The weekly democratic statesman. [volume] (Austin, Tex.) 1871-1883, 1875-11-11

'NSN ttcNsS u -ltNof Pay we'll, and Il was
p1blished that this mine was beinu sferl,.s.
aud the ore shipped to New York.
This silver mine was expected to cause tbe
town of Llano 20 improve rapidly. Wis
tied this locality last October. Nowarl
Was being done there. aud very little had
ever been done. This surely would not
have been had the mine been as rich as rcp.
resented. | could not then bad vssod
specimen OF either silver or lead. thus
leaving the impression that i was avery un.
pramising affair after nil. Isanptss he =
speaking of the place known as the Lock
hart minen Had the Professor extended
his inquiries little further, he might have
learned that about 5000 pounds ol this ar
gentiterous galena--some specimens of it
yielding even more silver thsn he reports
had been taken out some time previously
by Mr.. Fritz Tegener, found in matrix or
gangue of quartz, near the surface, but soon
gave out at that point and further
operations were discontinued on ac-
count OF the want of sufficient capital 10
properly develop the mine. The minerals
OF great specific gravity, like sllver-lead,
scarcely ever make strong at the surface,
and often run out aud disappear, the
ganRue only continuing until considerable
depth has been attained. The precious
metals especially seem to have been care
fully hidden by the hand of Nature, SO that
they are not to be obtained without con-
siderable search and muchslabor. They are
not generally to be fonnd in any great guam
tlty at or near the surface. Evoa alluPinl
gold, BY Its great specific gravity, hides its
self upon the bed rock or under an over
lying stratum of sand or gravel or finer dirt.
The immense aurifcrous dcpost Is of Cali
fornia were first discovered by accident
where mil race had exposed the precious
yellow PARTICLES 10 observation. Ia all nain-
ing experience very little good mineral can
be expected without penetrating the We
some distance. OF course there are exccp-
tons. And these are some of the reasons
why many promising prospects exist inathis
region, aud so little development has been
made. The countryman and the cowboy
can pick up mineral when they ind il 6pon
the surface Of the ground, aud the itinegant
miner may go there and dig little hole, ana
perhaps take out some good mineral, but
neither Of theee perhaps has the capital
either to purchase the land or to develop
tbs tbs .s.ipes But right here is the opportunity
given for a State e'-fseeellnglgt to benefit his
country, which pays him for the trouble,
by making careful and intelligent cApio-
ration of the locality. aud II his eonFicuons
are favorable, the influence of them snouia
be felt by the capitalist, who may ber y ete-
by induced to aid in their developments by
employing the labor of skilled and intelli-
gent miners. think the Lockhait mine is
very promising one, and had the PROBES
sor explained the phenomena of min
eral development, he might have said
in regard TO it that in all probability
If the quartz gangue we're followed, Il
might lead to other pockets OF mineral, and
at a greater or less distance To tho main
body or vein, where mineral might perhaps
be found in large quantity and of greater
richness. In truth, in this immediate To-
cality true carbonate OF silyer-lead has
been found attached to the wall rock OF
granite or gneiss, which was very rich in
silver. What do we need of State geologi-
cal survey il it must wait until mines are
fully developed before it can be predicted
whether or not mineral can probably be oh
tanned in any certain localityl Prof. Buck
ley very forcibly argues the question, and
very properly states il, as to the value and
utility OF geological surveys. But he hts
made none of this region. His report Is
but crude and unsystematic COLLATION. or
heresay items and superficial observation
that any traveller might have picked up IN
traversing the country. / would mot make
such commfnt upon the Professors report
had he not, without any proyer exanina.
ton Of this region, either geoiogicaliy or
miheralogically, with apparent malice
<--- -, IL y -ftrs,sneinto. i,c
mineral capabilities OF country whose de-
velopmont is not only Of the greatest im-
portance TO Austin. but 10 the State at large.
A correct geological chart OF this section OF
Texas, with "a scientific description Of tho
rocks and minerals found there, would be
Of immense value to the Investing capital
ist and the exploring miner aud mincrolc-
@ st.
There il especially one feature OF thj
country which makes II very promising
abundant deposits Of silver, lead az,
per. This is the fact that the scrie6ANs,
amorphic strata are everywEere
pared with them in other reg
world. quite thin, leaving the iaRA PKRs,
in close proximity to the granie
a very favorable fact that the Ion-
limestone, where il appears. is
rock, very much broken into hillGood style.
vines, leaving an abundant display
exposure, aud Of sufficient depth A.
ume to make il particularly fayorableA ed.
recepticle OF mineral deposits, cspeciain
lead and silver-lead. And there is scafc6s.
silurian hill in this section, so
tar as have learned, but what
lead minerals galena Of some kind--is
reported as having been found. such 4
the fact Ia regard to Cedar ntountafn. RI
lev mountain. Packsadelle NJ Hotise mol,r-
tain And IN regard 10 fl,e .saetan,or,.l,ic
it is wherever s2n.sed. fraversed ~ nj.
merous Quart zose and feIlsnafh hic.o,,a,,,, ,,,ss
veins and dikes. many OF diem show inc -
idence Of mineral Ut the surface.
All this region has undergone during
countless aeessof the past. i.omense ai,f,.
sion and deoradation of surface. ana W
find its debris adown the Colorado even 81
| the Gulf OF Mexico. Even 40 fsr do,sn 81
Austin fine gold has been washed rom tl,e
sands Of the Colorado
But how can The metalliferous character
OF this region be questioned when. Il, the
single county Of Llano. We find gold. pIa-
tinum. SILVER. copper. lead. autimonv.
moIybdenam. iron. mangnnese. stentiie.