The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1882-02-25
THE Blu E RIDGE.
NORTH CAROLINA.
Minerals Railroads.&c. Summer Resort People
There already and Those going There.
Agricultural Advantages
Of tie REGION.

M nerals Railroads Summer Resort People
There already and Those going There.
Agricultural Advantages
of tie REGION,
As mining country. health resort or
sauitarium, an agricultural and fruit
growing region, western North Carolina
is beginning to attract considerable atten-
ton throughout the country, and many
inquiries are made by letter of us Yam
KEGS largely from Kansas who have
established a colony here at Highlands,
the extreme south west plateau Of the
Blue Ridge In order to answer these
'inquiring friends, and other readers
Of the Wig, l have prepared this sketch
of the country and its future prospects.
MINERALS.
At the Atlanta Cotton Exposition, the
country was somewhat taken by surprise
to find North Carolina standing as the
equal of Colorado in the display of min
erals. In variety, | believe, this State
stood first. There had, at the date OF
the last geological report of the State,
been discovered 1.S different species OF
minerals, and to this long list new speci,
mems were constantly being added
Among the most useful and important
are the following: Mari, iron. coal. peat,
limestone, gold. silver. lead, Zlnc. cop
per, mica. graphite, and corundnm. To
these may be added chrome, buhrstone.
slate. and several precious stones. as dia-
mond. agate. garnet. sapphire, amethyst
ruby, beryl, and opal. The State contains
vast quantity of iron ore of every va
riety. distributed over a very wide area,
from the head of navigation ON the Roa-
noke to nearly 400 miles westward to the
extreme limits of the State, being found
in workable quantities in not less than
thirty counties. Much Of this iron is
equal to the best Swede ore. Silver
lead and zinc have been mined to some
extent for thirty years, and new discov-
cries of these metals have recently been
made in the western and newly settled
counties. Copper has been found III more
than dozen counties, and a large mum
Der Of mines have been opened in the
last twenty years throughout the middle
and mountain regions. The war closed
the mines, but tour OF five have been
opened since. and one in Ashe county
has been put i'll operation Oh a large
scale. A great many mines of mica have
been opened i'll the last five or six years
in these mountains. Many of the plates
of mica are Of remarkable size, reaching
three or four feet in diameter. Corun-
dunn has been found in large quantities,
and Is extensively mined. Several vau-
able rubies and sapphires have been ob-
tanned, among them a crystal Of 5l2
pounds. which is in the cabinet of Am
herst College. Mass. Chrome is of com
mon occurrence. Half dozen diamonds
have been found accidentally in washing
gold gravelS, some Of them OF consider
able value.
Corundum. asbestos, and mica are
mined extensively within a few miles of
the village of highlands, and other de
positS of these minerals within sight OF
the village are living undeveloped, wait
ing for capital and enterprise to place
them ON the market. DR.. Lucas, Mas
sachusettS man, who seems to have a
monopoly of the trade. and is working
two corundum mines within dozen
miles, one on either side of the towa
says he could ship thousands of tons of
chrome. if he had transportation conve-
nent. Gold is found i'll all the streams
in and about Highlands. and is PANIED
out by the natives, brought into the vii
lagc and sold to the merchants 1t is
the opinion of those familiar with min
ing, and have examined the gold deposit
here, that if modern improvements in
mining and reducing the precious met
ais were introduced here, backed with
the requisite skill and capital. as in the
Rocky Mountains. a very extensive and
profitable business would snou be devel-
oped in mining the precious metal il this
immediate vicinity. This region has been
almost terra iHcDgnita ill within half
dozen years. and there has been little or
no opportunity for developing the great
mineral wealth lying dormant in these
mountains. The earth and rocks fairly
gli~ten with mica over all this region of
country. Patches of mica as large as
the palm of the hand are met with I'M
bedded in the rocks; and Jumps may be
picked up and split in thin scales. ready
Tor placing in the doors of the base
burner. SO much on the subject OF min
erals. \ professional Colorado or New
Mexico mineral "blow-hard could find
material here sufficient to fill volumes
and start mining boom that would com.
pare favorably with the San Juan. Lead
vile. or any of the Thousand and one ex-
elements for which Colorado is nGtori-
Gus. And such boom is bound to strike
this country III the near future. There
are Il good many Kansas people here who
understand the tricks OF the trade, "
and more are coming. We are. in fact
getting ready for that boom. and those
who wish to get in on the ground floor,
will do well to come this way soon.