valley of the
Ohio, and the States of Missouri, Kansas and all
the great central belt of country running back
to the rocky mountains, will soon be at the door
of Congress demanding opportunities for opening
this short cut to the Atlantic rNeA