The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1880-03-13
r.mes.Riyer Ores.

,,L I,;snnich. will you allow me o
Eu''oo IN your columns to call atten-
,,on ~ q rather ungraceiul omission on Tue
n ,'Vs - If your Lynchburg correspondent
A. s'e The request Of Major John W. John
,rasident of the James River ana ha-
nawha Company, Professor Caulpoe', o,
Wasbinoton and Lee University, prepfred
=. somewhat elaborate report on tne m'nerai
re.ources Of the James-Riyer Va''ey, when
ronort was pubisbed in the January NO. OF
The rirginids (Staunton). ,,,o,
.sTe,enhone,v In his communication puD-
,isbed in the Dispatch OF the 3lh instant,
coolies a considerable portion OF TINS report
,,erbatin,. with only one slight omission, as
win annear from the following extract from
The rirginidS: ..;. III,
The valuable ores found along this belt
are heu,Gfites, in the form OF specular mica
ceous and red ores; lim0nite drown Deha-
tlle\. ,no0pofite, aud q mt1fure OF specuiar
and magnetic ores. The most extensive
openings have been made in the specular
ores. These. on account OF their low per-
centage OF phosphorus, are regarded as
peculiarly adapted to the N nuiacture OF
Bessemer steel. The other varieties nave
also been worked 10 some extent, ana
promise valuable results when they become
more fully developed.
So much has heretofore been written and
published about these ores, that sball avail
myself OF a few extracts In relation to their
extent and value. General st. John and
Professors Smith and Mlllet. in commune
cation TO President Darlington in 1919,
speak thus: "Our attention having been
given to the district in question as whole,
without entering minute,y into the respec-
tive advantages OF individual points there
in, we NAV say, with entire confidence, that
we are satisfied OF the existence OF iron ore
in large quantity-quanitty amply sum-
cient for the supply OF numerous fur'
naces for long period in the future.
While the fattened masses. locally known a.
'vens,' which occur cODformable in dip
and strike TO the metamoIpbic rocks OF the
region, are found at some points to thin out
and come to an end in the line OF strike,
they succeed each other 50 closely and IN
such number, and they attain in single 10
calIties such very large absolute dimensions,
that it is safe to say. without calculating on
future Developments, that there is ORG al
ready uncovered and in outcrop c0mpara-
BILE as TO mass with the more favored loclll-
ties OF iron production in the United States.
ITO mention one or two instances: one
syen with au exposure OF 60 to - feet in
width, and traceable with large, IL not uni
form, width fortwo or three miles IN length !:
one OF II feet in width where exposed and
visible for very long distance, reliably re-
ported as two miles one now being worked,
which ut a depth OF $50 feet from the sur
face was found to be s feet wide and visible
at intervals for three miles. and probably
denIifable for five miles in length; and
several other veins Of II, 10. 6. and 3 feet
in width, and very considerable surface
iength."
Major Jed. Hotchkiss, In his " Summary
OF Virginia." page 81. says: Recent ope.
rations in Amherst and Nelson counties,
along james river and between it and Ruf-
falo Ridge, have exposed some twenty-five
parallel veins Of iron ore, varying in Width
from i've to sixty feet"
Colonel Mcdonald. IN bis interesting and
valuable report on portion OF this region,
SAYS: "The brown hcmaties Qim0nltes)
occur in vast quantities in the James-River
nre-bet. They may be looked for every
where in contact with or in the vicinity OF
the limeStones. No special search has been
made for them, the attention OF explorers
having been particularly directed to the
discovery and development of the deposits
Of specular and magnetic ores; yet it Is
certain that in the future the brown hcma-
tites, on account OF their abundance. rich
ness in metal, and the cheapness with which
they may be mined, will prove as valuable
as the specular aud magnetic ores with
which they are so closely associated"
II is true that the greater part OF what is
copied consists OF extracts that had been
taken from other writers, but il might have
seemed more courteous IN " Telephone 4" to
have mentioned the source from which he
got them. w. l.. u.