New Orleans daily crescent. [volume] ([New Orleans, La.]) 1851-1866, 1866-01-30

have been sent out upon these exploring expedi-
tiona To such experienced people the mere IN
specton Of the ground, the soil, reveals the traces
of mineral existence in the bowels of the earth.
But instead of such practical examiners, not even
The common Rocky Mountain and quartz guich
prospectors were attached to the late geological
survey ordered by the authority OF our state Leg
stature, at very great expense to the public
treasury. Now, We ourselves pretend to have no
knowledge whatever in the science of minefalogy,
but by the mere inspection of the high, billy and
mountainous soil of that portion OF our State
traversed by the Red River and ouachita water
courses and which we have often had occasion
! to examine in our travels upon mercantile
business, we cannot help but come to the
same conclusion those extracts from these an
cient historical authorities that the precious metals
are hidden in those regions In the first place. the
section of country under review is no longer one
that has been formed by sedimentary process or
NY the settling of watery elements; henceit is GER
tain that the plutonic revolution, or formation by
| fire or fusion, must be considered as the primary
| cause of the several upheavings and taansforma.
tons to be found all the surface of that SOIL
| Now we all know that such constituted stratas of
the earths upper crust invariably contain not only
| the ordinary metals, but also those denominated
| precious ones. Thus we have found bituminous
Goals, saline rocks iron ore, and number of other
4 ordinary mineral substances, almost at the very
surface of the soil, cropping out at the sides OF
| the hills and tops of ridges.
I Our advice then would be, now that we may
/ expect great influx of immigrants from Europe
to represent to the people there, that besides ag
reultural laborers, those used to the working OF
the mines, might perhaps even find a more profit
able employment in exploring our hidden min
eral treasures and in that respect our immi
grant agents ought to be instructed accordingly
Not that we would induce any one to come to our
Il State with the positive assurance, that he will
4 here find a new Eldorado; but yet, besides the
great agricultural resources of country, which
are of & never failing nature, there still is il
store, certain prospective of some uncommonly
4 rich development in the branch of mineral in
/ dustry. And if it should be demanded, why we
so much more would direct the attention Of new
comers to these glitterng metals, than the more
solid enterprises in the agricultural line, We will
very candidly give our answer.
Il We certainly agree that, in a moral point o.
view the agricultural branch of industry will al
ways outweigh that of the mineral exploration
but when it comes to the economical or the STATE
interest, there cannot be the least doubt in the
mind of the statistcian that the production of ttt
precious metal is by far the most important one
as the general nay, universal, agent or motive
! power which gives to the whole industrial move
ment of modern society an accelerated impetus
For, without the metal basis, our great nationa
banking system would be deprived of the grea
/, fundamental groundwork which always must sus
tain the upper structures Of the social, modern edi
, fee f cry