The Fairfield herald. [volume] (Winnsboro, S.C.) 1849-1876, 1868-07-15

- - -=--====-==-===-
Tle Ashley Phosphates : Charleston Min
ing and Manufacturing Company
This company, as most of our readers
are aware, was formed within the past
six months, capital chiefly contributed
by Philadel lphians, Holmes President;
Mr. Il. II. Locke, Secretary Colonel
5. a. Yates, Engineer; Mr.. Samuel
Grant, Jr, Agent in Philadelphia, and
Messrs. Presley, Lord g. Inglesby,
Solicitors in Charleston. This company
has constructed works of various kinds
tor the exhumation Of the phosphate
rocks that abound here, and for facilita-
ling their shipment.
THE WORKS.
The works a: present consist of a
double screw washing machine, the
samt "a Is used in Ohio and elsewhere
tor washing iron ore. aud is an admra.
blo con'rivance for the purpose. We
Will mention it more in detail further on
The ground here is covered with the
whItish rock, dug up by the operatives
OF the company. The process is some
what after this wise: A number of
"hands' dig trench say about twelve
inches in depth, through what geolog
lists call the alluviai deposit, but what
other people know under the name Of
SOIL Here ,Eey strike stratum of
blueish clay, thickly interspersed with
the irregular boulders now kaown as
phosphate rocks. These are brought
out by means Of the ordinary pickaxe.
The rocks are thrown up in h, aps, then
carried in small carts to cars which run
on railroad constructed for lhe purpose
from one end of the ben to the ''works"
or m'lt at the other. Here the cars
discharge their loads by 81 very simple
contrlvance into the turning cylinders,
where the rocks arc washed by means
OF water, raised from The river by a
powerful pump, and constantly supplied
to the washers. The washed rocks arc
discharged near The rivers bank, where
vessels take their cargocs and carry
them to the far off markets. The com
pany is not in a condition to sell any of
this product, being under contract to
furnish all they can Dig for sometime to
come to their Philadelphia agent.
EXTENT OF YIELD.
The company at present own about
| 10000 acres, and have leased about
10000 more. Among the farms they
hold IN fec simple we remember the
names Of Ashley Ferry, Fetcressa, The
Oaks. Marysvill, the Goodrich tract and
O'Neilrs tract. They employ about
100 hands, and Dig aud work about $50
tors OF rock per day. An acre is good
tor about 600 tohs. The Pronctheus
has taken two cargocs now already. AS
the bed is abont ten miles long and from
one and hall to two miles wide, there
is no danger of oxhausting it yet while.
HISTORY OF THESE pHosrHATEs.
How long these whtish rocks have
been lying in their present beds, it is
impossible to tell The memory oven
Of the Oldest inhabitant runneth not to
the contrary. Here they have certainly
been more years than is usually accord
ed TO the age OF man. Here generation
after generation of aborigincs have hunt.
ed, and fought, stumbling over, per.
haps cursing these useless" rocks, s.
More recently, the farmer and planter,
in the last two hundred years have been
much annoyed by these stones, wishing
them far enough away. The roads are
lined with them. The rnts arc filed
with the pulverized mass They crop
ont on The river side and on the bluff,
They were seen, but not needed. No
one knew Of their value. Professor
Holmes first had his attention drawn to
Them about twenty years ago, pure
~, however, as a matter Of geological
interest. He searched for fossils, and
his search was richly rewarded. There
Is no more fertile field for the geological
and archaeological student on the face
OF Tue earth than these same Ashley
beds. Here, in tavoured spots, such as
the steep river banks, the several strata
are mapped out with almost mathcmati.
cal accuracy Here we sec the upper
limit of the seven hundred feet Of cocene
deposit chiefly mari, or carbonate Of
llmc. Next tho post-pleocene, con.
tanning the rocks above described. The
pleiocene is absent here. The recent or
allnvial deposit is but foot or two
thick and the smallest outlay, of time
and trouble will reward the geoiogist.
Accordingly Professor Holmes has from
time to time shown these deposits to
Agassiz, the late Tuomey, Pouralis,
DR.. Le'dy, and many other savants Of
both atmospheres--all surprised and
revellIng in the wealth of these hidden
treasures.
The presence Of mari in these beds
has long been known, and to limited
extent this material was made use of as
fertilizer; but tho rocks were always
passed by as useless. Analyses we're
made from time to time by various
chemists, but without attracting atten-
ton. Phosphate of lime was thought