Bristol news. [volume] (Bristol, Va. & Tenn.) 1867-189?, 1877-08-21
WYTHE COUNTY.
In Town and COuntry-A Drive
to Lead Mines. Crossing the
Iron Mountain.

On Thursday thu 9Th, the editor OF
the NepS found himself in the subs
stantial and thriving town Of Wythe>
vile. My friend D. Kyle Gibboney
met me OF the Depot and drove me
to the residence Of Capt. VIM. Glib
honey, who had in waiting for me
royal breakfast, which, in the stimu-
lating atmosphere Of that locality, |
had abundant appetite for. After q
brief stroll on the Street, l found my
way to the Supreme Court room, a
rather cCmmodious apartment, the
walls of which were stained with
sombre hues. that made amends for
the sable robes, which were not worn
by the Judges. 1t was ."Opinion"
day and | had the pleasure of hears
ing each one Of the Judges read elab
crate opinions on certain grave cases,
that | felt no sort of personal con-
Germ in. Judges Monclre, Staples,
Burks and Christian, were present,
Judge Anderson, being absent,
In the afternoon Capt. Gbboney
ordered his buggy and pair of splen-
did black horses, and we had n drive
some miles on the Tazwell road,
along which, the newly erected
residences, aud other evidences OF
thrift and change, reminded me |
had not been for nearly 20 years.
A brief drive about the town cons
WINGED me that Bristol is not the on
ly growing young city in the country.
Wythevile has opened new Streets,
and erected many new dwellings
within a few years. Many Of its
streets are wide and many of its resi>
dences would do honor to any town.
On Friday we harnessed at an car
ly hour for a drive to Ausiinville,
the locality most notorious as the
Lead Mines, distant sixteen miles.
and where we arrived at Il m. The
locality is a most beautiful one. b.
ing situated Immediately on New
River, with a romantic horizon OF
hills in the near distance. A dime
was the open sesame to the heart of
an African brother, who invited US to
step into n skiff and in ninety Sec
onds he had rowed US to the eastern
side of the river, where are located
the Mines and Works. At the store
of the Company, kept by Mr.. Creeks
EFT, son of Mrs S. 6. Crockett form
erly of Bristol, We met With Capt.
Raper, one of the largest Stock hol-
ders in the Company, and also Mr..
Charles Slnders, son Of my old class
mate Of 1913, DR.. Il. w. Sanders
The latter accompanied me as my
guide and conducted me to the base
of the hill, where the two tunnels
enter. These reach the ore some
half mile distant under the hill, where
it is blasted out and drawn into the
outer world by male power. on a nar>
row gauge iron track. A good deal
of Zinc is found in close proximity to
the lead and this is also manufacture
ed though on smaller scale. Ties
tunnels were full of smoke and my
limited time did not admit of their
exploration by me. The hill is per,
haps 200 feet high, and in olden time
was punctured from the summit with
hundred or more shafts, up which
had to be carried the ore, to be again
let down on the outside Of the hill
We passed on to the works nearly
half a mile down the river, where
there is fine water power. that runs
the whole machinery for all depart
ments Of the business The ore is
first crushed, by machine similar to
the steam rock crushers used on rail-
roads. 1t is then passed between
rollers and further reduced in size.
1t is next washed, q FTocess requir-
ing the use of various devices and by
which the dirt and the barren rock
are gotten rid Of, leaving mostly the
lead, which latter is melted by a
blast furnace and the metal poured
into pig moulds for shipment. The
works were used during the war of
1912, and in some way have becG
operated ever since. Many fortunes
have been made by the various own.
ers, but only recently has the work
been done on anything like advanced