The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1867-01-21

their honor. as lost. The men who TOR
four wears held back the invading hosts,
and only yielded TO famine at the last ore
extremity. and returned to their desolated
homes. are now displaying on . new thea
tire tho same unconquerable spirit tna1
neryed their arms so long in the desperate
and UNEQUAL conflict. We see them al
work manfully everywhere around US y
bu;ld nm their shattered fortunes 10 sur
round themselves and families WIN INC
eond,v remembered comforts OF the pas''
and to rssuscitate their beloved Common
wealth.
The long neglected buried wealth of our
hills and mountains Is now anxiously
sought after. Wherever the prying eye Of
the geologist has detected indications of
hidden veins of valuable ores and mine
rails, the owner of the land Is now intent
on unearthing the treasure. And all over
the State We hear Of mines about to be
opened that will contribute largely to-
wards a restoration Of general prosperity
long before the agriculture OF the State
will have recovered from the shock it has
received. Last winter and this, the Legis-
lature has chartered an extraordinary num-
Der of mining and manufacturing compa-
MES. Many of these have been organized.
and have gone successfully TO work. Others
are in process of formation, and are only
delayed by the great scarcity of money IN
the State. This difficulty will be overcome
by degrees, however, and the time is fast
approaching when the whole community
will. we believe, feel the invigorating in
luences Of these, to us, new fields Of enter
prise.
ABOUT four weeks ago we published &C.
neral INBODEN's letter on the valuable mines
Of manganese and barytese discovered in
Rockbridge and Botetourt counties. The
parties owning them have obtained an ex-
cellent charter from the Legislature, and
are inaugurating active measures for the
formation Of the Rockbridge Mining
Company" to work these mines as soon
as the spring opens. Colonel GILLIAN,
distinguished chemist, now the superin-
tendent of the Southern Fertilizing Com
pany, new and successful enterprise re-
Gently started here, has reduced and re-
fined to merchantable condition specimens
of the barytese from these mines, which,
in purity and richness, equal the finest OF
that valuable mineral found anywhere.
Colonel GILLIAN, with his practical good
sense, has suggested to the owners of these
mines an idea that may and should lead to
the establishment Of an important branch
of manufacturing in this city. He
suggests that the crude mineral be
brought by the canal, and ground
and manufactured for market here. This
article constitutes one half of all the white
lead paint used in the country. The de-
mand for it is very great, and heretofore 1t
has been chiefly supplied from New Eng
land, and sometimes, when the price has
been very high, it has been brought from
Europe. The manufacture Of white paint
is now an enormous business in the cities OF
New York and Brooklyn, and at some other
points in the North. The manufacturers
in the North have paid from Sos to 800
per ton for barytese since the war, and as
high as $2l0 per ton for lead. We have
here in Virginia in great abundance both
lead and barytes that can he furnished
much cheaper than in New York. Then
why should we not have the manufacture
of paint here, as well as'they have it there ?
A very large capital to start the business
is not required, and il once started, success
is certain with ordinary management.
1t is to manufactures that Richmond
must look for her future growth and pros
perity. We hail the establishment of every
factory here as a step in the right direction.
The more diversified our manufactures be
come the greater will be the general bust
ness of the city.
The city and the country may become
mutually interested in the future cevel-
opment of the mines of Virginia-the
city to manufacture, the country to supply
the crude minerals.