The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1868-06-24
FRANKLIN, IAN: N. c., May. 12, 1868.

GEN. ;J.::W. HARRIsoN-My !'edf ou
Your esteemed favor of April has been
received, in which you request me to
make to you, some statements in. regard
ito ssthe Geology, Mineral resources, Gil
mate, Flora and adaptation of the soil
and climate sof Western North Carolina
to fruit culture" through which the Blue,
Ridge Railroad passes. Although my
time is already heavily taxed, | most
che,erfulIy comply in furnishing you q
few brief statements of facts which came
to my knowledge while engaged as an
assistant in the North Carolina Geologi-
cal survey. - .1o'' &C.,
To make anything like fair report of
the geology Of this section would far ex-
ceed the limits of a letter, such as this is
designed to be, and you must accept of a
mere sectional statement of the geology.
as it soccursaon the Zine aof the survey OF
the Railroad. se;4i -'a .'-'-.5'
IN the Gap Of the Blue Ridge We have
Granite, and thence. Northward, and un-
derlying the Granite, we have a heavy
belt of .Gneeis, cut by 70 regular range of.
Surpentine; then we have, dipping un-'
der the Gneeis, very heavy beds of AL
luminous Mica Slate: Then we have the
Taconic series. consisting Of drab bcolored
iTalco,. Micacious States, Quartzito- and
primitive Limestone, which, at this point,
consists of marble of superior quality.
1--we then pass into Clay States, conglom-
crates and a sort of Argilacious 'shalos'
finally reaching the old silurian Lime
stones at the, northern base of the Smoky
|. Mountain. chain. Immediately beyond
the; point where the cline of survey
emerges from the Smoky Mountains
there is mass of Sandstone. (the Chee-
leehowce Mountain) in which there ex.
exist strong indications of Bitumnouss: us:
Coal. ...=.s..7- -: s,,iv,-.yd'r--4 80
3 These respective strata arc,hghly met
amorphic, and heavily charged with me-
taIic sulphurets and oxides For exam
ple,. in this valley We have Magnctic1ron
Ore in workable :, quantity, Copper
Pyrites, or yellow Copper, rich in its per
cent of metal, which, though not ex-
plorcd in its frequent deposites to any
great depth, promises to make valuable
mines. Indeed, the real mining value of
this belt is not yet understood or appre-
ciatod. AT Webster. twenty miles east
of this place, in the County of jackson,
there is a bed of Chronic Iron, or Chrome
Ore, and the Copper Mines of Jackson
County are capable of yielding large
amount of metallic Copper. On the Nam
teyalee, in this County, and Waller River,
in Cherokee County, Immediately west,
there is remarkable grouping Of valua-
BILE minerals. ~ The valley of the Mantle
yalee is q mere mountain trough, and
the Valley River valley is not exceeding
| q mile in width. In these vallies there is
immense wealth groupcd into a narrow
belt. We have there inexhaustible beds
of Heamilitic Iron Ore for a distance Of
thirty miles. These ore beds are won
derful in their extent, are generally near
good water power, and are accompanied
with every facility Tor fuxing and smelt-
ing. saeg e..t 4.,=s.e7
Immediately alongside Of these Iron
| = IL nd h
colored Marbles, of superior quality. |
i compared, some years since, specimens OF
these marbles with the finest quality
worked in the marble.yards at the Capt.
tol grounds in Columbia, and found them
equal to the best These marbles, more
over, burn into excellent Lime, and will
be valuable as fux for the Iron ores.
! In these strata of Marble there are veins
of Argentiferous, Galena and Gold. |
have seen specimens of this ore very rich
in Gold. The veins, however, have not
been explored to any great depth, for the
want of capital and machinery.
In this same range, and grouped with
these other minerals, we have large, mas
sive beds of Agalmatolite, which is iden-
tical in the elements of it's composition
with the Chinese Figure Stone, materi-
al largely worked in the European Porce-
lain factories, and when properly used
makes an excellent fire brick. Indeed,
it is wagoned to Duck Town and used in
the Copper furnaces. 1t could be used
upon the ground in the construction of
Iron furnaces, which would be of great
durability. Besides this, with railroad
facilities Porcelain factories might be