Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1867-03-22
Correspondence of the N. ?. Express.
Products OF the Sorth Iron Icc

Products OF the south-Iron, &c.
NoRwALK. March A. entIemen:-Iw write
having noticed in your paper of Saturday
An article headed Excitement in Schuyi.
KILL Pa" You remark sBlack band
iron ore, hitherto a stranger 10 all iron
mines in this country" &c, &c. ] think
you are in error in this. think there is
ore of this character in North Carolina
In 1860, trav cling there, | met with Scotch
gentleman who said he had been an iron
master, working the ore of this kind in
Scotland. He had been QUITO this coun-
try-the previous year, and had discovered
this Gre in North Carolina. He returned to
his home and prepared himself 50 again
visit this country-and it was on this second
visit met him. He said he had broupht
out workmen and TOOLS had purchased q
tract of land, and commenced to work this
ore, and tn at 1T proved not only good. but
superior to the best Scotch.
He stated that square bar of one inch
would sustain so much weight do not
now remember the amouut-the American
Black band of the same size would sustain
much greater weight He further said.
| the Scotch Black band iron was at that
time worth SGT per ton in New York in the
pig, and that he would be willing to enter
| into q contract to furnish the iron in pig.
| Carolina, for the price of So per ton, and
guarantee the iron of superior quality to
| anv imported. I understood that he had
| built furnace on the tract be had bought
He stated that this ore was overlaid with
strata of Goals some two feet in thickness
so that he had the Goals for smelling the
ore. and little expense as to carting. In
fact. the coal and ore could be shoveled in
! to the furnace and from the bed.
! 1t may have been a failure, as the war
/ commenced shortly afterwards, and have
heard no more of it. / am In no way in
terested, other than in developing the
wealth of our country-but have fr, quent-
! " remarked that the South Was, in my view
| the richest in mineral wealth of any portion
of the old States.
| These lands could have been bought Ill
! 1850 for So TO 80 per acre. There is, how
ever. good lands to be had for So, and even
! less, and all that is required is capital, en-
ergv and labor. No finer climate exists.
not even in Italy, than in North Carolina
having seen n little of both. With these
and free labor, ten years would not pass
before North Carolina would be worth mil
lions more than even before the war The
soil is good [ would almost say virgin
soil, as it has seldom been touched
In most parts of it is more or less over
laid by strata of sand, then loam--a plant
er seldom venturing to put the pillow i'll this
yellow dirt vet all the fertilizers he and
generations may have used has been
brushed through the sand, and stored il
this loan.
There is an abundant fertilizer there il
the shell marsh which abound. This, tor
for ton, is equal, if not superior, to the hes
guano, and may be had for the digginf
and casting. In many localities it is con
venient for shipping, and may be had de
| vered on board vessel for five or six dol
lars per ton. 1t differs from guanO Ill tina
it does not spend itself in one crop or on
season, as does guano, but it will continue
and year after year it will grow better TO
at least four CT five years, without any al
dition, and may then be cropped for a
manly more years before the land can be re
duced to the low point it was when this fer
tilizer was applied.
Stir up the young men to leave on
crowded cities and marts, and go where
they may, to certainty, find employment
and by perseverance, industry, and econo
my, in a few years not only become wei
to do farmers, or planters, but men OF In
fiuence. There are vast forests also Of tim
Der suitable for ship-building, as well a
for houses, naval stores, good harbors, nav
igable rivers, water power, etc. Say to on
young men, " Why stand. you here idle q.
the day 2?