The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1871-07-26

lite iron ore. The ore is found In dir.
ormed from deccmposed iron ore, states,
md limestone. 1t Is usually taken from
pockets between immense uplifts or bowl
iers OF rock limestone, partially decom-
'oSed on the surface. These pockets were
worked many years without any serious Mt
empt ut exact mining, several shafts which
we're sunk having been Abandoned, until
about ten years before the war, when sys-
EN- Of shafts and tunnels was adopted.
Sow the main works consist of three shafts
,f solid limestone. two in dirt and stone,
and two tunnels. Only one OF the latter
and one shaft, how ever. arc in use, much
work being still done in the surface or pock-
nt diccinss. I explored one Of the tunnels.
It is / .552 feet long. cut through solid lime
stone, and Is ventilated by shaft, cut
through tho latter. 2i2 feet in depth. !
entered the tunncl in little car propelled
at a rapid rate 10y McSsrs. Woil:ndlne ana
Dent. the assistant supcrntcndent ana
mining engineer of the works, stopping III
short intervals to examine the curious
twists of the strata caused in the great up
hcayal. or some fancy figure deposited from
the water trickling through and decompoS-
ing the stone. At 1900 feet we struck
the vein, nearly solid mass of argentlt--
erous galena 1G feet wide, and followed
it for 90 feet. The vein dips southeast at
IN angle of forty-live degrees, and runs
nearly +. n. Z. and w. s. W. A shaft
sunk, 80 feet in depth, on this line, about
500 feet from the surface point Of the tunnel
end. strikes this vein of ore, and ii Is there
of the same size AMI similar in Ill its other
characteristics. These works prove The
existence Of q vein and its continuity. Yet
the mine experimentation OF the own
crs-did not seem to have thought Of this
fact until l called his attention to it. The
mines pay Il good dividend; the owners
are never called or for assessments, and
hence thev seem to care but little for what
may he proved Of its future or in regard to
the vein theory Of the country. 1t has
lasted for so many years that the prospect
of its giving out would Dc in their eyes pre-
posterous. The truth is, they have just
touched the true kernel.
The original cost of the mine and land
was 81 800. The present stock Is neminally
800, 900, but there never has been any as
SeSsmcnt, or money paid in except the first,
and all the money expended on the mine
has been provided out Of its own proceeds.
Some idea OF this cost may be inferred
when l say that the tunnel | entered has
cost S4S,0 900, and it is only within year
past that any ore in 1t was reached. The
mine is owned entirely in the neighbor-
heirloom; one of the stockholders would
about rs soon sell his fathers trusty rifle
rs his shares. The works consist of
dam across New river. a plain breast
wheel. cruShcr, water-jigs, the old
style sludgc-boXes, Scotch hearth, rever-
bcratorv and Stag furnace. The ore is
roasted in an open fire, and the Yeinstone,
being mixture of lime and baryta, decom.
poses readily, so that but little power is re-
uuired to crush it. The reverberatory fur.
mace is seldom used. Lead is made chiefly
in the winter, employing the great force OF
bands in summer in collecting and washing
zinc ore. The yield of lead is about 25(
tons per year, and it has heretofore con
tanned about S6 of silver to the ton but the
amount of bullion is evidently greater in
The deep workings, and will probably in
crease to some extent. The fuel used is
charcoal. | asked bow many bushels were
required to ton of lead. They did moi
know, and said: "We only know the ag
gregate result of the year. We pay out sc
much, and there is SO much left; that is
profit. We do not itemlze the cost of any
particular branca of work, hut know how
much per pound the lead costs rs by di.
Viding all our expenses by the amount OF
lead made
Previous to the war these mines Welded
from 400 to Goo tons Of lead per wear, ac
cordiug to the vigor with which they were
worked. During the war they were the
main stay Of the rebel army, and were
pushed up to their fullest capacity, afford.
iug 800 TO 600 tons per year. The ore. as
SUPERINTENDENT Of the mine from 1860 Il
1866 told me that rather than 60 through
the same state Of things again he would Gu
his throat. "Why, sir, we worked nigh
and day with all the men we could put in
and drove them at that sometimes ncvcI
slept for week; then there would come
along IN officer, swearing we were all q Sc
of ID skulks and Unlonists, and if W.
didn't furnish more lead he'd put every one
Of Us in the army"
One Of the shafts, 242 feet deep, serves a.
4 rcntilator to the tunnel, and is also uSet
rs 4 shot-tower. at does splendidly,'
ing at his tower under the ground. | re
member years ago to have seen 4 contri
vance for Il like purpose hanging over ;
cliff at Cape Gradeau, Mo. The shot made
are very solid aud perfect i'll shape. The
price now does not justify the cost Of max
ing il. Enc cannot but admire the pluck
of these men, notwithstanding their old
fashioned ways. They dug this shaft to it;
present depth through solid limestone, and
never touched Sp.ig OF ore, yet they per-
severed and cut the tunnel, too. The shaft
was Il little too far east, or not deep enough
rs 100 feet down or west, wodld have
struck the vein. Intermingled with the
ore, on the surface, are large bodies o
carbonates OF zinc, probably representing
to some extent others underneath in the
form of sulphuret, now thus changed by the
action of the atmosphere, the surround
i,,,r i.,nn nv mn m lI
exhibiting evidences of disturbance. This
zinc was, until the close of the war, con.
sdcrcd useless, and thousands OF tons were
used to ill dead work in the mines, or to
stop up old shattS. Now it is sold to zinc
oxide company in New Jersey at an aver.
aye of 50 per ton. The Lead Company sells
TO the buyer on the spot, aud he hauls it to
the railroad. They send of about 1000
tons per year, chiefly in summer, as the
hauling becomes bad in winter. Freights
to New York are low, rs the railroad is dis.
posed to encourage even such enterprise.
Something more than 5000 tons has been
shipped since 1865, aud the quantity is in.
cre;tsiug as other mines are opened. There
can be no doubt that in the hands Of ener-
gctic men this region can be made 10 pro-
duce large quantities Of both zinc and lead.
The Lead Company, for instance, could,
VIII SUluc ilouSl IL Iiill ofSihSil'S5 bA"h I
twice as much with the same expense, and
adjoining them is 4 property equally as VAL
liable, and almost unknown.
A dashing ride OF two miles brought us
to the residence of one of FirSinia's old
style gcutcmen-the friend of Marshall
and of Writ; one who had administered
justice and law in the highest court OF the
Old Dominion in the days of her pride and
glory, and bearing the immortal name OF
Fulton (he son, in lower court, still
wears the honors of a judgeship. Sur
rounded by every luxury in the days gone
by, the fortunes of war and genial living
have left him in old age with an accumuia-
tion of debts to he paid, and nothing but