The Daily state journal. [volume] (Alexandria, Va.) 1868-1874, 1871-03-30
The Minerals of Patrick County



To the Editor of the State Journal.
KEYsvILLE, March goth, 1871.
When your editor wisely determined to
devote much of his time and talents to the
advancement and improvement of the ag-
rcultural interests Of the State, and to the
dissemination of opinions and expert
ments in pomology, he struck cord
responsive IN the rural districts, and
scattered seed which promise a gen.
erous return. Political disquisitions
seldom teach men how ssto put money in
their pockets" and meat and bread in their
mouths and, in very plain words, these
are the wants of our population, both DEM
ocratic and Republican. Trulyis he ben
efactor, who now makes two blades OF
grass grow where only one existed before.
Virginia, possessed of capabilities almost
unequalled, with q fertile soil, agenial eli
mate, unemployed water power in every
valley, forests of valuable timber on every
hill, and last, though not least, hardy,
strong race of stalwart sons, yet languish-
es, and the tide of mprovement-every
where else developing, improving and en-
riching-scarce touches her borders with
its magic wand. aI I
In vain has kindly nature showered I'M
numbered and unappreciated blessings
upon the cold Commonwealth What
though in the confioes of her limits neither
the frosts of winter bite nor the malarias
of summer stalk with decmating strides
Her hill tops sing no song of gladness, and
her valleys--whch even in mid-winter
should echo to the bleating music of her
grazing herds-are tenantless of thrift.
Waterman! tall US of the night! What
signs of promise illumine the future? But
have wandered, and my pen, when treat
ing of subject ''dear to the heart" for
gets that your time and space are more
valuable than words.
began this article to direct your atten-
ton to the mining interests of the State,
and to illustrate its hidden wealth by a
short account of an iron mine, so exhaust
less and SO valuable as TO justify special
notice. Located in the broken wilds of
the county of Patrick, and just under the
shadows of the great mountains of that
region-sirty. five miles from any point Of
transportation this deposit of ore,
owned and controlled by gentleman Of
intelligence and enterprise, who finds it
Improbable to develop it more than to
produce enough metal to supply the local
demand, because the distance from Dan
ville-the nearest depot--s so great that
it scarcely bears transportation, even
Though it commands a ready sale at higher
prices than any other iron upon the mar
ket. Not only is the quantity of ore all
most inexhaustable--for it is simply an
iron mountain-but its great value lies in
the fact that the iron produced from this ore
is superior to that produced from the ore of
any other mine upon the sunrise side of the
Mississippi. Repeated tests made under the
supervision of experts demonstrate this
beyond doubt. I have but to refer to
the tests made under the government au-
spices at the arsenal at Harper's Ferry
several years ago, to silence the doubts Of
any incredulous gentleman. If mistake
not, these xperiments.we conducted by
Major Downer, now of your fraternity,
and residing in GAINESVILLE, Va, who will
doubtless take pleasure in furnishing any
one interested with the results he obtained.
The chief superiority of iron from this
mine lies in tine fact that it is softer and
tougher than any other, and hence more
malleable and homogeneous than the ordi-
nary iron. | had occasion last fall to visit
this treasure, and was surprised to learn
that the ore yielded as high as IS per cent.
of metal under the most primitive modes
of smelling.
Should the contemplated Norfolk and
Great Western railroad ever be constructed,
this mine will prove a source doubtless OF
great revenue to its present worthy owner,
and of great advantage to all interests re-
quiriDg superior kind of this metal. 1t
has been found peculiarly valuable for
ordnance purposes. More anon.
j. T. H.