Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1881-06-25

,;,.o IN this section of Virginia with
10 lining familiar with her minerals
OUT II Inc more ineXcusable than lie III
Npu'. without knowledge of the pyra-
tSiP Among the first questions stran-
miu; colIed upon to answer here Is, Are
ger ~ srorch of ores-irOn, manganese,
YOU cold. etc.,-Of limestone, marble,
'oplrrite. Slate, soapstone, fire clay, koa-
mica. barytes, graphite, coal and
In .h,r minerals of a commercial Valuo!"
o." reCatiye reply is given to these ques-
- ii,ns the inquisitiye citizen at once sur
nJ. that the stranger has just arrived
r, "d has not had time to investigate, but
T' not for Il moment doubt lis intention
.NJo 50, if his stay in the State is to be "
any length' ,, 60 or
.ompanv him to his fine estate, an carry
ryrning hour of Il recent pleasant SaI ui-
J,v. after refreshing showers, fo"h'i Us
comfortably seated il fine caEIL;sc
Drawn by spanking bays, whose piisN
trottinT soon carried lis out a. tile cry,
srross the long iron bridge when sPaLe
tbe river. over the Amherst mus, through
forests of nine and oak, and hnally alolS
,hn nicturesouc Jane, until the farm was
rnorhrd-siXiccn miles firm the cltE.
The "shaGes Of night were falling last
,,hcn we reached our point of destination.
Earmer Abbott and his stalwart sons met
49, ,yith their usual cheer and hospitality,
and when the evening had worn well
",yov. we settled into downy beds OF ease.
The morning dawned beautifully, anu
a. we stepped out upon the veraudah OF
the cottage overlooking much OF the farin,
the odor of the orchards and the fragrance
Of the fields. were waited 10 our senses
with more Of purity and sweetness thah
can ever be realized in dusty town.
The cottage stands on commanding en-
iuence from which can be seen many well
fenced fields in high state of cultivation.
The soil of this farm which has always
been noted for its producing qualities, las
lecn made still NOR productive by the I'D
,ral use of fertiliZerS-phoSphates, ma
uures, etc. In all seasons the crops are
Good. attributable alike 10 the soil and to
the Judgment OF Mr.. Abbott, the resident
manager, who purSueS the even tenor OF
his way, Season after season, calmly con-
tident that his plan OF combining thc
sciences with good common sense VIII
make abundant crops despite the some
times unreasonable conduct of the ele-
mcnts and the chronic crCakingS OF those
hiss considerate and less fortunate. MI.
Abbott is thoroughly practical i'll every
thing he says or does, and W0uldh I give
I'M ounce of experience for ten pounds 0i
theory. If he has an idea, the Ideals piaC-
tirally tested; ii it is impractica5le, it is
discarded. With him it is another case OF
abe sure YOU are right aud then go ahead"
'Tae wisdom of llr. Bo;clcr i'll cntruStinS
the management of the estate To one 50
81 i for he mas
himself the proprietor of one of the most
valuable farms both for agricultural and
mining purposes in the Valley ofthc
James. ltcOntainS about eleven hundred
nrrcs of land, well watered by convenient
" located springs on the hillSidcS and by
= little stream in the valley whose flow Is
perpetual. The timbered tracts are abuG-
DAINTY thrifty for fuel, fencing and all
mining purposes.
After having partakcn of splendid
breakfast, ut which we gave Mrs. Abbott
irrcfragahle evidences Of unimpalred APP
uctitcS, the horses were Saddlcd for ride
To, and an inspection Of the mines. This
We considered by no means thc least M
tercSting part of Our trip. The ride TOOK
us along Il beautiful stream Of running
water clear as dcwy crystals, through
freshly planted fields, and up the wooded
hillsidcs fcstOOucd with foliage and fra
grant with the breath ofblosSOms. Reach
iuI the mine, We were particularly I'M
pressed with the advantages OF lis location
and thcrcmarhablct geographical features
about us. At the base of the mountain
runs Bell Creek, which cmptics into the
James River Il half mile away. Follow
ing down the course OF this creek the dis
lance of a stones throw, tlc Richmond
and Allenhany Railroad i reached, which
contributes 70 the best ore markets OF the
country. The mine, therefore, may be
said to he located directly upon thlS line,
into the cars Of which, by the building OF
n short spur-lhc ores may he dumped.
The construction of the mine is of the most
substantial characteristic hosting appa-
ratlIS, the curbing, the roofing ana the
propping all being of oak and built IN
solid and wurkmOnlike manner. The main
shat: So feet, is an incline, ID feet deep.
Vt the depth offifty feet drift has been
run POO feet y. +. by lis =. W., and ut or
near the bottom of the shaft, another
drift one hundred and forty feet has been
run y. T.. IN air shaft has been sunk
prrillCl with the maiI shaft and CONNECT
td with il by means OF drifts through
which Il current of pure air constantly
flows. aflording the best of ventilation.
From the base oC the mountain to the
foot of the main shaft tunnel Is being
constructed, through which the ores Will
eventually pass 10 the ears without Tue
expense of HOSTING. The capacity OF the
minc'at present j. fifty tons per day.
This amount can be easily increased ii
desirable.
The ores on this property are bedded
dcpuSitS. and lie between quart2ltc hang
ing and foot-walls. The width of the
vein i'm the "Belicn Mine" j.. by actual
measurement, from Twelve to fifteen feet
between walls. and i made up by lcntic-
ular deposits OF hard magnetic and spec
uar ores, from four and Onc-halt to i've
and one-half feet thick and soft spccular
ore eighteen inches wide; the rest Of the
vein consists of Il soft CchrCOuS substance
which is locally termed Il dig easily
worked, and reducing the cost of mining
To a minimum. The ores are exceptional
in their purity, being practically trcc
from phOSphorosS, sulphur and titanlllm,
AMI arc peculiarly adapted to the mahN-
facturc of steel by The BcSscmer process.
NariOU, assays by eminent anaiytlcai
chemists show Il result OF from O5 10 o.
per cent. of metallic iron. Eighteen OF
twenty veins transverse lhlS property,
which extends from the Buffalo Ridge TO
the James river, but the principal work
has been concentrated on the Riveryllle
system (thc No. GXGls runs which from
its proXimits TO the canal, now the Il.
d y. r. r., a. we have before remarked,
renders the location particularly deSira-
hle. The qualification of the country Is
compressed into sharp synclinal folds anu
the regularity of the formation, and the
identity of the veins evidence continuity
and quantity. The various SystemS-the
''Rivcrvilic, "AXial, " "Greenway" and
"Maude," have range of from three
fourthS OF a mile to three miles through
the property. The strike of the veins Is
n. L. and 5. w., dipping generally about
81 doc Enst .ELn nrns r.-m he lniunl nj