Morning journal and courier., 1882-01-24
COMMUNICATIONS.
Something About Virginia.

To the Editor of the JOURNAL AND COURIER:
 Your marked willingness to allow the South
 fair hearing leads me to speak freely. It has been suggested that letters of general in terest would be appreciated. What will I speak of apart from politics? The mining business in Virginia Is one of great and grow ing importance. I notice in certain reliable papers that both gold and silver ores are be- ing mined with prospects for rich yields. This is a new .''boom." I cannot transfer technicalities for this letter. It is enough for me to say that there is certainly a fair chance that deep quartz mining in the Yir- ginia gold belt may pay equally as well as many California mines. Silver ore has re- gently been found in the vicinity of Stray Cave assaying $IOO per ton, and mining has been begun with prospect for 8 rich yield. Gold ore is reported as yielding from $40 to $500 per ton. In ths last iSOltth the Henrico Coal company, of which Hon. Wm. Fl. Barnum of this State is president, is reported to have in operation branch railroad enterprise. This much from the papers. Last year, in southwest Virgin ia, one could hardly hear of anything save iron ! iron! everywhere. There was reg l ular bloom" you may remember. The only drawback was lack of capital. Virginia had no ready millions to put into furnaces, etc. Large quantities of ore were sent
 
 business. Yirginian mines could not pay handsome dividends after meeting enormous charges for the unnecessary carriage of crude ores from the mountains to Pennsylvania furnaces Besides this, in many places, there were even no railroads. The Shenan- doah Valley company is now girding some of them). You will realize what the future promises when I add that there has been within the last eighteen months as many million dollars of northern capital invested in railroad purchases, extensions and con structions in the State. Think of this It is reported that Dr. Ruffner (the retir- ing superintendent of public instruction) and Prof. Campbell (of Washington and Lee University) have associated themselves to- gether for the purpose of making geological and mineralogical surveys for railroads and owners ot mineral property. Prof Camp bell will soon publish an elaborate survey of the James river valley, made under the au- spices of the Richmond and Aleghany com pany. If I might be allowed to mention aR- other representative Virginian who is doing great work in this same connection, would name Major Hotchkiss, of Staunton. It was mainly through his personal influence that the Association of American Mining Engi-
 neers held its recent annual meeting in Yir- ginia
 The South wants hundred men [Republi- cans, if you please) like Edward Atkinson to visit as many southern cities. Each city would in time thus become an Atlanta. It remains to be seen what will result from Dr.
 Mayos present trip. This distinguished northern gentleman recently addressed the educational committee Of the Virginia Legis-
 lature, and it is not unlikely that he had some
 thing to do with the new movement for the establishment of colored Normal school.
 Let the "hide-bound' Republicans and the
 Bourbon" Democrats continue to grasp
 hands across the bloody chasm." B.