Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1867-05-31


ders. The sea-bound counties are gener-
ally well supplied with mari. From the
Catawba river Westward, there are fire.
queHt beds of limestone. In the interme-
date region, nearly 900 miles in extent.
East and West, the absence of lime is a
serious drawback to all farming operations.
LII Is Il matter OF some interest, therefore,
to lind that In the sandstone formation of
Chatham there is Il bed Of mari, or calca-
reou5 shell, OF considerable horizontal ex-
tent and vertical thickness, overlyinn the
coal, and cropping out along the banks of
Deep river, SO DIS to be easily listributable
over considerable belt of country. What
is the percentage of lime in this mari, and
whether 1t contains also magnesia, are ques-
tons which merit an early investigation.
In this connection, it is perhaps worth
while to mention that there are three beds
of mari Ill Wake County, two in the lower
and one in the upper part of THE lat
ter OF which, at least, is OF sufficient extent
to be matter of importance It lies near
the surface, cropping out in the ravines
and gullies along the line of the n. c.. r.
r., from near Morrisville to d point above
Brassfiekls. It is calcareous slate and
sandstone, of two to four feet in thickness,
containing Ill some Of its strata thirty to
fifty per cent. of lime, and having one and
sometimes two layers of concretonary no.
dulles of comparatively pure lime stone,
which by burning give Il good quick-lime
for cement. The extent of this bed North
and South is not less than three miles, and
may be much more.
But to return to the Deep river region
There is another bed of shaleS Immediately
everything the coal land which are also
themselves highly carbonaceous,) that are
likely to prove more valuable than the
mari, on account of the presence Of Il great
quantity of coprolitic deposits which yield
Il large percentage OF phosphatos This>is
already used to some extent by a few farm
ers, as a substitute for manipulated guanos
and bone phosphates, after being simply
pulverized. But there is no doubt that by
very simple mechanical means the phos-
pilates may be concentrated, and a large
proportion of the shady matter eliminated,
SO as to furnish Il basis for Il valuable man
ipulated fertilizer. This has seemed to me
a matter of sufficient promise to justify
further investigation, and I have accord
lngly placed 4 sample in the hands of the
chemist for analysis.
Another source of revenue to this region,
for some years past, and which will increase
largely with improved means of transpor-
tation to market, is the so-called soapstone
(ascertained by DR.. Emmons to be agalmat-
olite.)
The owners of the principal quarry near
Hancock's Mills are now filling a contract
with single firm North, for 5000 barrels,
and still larger orders are waiting. The
bed of this rock, which is a slate, extends
across two or three counties, and will, no
doubt, be found in sufficient purity at other
points also, to be manufactured into q
marketable article. Its uses are various and
11nt
North and in Europe. There is bed of
this material of much greater extent, III the
extreme Western section of the State, which
will one day become important. The rock,
which is very soft, is ground in a Touring
mill, and boited through the finest cloths
and shipped in barrels of 300 pounds
weight.
But the most important neurological
fact relating to this section (neXt to the
coaD remains to be stated. There are I'M
mistakable evidences of the presence OF
both copper and gold The primitive
states underlying the sandstone formation,
and bordering it on the North and West,
are continuation Of the metal bearing
series of Montgomery and Union counties,
and undoubtedly preserve their character
as such through Moore and Chatham, land
probably further) Little search has been
account of the presence of coal having mo-
nopolized the attention of explorers. A
single copper mine has been known, fol
some years, IL few miles Southwest from
Lockville but it has not received the at
! tention which its Importance merits, nct
only on account of the quality of the ore,
| (which is identical with that of the Gard
ner mine), but on account Of the intimatior
| which it gives of the existence of Other
similar veins along the same mineralogica
meridian, in the continuation Of this series
of states in their Northeastern trend since
| such mines are not found single and isola
ted, but in groups and zones. And in fac
there are several large and well defined
veins of copper and gold, showing good
quality of ore in the very outcrop, over
breadth of 25 or 30 miles from Ore Hill tx
| Lockville. There are evident, through thi
tract, even to the casual observer, all thu
characteristics of mineral region and
make no doubt that Il careful survey ant
| detailed examination will add another large
area to the so-called mineral region Of thu
| State.
| [ am indebted for many important facts
in this connection to Mr.. Robert Patton, to
whose courtesy it is due that l WAS able, il
| a few days, to see SO much Of this interest
ing region, and especially to see SO many
localities which furnish evidence of the
| facts, and the verifcation of conclusions
above stated.
Very respectfully,
| Your obedient servant,
w. G. KERR.
Raleigh, May %, 1867.