National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1873-07-30
Mineral Wealth Of yIrsinI..

u.l
ALrrAspRIA, Va. July "a, ls7a
In my last promised to enter more fully into
the details Of the management Of the Washing
ton city, Virginia, Midland and Great Southern
Railroad Company, lately known rs the orange,
Alexandra and Manassas, and Lynchburg and
Danvilie Railroad Companies, and also to refer
more particularly to the mineral discoveries re-
Gently accumulated by the president Of the road,
while. accompanied by select party OF sclen.
lists In geology, mineroloay, mining and ore
The companys line runs from north to south
through the counties OF Alexandra, Fairfax,
Prince william, Fauquier, Culpeper, Orange,
Albemarle, Nelson, Amherst, Campbell aud
Pittsyivania, commencing a. the first-named
town, on the banks OF the Potomac, and ending
IN the aforementioned county at the nourishing
,own o. Daavnle, on the boundary line between
Inc Manassas branch DIVORCES almost At q
right angle from the main line, In Prince VII.
liam county, At the newly. built town OF Manas.
sas, and courses westward, through Prince vii.
liam, Fauquler and Warren, TO Strasbure, In
shenandoah county; thence In O southwestern
direction, through shenandoah and Rockingham
counties, to Harrisonbufg.
The portion OF the line from strasburg to Har.
risOnburg has been recently leased by the Bait
more and Ohio railroad, which gives TO theiattei
an outlet through the valley, but not to tn,
detriment OF the former. as they stil continue Il
freight al old rates over the leased portion Of
the valley line.
The main line Is now the object Of especial In
terest to the adjacent cities, on IL there Is IL
process OF development some OF the most extra
ordinary iron ore deposits In the world. Hereto
tore the trans-Apalaehan region attracted gene
raj attention, anu what little has been given Il
the Blue Ridge region has been to the western
portion. Now, on the eastern slopes, and alon,
the line OF the road under discussion, there hai
been found large veins Of magnetic, specular
argillaceous aud brown hematite vaults OF irot
ore, many Of which will Yield over sixty per cent
Of metal.
Your correspondent does not pretend to say
that the biologists and other scientific gentle
men OF the expedition made these most eStraor
binary discoveries; nor would II be possible fol
him " say who did, except In Individual cases
but he Will say that the immediate cause Of III,
aggregation Of them was more or less the resul
OF the exertion OF the president of tue road, Mr.
Barbour, 70 bring into market the lands alonI
the line OF the road. Some two years ago h,
the broken-down farmer OF his surplus lands
and obtained from the Legislature Of the stat,
OF virginia the right to acquire by purchase II
the vicinity Of his road. Tue results speak fol
| themselves. Dependency pervaded the entir,
district through which this road passed wher
this movement began. Now difference Ii oh
servable everywhere, and II everybody knew O
these discoveries there would be US great q rLst
TO these parts as there was In times past to TIT
gOld-beaiing regions OF the West.
This Is not by any means an overdrawn pic
ture; for, after mature reflection, those present
| competent to judge and compare the minera
wealth Of the Two great States Of Pennsylvanii
and Virginia gave The palm TO the latter. It II
70 be borne IN mind that these gentleInen-Gen
| Henry Peasants, chief engineer OF the Phila
delphia Coal aud Iron CUln any; Mr.W. Lorentz
| chief OF the Philadelphia and Reading railroad
and Mr.. q. G. Morris, Of PhlslelphIn, IN the iroi
| interest-were oil Pennsylvanians. Yet so con
elusive were the results that there seemed to b,
but one opinion about the value OF Virginia min
erals. Washlngtonians-by these ! mean al
those In the Distrlct-have at all times expressed
a desire TO have an outlet TO the West to ge
| these minerals for manufacturing purposes. BE
| hold them Ut your very door, peeplng In man,
places through the earth, bidding you to COM
and dig them out. The condition aud prospect
| OF this road are good, these developments secur
Ing IL for the future from any falling OH q
freight and passenger travel. Propositions ar,
now being entertained that will, II contaminated
give them perhaps more To do than can be don,
by single track road. By January next tn,
track from Lynchburg TO Danyille viii be all lAit
and IN running order.
In my next will give you more Of the par
ticulars OF this excursion. Yours, -