The Dawson journal., 1883-07-19
nowN AMONG THE BONES.
Mines Of Wealth Hidden for Cen
turtles Under the Rivers. of
South Carolina.

letter from Charleston, S. c.,
cows. "The chef source of wealth
now p| to the residents os Charleston
nnd ifs vicinity are the inexhausta-
HE phosphate deposits, which are
scattered near and. far. Having
heard such wonderful accounts of
Pie magnitude of this newindustry
and being invited by q large oper-
ator in phosphate to visit several
mining Districts near the city, l
sailed frem- Chisolm's wharf
through Wappoos Cut, and out in
to Stone river, assistance of about
fifteen miles. The phosphate
wealth beneath the waters of this
river is said to be ,limitless, and
numerous companies, employing
hundreds of men and curiously
constructed machines, together
with tugs, 1latboats, lifters, dred-
ges, etc, drive an industry, the
profits Of which are refilling rapid
" and surely the depleted Golfers
Of the.State and injecting new life
into her business arteries. Having
reached the scene of labor [ was
amazed at what / saw. Nothing is
more wonderful than the modes
here employed 4in divesting the
waters of their hidden treasures.
A large fiat upon which are fasten-
ed complicated machines of unga1-
ly look and gigantic power, is an
chored in the middle of the deep,
black stream. Huge lifters, pen
dant from rafters above, move their
ponderous and capacious jaws this
way and that. The heavy iron
grapples Of the machine go down
like living claws and emerge from
the water with its gorge of NAM
moth petrifed bones of extinct an
imals. Jaw bones almost as large
as pillow shares were brought up. I
saw a suction tube descend and In
few minutes return with its
freight of stone and teeth. Some
Of those teeth, | was informed, are
those of the shark, but they are
twenty times larger than the mo-
lars Of any known species Of fish
now to be found anywhere.
Some of these bones are as black
as polished ebony. In a. mass of
bones and teeth are embedded in
many curious specimens Of fish
skeletons, the physiological struct
ure presenting many remarkable
points. In clod of crude phos-
phate and mud, which was dis
charged near my feet / saw some
thing shiny. Picking it up it
proved to be a gold coin of the
reign of King George. A subse-
quent haul brought up about forty
Of these old coins, (which are re-
tanned as valuable relics. [ shall
not attempt to describe all | saw
while watching the process. As
fast as these rocks and petrifae
tons of fishes and animals were
emptied from the tubes on the
Hats, they were conveyed to the
factories, where the grinding ma
chimes convert them into fertili
GERS. Much OF this rock is ship
ped IN Its crude state to France,
England and Germany, and some
goes To Australia, but the bulk is
ground here, and then shipped
abroad.
AT this season the demand for
the rock Is great, and all the com
panles are working their full force.
The price of phophates is sub
lect to sharp fluctuations, but the
states always gets her royalty of
SL90 per ton for all the crude
rock mined. This produces no in
considerable income to the State,
ana the revenue thus raised is APP
pied to the educational fund.
oome idea Of the vastness of this
industry may be had when | state
lllat one OF the companies, and by
no means the most extensive, takes
out an average of $50 tons a day.
l Inc MINES of wealth, more profita-
pie than those of Colorado, have
oeen mercifully concealed for ages
IN tne bowels of the earth, to be
PI3roy.ldentially discovered just as
' mel impoverished people must need
Pitts5urg B.spdtch.