The weekly North-Carolina standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 186?-1869, 1866-10-24

I $500, 900, which is all taken The officers of
the company, who are also the principal
owners are Thomas z Thomas, President;
S. G. Sturges, of Newark, N. j. Treasurer,
and James II. Platt Jr., of Petersburg, Va,
General Agent and Superintendent.
Operations were commenced here on the
1st of August, and Mr. Platt had steam
saw mill in full operation in just three weeks
from the day machinery left New York,
which, taking into consideration the distance
from the railroad and the nature of the roads
over which the machinery had to be hauled,
is a remarkable feat. They have also COM
pleted two story building, seventy by thir-
ty, built from material sawed at their own
mill since it was erected some six weeks ago.
The machinery to be used in mining is q
new invention recently patented by New
ark manufacturer, which, if as successful as
the experiments promise, is destined to work
an entirereyolution in the process of surface
| gold mining. Itisa combination OF the iron
barrel used in Russia and Germany and an
amaIgamating process. The barrels are
made of boiler iron, and are sixty by forty
inches inside. They have two openings,
twelve by twelve, through which the mate
rial to be washed is introduced, and out of
which the taiIings are forced after washing.
On the side of the barrel, extending its en-
tire length is pocket holding seventy
pounds of quicksilver, and in the centre of
the pocket hole one inch in diameter, in
which is fitted faucet through which the
quicksilver can be drawn off. The barrels
filled something more than half full of soil
and rock, and water enough introduced to
make the masses about the consistency of
"mush" They are then closed and revolyed
by machinery at the rate of twenty five rev.
olutions to the minute for thirty minutes,
when the quicksilver is thrown in. Every rev.
olution of the barrel then throws the quick
silver through the entire mass, and after re-
volving for another thirty minutes the bar
rels are stopped, with the pocket down. and
the openings at the side A stream of wa
ter is then introduced through hose from
the reservoir, and the tailings washed off,
leaving the quicksilver in the pocket with
all the gold previously contained in the ma
terial adhering to the mercury 1t is sim
pie, complete and beautiful process, and
promises to be a remarkable success.
have not the time, and fear you would
not spare the space, to give minute account
of all have seen here The work is Dcing
driven forward with energy and rapidity 1
have never seen surpassed, and with an econ
| omy really astonishing As there is none of
| the stock of the company for sale cannot be
accused of writing in their interest, and I
can hardly trust myself to write all I hon
estly believe in regard to this mine Gold
! has been found all about this section in pay
| ing quantities, but it is remarkable fact, in
every instance. that the veins struck have
all run into the :" Potts" mine. and I conf
| IDENTIFY believe that sooner or later the main
vein from which all this wealth has flowed
will be found on this property. Wonderful
as the statement may seem, it is yet fact
| that the deepest excavation ever made by
| any of those who have worked the mine
hardly reaches twenty feet, if / except an at
| tempt to sink an Artesian well made many
! years ago and abandoned on striking trap
| rock at depth of eighty feet. ~
Unmistakable evidences of volcanic action
and former submersion exist all over the
property, and in some great convulsion of
nature the gold was deposited where it is
| now so plentifully found.
North Carolina is unquestionably one of
the richest States in the Union in minerals
The cost of mining here hears no proportion
to the great cost in more distant localities,
where wood and labor are scarce and held
at enormous prices. The only things neces-
sary to develop her immenee wealth are in
telligent labor and available capital, and I
| do not believe the world can show more
promising field for the profitable employment
| of these great agencies. The success of the
Ports Gold Mining Company will doubtless
stimulate inquiry in this direction, and
should any person who may read this letter
be induced by it to visit North Carolina for
the purpose of investigating the mining adj
vantages of the State he may call on me for
his expenses if the trip does more than re-
pay him. The climate among these noun
tains is temperate and rarely subject to ex-
tremes. The air and water are pure and
heathful, and the people hospitable and will
lig to welcome Northern men who come here
to invest capital or assist in developing their
resources.
Mr.. Platt assures me he has met only kind
ness from all classes, though well known to
have been in the Northern army. He also
saws the great error of Northern men COM
ing South to settle is, in many instances,
sycophantic adhesion or pretended conver-
sion to extreme Southern views, instead of
an honest acknowledgment of their real feel
ings He has found nearly every gentleman
he has met tolerant of a temperate express
sion of Northern sentiment, and believes they
respect an honest opponent more than they
do an apostate He urges the acceptance Of
the constitutional amendment as the best
thing the South can now do, and as fair
compromise between the two extremes. and
believes the people could easily be induced
to accept it as settlement if they could be
convinced that no. farther terms would be
demanded. and the States admitted at once
on their adoption Politicians who are af-
Z fected bv one clause, and fear that its adop-
ton will remove them from public life and
prevent them from holding Office, of course,
oppose it bitterly, and their influence will
probably prevent its acceptance Mr.. Platt
was originally from Vermont, settling in
Virginia Immediately after Lees surrender,
and is we'll qualified to judge intelligently of
public feeling in the South. q as,s
shall extend my trip to other mines in
this State, and will write you, again should
this meet your acceptance.
Message of the Governor of Mississippf.
NEW ORLEANS, Oct. ,16.-The Mississippi
Legislature met yesterday in extra session
The Governors message says that the neces-
sites of the State constrained him to call
the Legislature It was not special emer
gency, but a general exigency, resulting from
| the altered and deranged condition Of our
| Federal relations and domestic affairs.
He states that the removal of negro troops
| from the State, and thetransfer of the Freed
mems Bureau to officers of the regular army,
arc s,,hieets of conuratulation He de-