The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1877-1885, 1878-06-27
Some Notes From Professor Kerr

= x 4 =. II
Che purpose and final cause 81 said
boat: Not iun, my masters. nor n.nir-.
Bat, you know. the great mari b,.!s
are found chiefly III the steep bluff, Of
the rivers. inaccessible from land.
navlgated the Cape Fear from Fayette-
Viiie down. in a dug-out. in wurkiny up
It's lharis, and | propose - take the
Neuse, Tar. Roanoke. &c.. in the -tir
boat, su-cai!el From Lockville to
Averasboro. Down % Buckhorn Ore
Bank. u miles. left bank Of the river: I
exploration OF ore deposits. sc. Down
70 NDrthiu9ton's Dam, 5 miles exam
nation of dam. Or to Ellington. 10
miles across to right bank. On 10
Mcneil Perry. RecrosS. and search
for tack OF old canal. dug 20 wears
ago; and Oh 6 miles 10 Avera,boro.
The object Of the trip vas twofold.
First, To ascertain the result OF the
borings a. BuckEorn. made b. Mr.
Lobdell, in search for the continuance
of the deposits. The huge cap of ore.
which originally crowned the hill. had
been worked off. and wa found to be
a bulge, or sudden expansion OF the
bed, which lies beneath. and is some
20 feet in thickness At the lowest point
reached. The bed is traceable BY its
outcrop both WAYS from the mine over
a distance of several hundred yards.
Thu behring's did not reach the bed.
because they were made behind AMI
beneath 1t. The same ore crops OF on
the tops of the noighhoring hills on
both sides of the river. 1t is the only
ore IN North Carolina which produces
spiegel IRON. and this spiegel i OF the
best quality. 1t is pleasant to report
that the company are preparing for 2
a!arge coaling operation. 10 commence
in a few weeks and to continue until
10, 600 bushels are housed al the fur
mace. This furnace is worth a trip to
see. There has never been one SO
complete and productive built in the
State. and there is probably not its
equal in all the South, and not a better
anywhere. The relighting Of its fires
will mean much for the whole region.
in the awakening of all its forces and
Industries. And this is its only hope
Ter development and pr, sparity. One
would suppose that the company
would he welcomed and encouraged.
but they were not before. although
49, 49,, ,,aarly laiE ., ,,iiiA, -,
opening the navigation of the river,
mining, erecting furnaces, &c. They
were opposed. denounced. worried
with law suits, and they quit. sup
pose it Will be SO again. So many Of
our people seem to prefer the old
Sleepy-Hollow ways.
The Battle dam has been rebuilt. and
the dams and locks above, to Moore
county, fifty miles-just half the
length of the river from Fayetteville.
and 104 feet lift OF locks. u little more
than half OF the rise above the same
point.
Northington's dam, the next below
the Company's works. is in a very
ruinous condition in fact there is very
little left of it, except about 30 feet OF
abutment, against the left bank. 1t
has suffered much since | examined ii
in a survey of the navigation works
and | made S or 9 years ago.
of the riverand region at the request OF
Gov. Worth. with a view to the loca
ton Of the ~penitentiary.
The dams have not only suffered de-
t%erioration from natural decay and the
action OF foods. (and they We're built
largely of zap pine, instead of oak,
but they have been burned out. partly
through carelessness of fisherman. but
mainly with purpose and deliberations.
And here went down about three
quarters of a million III internal i'm
movements so called, mostly wasted
through incompetent engineering Oh
worse one OF the many expensive ans
absurd schemes with which the lcgis-
lative wisdom of the past generation
beguiled itself.
There are eight dams below thi
point, in a similar condition., a few
perhaps not quite SO far gone. O
these, four are found at Smiley
Falls, or more properly rapids. whici
extend some ) or 6 miles. and have II
aggregate descent of 40 feet.
In old times an attempt was .nlad'
to cut canal around the fails, Oh tn
east side OF the river. There is niue!
interest about Ellington ana the re
gion Of The falls, In the matter OF tn
reopening of the river TO Fayetteville
and these people are certainly entitie,
to be assisted in their efforts to secur
- 1919. l. nAarl-.i ~ tLA ON,