The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1881-04-21
Old Virginia.

The MANGANESE MINES.
A special correspondent, &C. W. H." writ
ing from Stanton to the Pittsburg EDening
Chronicle, after abiding to the scenes at Har-
pers Ferry and along the way, gives the fol-
lowing interesting account of the Valley and
visit to the Manganese mines in this county:
The soil is very rich and fertile, the climate
excellent and well adapted to wheat raising as
the large fields of that cereal indicated In
fact that appears to be the principal staple
for the whole valley looked like one immense
wheat field.
The scenery is perfectly beautiful and fasci-
mating. AT one place in particular south of
Mt. jackson, we could see down this lovely
valley for many miles, dotted here and there
with the large mansion and the negro cabin
And as we gazed over them and the rich
green sward to the magnificent Blue Noun
tains, forty miles away, whose great sides and
followed up nearer and nearer, until they ex-
tended to our very side, they seemed like some
gigantic monster ready to deyour US with their
greatness.
We found pleasant headquarters at the
American House in Stanton, and were favor
ably impressed with this little city. 1t is the
largest and wealthiest county in the State,
and boasts of having the ablest bar in the
Commonwealth The State Deaf and Dumb
seminaries, ale the principal points of in
terest in the place. The greatest interest
though, just now, is Malone and his candi-
date for Sergeant Arms OF the United States
Senate. | saw rather good thing scrubbed on
the walls Of the hotel, viz: why is the old
State OF Virginia like worthless razor? Be-
cause the more you Ma(y)hone it, the worse it
will get" Possibly that is true, probably it is
a mistake.
Again we were compelled to undergo an
other early arising. At a. m. we left on the
G. and 0. Railroad for Crimora, via Waynes-
boro. MIR. E q. Vincent, civil and mining
engineer, and a true type of the Southern
gentleman, accompanied us to the manganese
mines. A long walk of three long miles from
the station over miserable corduroy road
brought US to the celebrated Crimora Manga
nese Mines. The manager Capt. Mcdonald,
received us cordially, and we thoroughly en-
joyed his generous hospitality-(the walk as
sisted us very materially We were unable
to witness the operations of the mining and
washing, because OF a stOppage caused by
portion of the mine caying in and killing a
miner. The Captain kindly showed us the
machinery, and explained the manner of oper-
ating the whole affair.
Manganese is found in pure state, but in
the form of oxides. 1t sometimes lies in large
pockets or layers, but is usually found deposit
ed in blue or slate-colored clay, and in Jumps
or nuggets weighing from an ounce to ten
pounds, generally, though, about two or three
pounds. This clay ore 1--WE will call it that for
convenience is nearly always deposited from
fifty to two hundred feet beneath the surface,
and not on the mountain, but in the valley
near the base of the mountain 1t is somewhat
singular that most of this ore is at the foot OF
a large break or slide in the mountains, and it
is presumed that the peculiar formation of this
ore and its surrounding clay had caused a
great upheaval breaking away from its origi-
nal depository, and ending in its present con
dition.
At the Crimora Mines they have shafted
fully two hundred feet deep, and bring the
clay ore out in buckets lifted by steam power.
1t is then carried in rail trucks to the washers.
These are run by steam power, and consist of
several Gagged cylinders aoout six feet long and
four in diameter. The ends are solid, but the
sides are Of one and half inch steel bars
placed about half an inch apart. The clay ore
is placed in the cylinders, and as they reyolye
strong current of water pours through the
crevices, softening and washing away the clay
leaving the manganese oxide clean and bright
The Captain has small saw-mil attached,
and saws all the necessary tlmbers, including
barrel slaves. Several cOopers are kept busy
making barrels to ship the ore in.
About one hundred men are employed at
the Crimora in mining, washing, coopering
and shipping. The greater part o. their ore
is shipped to England in barrels and there sold
for from $22 to $30pe ton 1t is worth about
SIG in Pittsburgh. The ore at this mine and
in fact most of the manganese ore used is
dsoclde or black manganese. 1t is largely used
in glass manufacturing for the chlorine prop
critics, but mole particularly and extensively
used in the manufacturing of Bessemer steel.
From the Crimora we drove some ten miles
back from the railroad into the wilds of Au-
gusta county. We met an old, gray-haired
denison who looked like the ideal bush
whacked, as portrayed through the war num-
bers of "Harper's Weekly" His butternut
suit, long, thick hair and the peculiar South
ern dialect was novelty to us. After the
usual salutations we commenced the ever
Northern manner of asking questions In an
sWer to question II there were mineral in the
locality he replied: "Wall, recon thar is a
right smart Of it in these diggens, and if you'll
come to my cabin I'll show you some speci-
MEMS" He further stated that near by he
would show us something surprising in the
shape of an old Galena silver mine. It was a
wierd and wild sight that we witnessed. Back
in rugged mountain defile we were shown
an old shaft nearly filled. This shaft is report
ed to have been dug hundreds of years ago by
some prehistoric race, believed to be one of
the tribes OF the Mound Builders The miners,
some few years ago, explored some little by
| digging down in the shaft and discovered a
| trace of a ladner, stone implements for dig
ging and stone hammer Just above the
shaft are the remains of a peculiarly shaped
stone fort and mounds. Great numbers of
arrow heads, some stone hammers and pots or
kettles were also found. 1t is thought this
fort was built to protect the miners from war
like tribes who might look upon their treas
ure with designing eyes. The aforesaid guide
or informant told us that during the "late un-
pleasantness" the Confederate soldiers dug ore
near this old shaft, and in the crudest manner
smelted it and moulded it into deadly bullets.
There may be big money here some day for
one who has the courage to fully test it.
Major James P Edmundson of Montgomery
county, Va, former member of the Legisla-
ture, and brother of Hon. Henry A. Ed
mundson, died Sunday last