The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1866-07-18
THE LEAD REGION.
RIeh Galena Deposits IN West sir-
ginia - mineral Wealth son'h q
Dunkard Oil Region. tgl
GLADE FARM, p. o., w. va, !
= - .July 9, 1866.

According to promise, i will attempt
to give you some description OF the lead
discovery and region in this vicinity.
Leaving Dunkard in hack we crossed
the Monongahela, few miles above
Greensboro, and proceeding leisureiy
along, reached the summit of Laurei
Ridge at wymps' Gap. Herethe scenery
| is beautiful and grand. Looking 70 inc
| northward, the traveller beholds q rlch
and diversified country, stretching as
for "a the eve can reach, (Which Is per-
hans forty miles) and composed OF Guilt
yated farms and woodlands interspersed
With pleasant country villages, the whole
apparently rising terrace above terrace
until it meets the sky, and forming one
lof the most enchanting landscapes ever
llbeheld in any country. This Gap is four
lor FIVE miles southwest of Smithfeld,
alias Bramfeldtown. Proceeding on our
lway we reached Brandonville, where we
lhad the good fortune to meet Hon. Har-
rison Hagans, member of the West Vir-
lainia Legislature, and whose personal
acquaintance with the mineral products
of this country, added to his scientlfe
knowledge on the subject, proved very
Interesting and useful we were mere
Uniformed that "lead" or vein OF lead
had recently been found at q point on
the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad, distant
twenty miles southerly. Proceeding on
our journey we arrived OF this place,
and found comfortable and pleasant en-
tertainment at Mr.. Jesse Surgeons, a
large and hospitable farmer living in the
vicinity of the Van Sickles lead discov-
cry, and whose house is always open Tor
the accommodation of travellers. HaV-
ling made an examination OF the more
important indications in this vicinity,
| we give brief history and description
to your readers. 5rf7 EC-.. iH7.a4 p, =
| The Van Sickles lead discovery, which
last summer was first incorrectly report
ed to your paper as being in Greene
} county, Pennsylvania, was situated very
nearly on the Maryland and West Viz
pinia line, two miles south of Mason
and Dixon" The first lead was acct
dentally found by the owner of the land,
John Van Sickle, about two years ago.
| Having then no deed for his farm, he
kept the discovery secret until one
was procured After securing his title
he went to work and dug a shallow
trench, about twenty-five feet long and
two wide. From this he took out about
| eighty pounds of very rich Galena, it be-
ing about eighty five per cent. lead, and
entirely free from foreign matter One
| piece weighed seventeen pounds. Not
being satisfied, however, with the
amount of land and abundant facilities,
and rich prospects that he had, he
stopped operations, set himself to work
and made optional purchases of his
neighbours farms on six months time.
The excitement grew apace, and visitors
hocked in. But like the MILLER of
Mansfield he cared for no man, not he,
and no man should reap any benefits
from his discovery until he ,cas ready.
Again he went to work to " envelop"
his mine, Gas he calls developing) but
this time made his erratum in language
literally true, by really enveloping" it:
The trench was covered with heap of
brushwood, and near it he built small
shanty. In this he placed a man, armed
, with a rifle, with instructions to fire at
any one who should attempt to explore
without his consent, which he would
give to no man Time passed on the
purchases run out and were renewed,
but at this day nothing has been
This farm lies on the top of what is
known as the Dividing Ridge" range
of mountains separating the waters OF
the Monongahela and Youghiogeny.
The altitude is about the same as that of
Laurel ridge In several places on this
and the adjoining farms of Zachariah
Van Sickle and Rev. John Robinson
there oozes out of the earth black
semi,metalic deposit, bearing some re-
semblance to British lustre This,
understand, has been analysed and pro.
nounced the sulphate of lead and iron
mixed with earthly matter 1t has every
appt rance of having come from min
efal deposit, ming out with the small
springs here I ind. Some rocks con.
tanning METAL, ore have been found on
Zachariah Val Sickle's farm, but their
composition is not yet determined. On
the farm of As Savage, lying some two
miles southea l. of this i'm Allegany
county, Maryl I'd, we found specimens
of iron ore, al / metallic alloy mixed
| with rock and gravel. This was quite
! abundant, and The place showed unmis.
| taxable signs OF volcanic origin Huge
boulders were lying in every conceiv
able shape, end some of the iron ore was
reduced to "slag." Mr.. Savage informs
me that New York minerologist found
silver on this place. On the farm of Mr..
G, W. Glover, in Preston county, we
found metallic substance mixed with
indurated fire clay. On the farm of
John Spurgeon, in the same vicinity, we
| observed number of holes, perhaps O
hundred, that have manifestly been dug
| at some time; hut at the present, no ira
dition remains concerning them On
another farm, owned by Rev. John Rob-
ms small piece of Galena was
found in the argillaceous limestone,
that had been taken from the bottom of
his we'll. Mr. K. showed me piece of
Gslena adheriirg to the rock, that was
taken from a lead" on his ridge, but
the locality is kepJ secret The princi-
pal lead bearing rock here appears to be
argillaceous limestone The specimens
have all been found in the same. Mr.
r. also gave nrs specimen of green
carbonate of PIPER from this ridge
This is found j red, aluminous sand
stone. .
Our explorati us were enlivened by aR
incident rather unusual in this locality.
We were riding along the road, in the
vicinity of S. Van Sickle's. Just before
nc IL al n =, T.. l. ,>oI