The new North-west. [volume] (Deer Lodge, Mont.) 1869-1897, 1882-02-03
MINERALS IN SOUTHERN STATES.


Correspondence Cincinnati Commercial.
Cotton Is no longer king, even In the
Southern States as q body. The mineral
wealth Of the South is her kingdom hence
forth. Her underground treasures, as gold,
silver, copper, platinum, nickel, cobalt, lead,
iron, coal, graphite, chremate Of iron, manga
nese, corundum, mica and asbestos, have
produced larger intrinsic product for 1881
than her Gotten. 1t has produced profit,
too, fully $50 per cent. above the profits on
cotton cultivation. This comparison will
change in favor of the mineral product as
year follows year. Let no one imagine that
any great increase of Gotten bearing area will
occur. The cotton lands of great regions,
planters have discovered, pay far larger prof
its by being used as corn, potato, rice, bar
ley, oats, wheat and vegetable ground. A
certainly defined belt of land has given large
profits over cotton by growing cereals and
vegetables. The full exhibits of Georgia,
North Carolina, Florida, South Carolina and
Alabama in cereals, vegetables and grasses
have been fully explained TO the visiting hus-
bandman by intelligent exhibitors, who gave
figures for sustaining their allegations. It is
safe to say that land at value of $40 per
acre cannot by producing one bale of cotton
yearly give profit Of five per cent. per an
mum. The
GOLD MINES OF GEORGIA
For 1881, on the authority of Professor Geo.
Little, Geologist of this State, have yielded
$50 per cent. on the capital invested, and
there Is area for two million more of mining
lots, which, If grasped at once, will cost less
than twenty per cent. than the cost Of mining
ground on Government lands in the far
West. There were on exhibition at the Ex-
position 2S3 different minerals from the
States of the South. This makes the repre-
sentation fully 110 larger than ever before
exhibited in all the International Expositions
held. North Carolina shows fully 200 diff
ferent minerals. No other alike circum-
scribed area Of territory, so far discovered,
can produce 125 different minerals. The
ores of gold in this State are free milling.
Many of the mills are separating gold from
its ores at the cost of forty cents per ton.
The gold-bearing quartz of this State so far
worked has been mined without the employ
ment of drills and powder. The State yield
of geld for 1881 is So, ,0OO, 900, yet this branch
Of mining is In its infancy compared with
future work. There are sighty-seven gold
mills in operation. The present year will
add 100 more; for foreign and eastern capi-
talists are on the alert. They have many
Rocky Mountain prospectors out purchasing
farming lands, ostensibly, but who are in re-
ality buying mining grounds. Some Cincin-
natl capitalists are among these shrewd
workers; Baltimore, Philadelphia, New
York, Boston and San Francisco also are in
terested.
BIRMINGHAM, ALA,
The center field Of fine iron and coal Gepos-
Its In juxtaposition, grew 5000 increase of
.--s-.-~a.-s.sse s-.-.--. --aas With the half
score Of iron, steel, car-wheel and other
foundries and smeltsrs in process Of con-
struction, and the necessary laborers de-
manded to run them,a promise OF increase of
1900 population is certain for this new
Pittsburg. Five trunk lines of railroads are
centering there, and planting their perns-
nent machine shops. Atlanta trusts to hold
her own on Alabama coal, which will be
brought here by competitive railroads being
hastened thitherward, and on the censtruc-
ton of the canal scheme Of Director Gener-
al FL. s. Kimball. cannot see how more
capital will invest in Atlanta, when more
money can be made on coal and iron, and
gold and copper fields, where ne high taxes,
no onerous rents, no transportation of vege-
tables and fruits, is required. Capital in
mining, as in manufacturing, is on the alert
to obtain aground floor" advantages.
SCIoTA.