The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1875-03-30


Mineral Resources Around Clifton
Forge.
Correspondence of the Richmond Dispatch.l
BUCHANAN, BoTEroURT COUNTY. VA.,2
March 81. 1875.
The editorial in recent No. Of the
Dispatch showing the advantages of con.
nection between this place (the present ter
minus Of the James River and kanawha Ca
naD and Clifton Forge suggests the propriety
Of sending you some account OF Buchanan
and its vicinity.
tits unquestionably one of the most beau
tifully.located towns Ia the State, combining
10 the surrounding scenery the mountains,
the plains. the river; and afording in its
near and distant prospects the most pleasing
| of nature. The macadamized road which
begins here and runs to Southwestern Vir-
gnia is the main street of the town, which
is about one mile long. The course OF the
road after 1t leaves Ruchapan.s along the
river for two miles, affording pleasant sur.
vey Of rich fairgrounds. fine farms, and
comfortable houses on both sides Of the
stream. "Purgatory mountain looks down
upon Buchanan on the north from the oppo-
site side of the river, while on the east it is
guarded by the Blue Ridge, through the de-
| files of which there runs TO the Peaks OF
| Otter, eleven miles distant, one of the most
| picturesque roads In the State. originally
Constructed by an admirable grade, though
not now in excellent order. The views of
immense gorges and Of pretty and cultivated
valleys on this road afford many charms for
the excursienst.
| Buchanan contains about fifty families,
and PattonSburg, scattered town on the
other or northern side of the river, as many
more, giving to the two places a population
Of about five hundred. 4 strong covered
bridge spans the river.
The public buildings are mostly on the
| Buchanan side, and consist of fine hall for
| public meetings, an Episcopal and Presby-
| terrain church, and another house OF worship
used jointly by the Baptist and Methodist
Churches in addition TO which the Baptists
have begun a new and separate building.
The ministers are Rev. A. Hart, Presbyte.
rian; Rev. Mr.. james, BIptist; Rev. j. T.
Williams, Methodist. The Episcopal pulpit
is at present vacant. There is large hotel
in Buchanan. Near the river, in Pattons-
burg, there is large school-house, in which
4 graded school is patronlzed by both places.
In addition 10 the usual supply Of stores and
shops In both places, there are in Pdttons-
Dut Il u lOuAul( . auu
ling mill.
There is considerable interest abroad at
this time in all the surrounding country on
the su ject of iron ore, especially the "spe-
GUAR" which is considered to possess Pc
cular value, and of which there are said to
be rich stores in the direction Of the Peaks
of Otter and along the river. There are
several furnaces already in operation in the
country west of Buchanan and if the recent
commercial crisis had not interviewed the old
furnaces near this place would have been re-
opened and new ones started. Thousands
OF acres Of mountain land supposed to con-
tain deposits of this mineral are now in
market.
The manufacture Of lime from the lime
stone rock is carried on with much success
at the line-kilns Of Messrs. Elicit & Dillon,
a few miles down the river from Buchanan.
Colonel Dillon, formerly OF Richmond, Va,
resides at the kInS, and his operations show
what energy and integrity combined with
urbanity and courtesy may enable fir-
einau TO do towards the development of the
resources of his native State. Prior to the
great pccuniary troubles which began two
wears ago aud interrupted building in all our
cities The demlnd for this lime at the Rich
moud warehouse for home consumption
and shipment could not be supplied. Aba
ting during the pressure in the money mar
ket, this demand has recently revived, and
both kilnS are now in operation, producing
about TWO hundred and thirty barrels day.
The advantages of this establishment TO the
canal are obvious : the transportationof so
much lime adds largely to its business, be-
sides the freight necessarily brought to tue
place to furnish the large store kept there,
and other supplies needed. The lime-kilns
afford employment 10 many of the aborng
| classes Of people not only at the kiln, but at
cooper shops, quarries, neutrality-suspicious..
e., whilst the constant demand for wood,
for which 81 per cord is paid, extends its
| Influence in all the surrounding country and
, increases the circulation Of money. But, be-
sides large shipments Of lime, immense guam.
titles of limestone rock, for use at blasting
| furnaces. is sent down the river by this en-
terpriSiug firm TO the furnace at Arnold
| Valley and to the furnace in the vicinity
| of Manikin, near Rchu o ID.
These facts Will give your readers some
! conception of the eligibility OF Buchanan
| and Pattonsburg us Il centre OF trade, SHIP
ment, and manufactures under that new or
| der of things which is destined 10 arise when
the railroad is built from this point to Clifton
Forge, and which even the prospect of u
! railroad will inaugurate. Much more might
| be said, but prefer TO keep far within the
| lines of eXIggeration, and to avoid Il certain
extravaganza Of representation which tends
| to excite too sangune expectations, and by
misleading capitalists in>ures disappoint-
mcnt which rtacts diSaStrou>ly in driving oil
| purchasers.
The course OF the railroad from Buchanan
| to Clifton Forge will be in the immediate
vicinity of "DibrelI's Springs" which,
since the days of stages ceased, and the
watering places on the Chesapeake and Ohio
railroad left it behind, has ceased to attract
public notice. With such facilities for reach
ing it as the expected improvement will
afford it will OF necessity attract patronage.
! The buildings, with little capital and en-
ergy, could soon be renovated !; and this
being done, the natural advantages of water
| and location would give it a fair start again,
under good management.
As connected with the enterprise in ques-
ton, "the James River railroad" the i'm
meuse mineral resources of the region around
Clifton Forge may be mentioned. The old
furnace property, with part of the lands at
tached to il, long abandoned, was sold year
or two ago to northern capitalists for S32,
900. There have been, l think, other sales at
equally high prices. The operations OF
tirmstone Il Co., Pennsylvania lron-mcn, at
the Longdale furnace, in the same neighbor-
hood, have been very successful, as their i'm
mense pew buildings and large product OF
metal daily testify. The property which they
bought is sud to contain lnexhaustble stores
of iron.ore. Their iron, on account of its
peculiar richness, is valuable for car.wheels.
Their furnace was started by MIR. Samuel G.
Robinson, formerly of Richmond, who, be-
fore bis lamented death, had, by bis extraor-