The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1886-06-24
Mineral Wealth of South River Dis
trict


of the South River district of Augusta
county, especially the region lying be-
tween the Chesapeake and Ohio Railroad
and the Rockbridge line, along the west
ern base of the Blue Ridge. Probably
nothing so forcibly illustrates the indiffer-
ence Of our people to the natural advan-
tages they possess as the absence of intel
ligent interest IN and concern for the de-
of the material resources which
everywhere abound within the limits OF
the county. Between Waynesboro, in this
county, and North River, i'll Rockbridge,
there is as much mineral wealth as can he
found in any equal area of territory III the
country, and yet there is not an enterprise
now inaugurated designed for the devel-
opment of an acre of it. At one time
there were number of iron furnaces In
operation within the limits we have
named. That was when the old charcoal
method was in vogue, and railroads were
unknown in that section. Cotopaxi. Vesu-
vius, Kennedy and Mt. Torrey were the
names of furnaces that turned out
superior article of pig iron, which was
hauled to the canal in wagons and shipped
to Richmond, except in the case OF MT.
Torrey. which has been operated within
the last ten years. But the primitive char
acter of the plant would not enable it to
compete with the modern improvements,
and consequently that has been idle
for some years. The ores, however, are
abundant at the beds where each Of these
industries procured their supplies. They
are of the best grades of brown hematites,
and have lost none Of their value by rea-
son of the suspension of operations in
their exposure. We have it through ira
dition-for there seems to have been no
record kept of the business of these older
furnaces named-that the iron made was
of the best quality, and found ready
market for all that could be produced
At Vesuyius the iron ore has been up
heaved. and stands hundreds OF feet above
the level of the base. wherelt has excited the
wonder of all who have ever seen it. The
same vein runs through the whole region,
although on the other properties it lies
lower and cannot be reached without sub
terranean mining. These ores are peculiarly
adapted to the basic steel process, from
the minimum of phosphorus found in them,
and at some day, when that patent shall
| have been liberated from its present lit
| igious embarrassments, the South River
district will become one of the most i'm
portant and profitable steel manufactur-
ing seats in the country. Within easy
reach of the coke and coal of New River,
of Flat Top and Connellsville, with lime
stone close at hand. and all the essential
elements for iron and steel m anufacture
there is no place where furnaces could be
operated at less cost or more profitably.
Within the terri torial limits we have
mentioned are found not only the best of
hematite ores, analyzing from 81 to 81 per
cent of metallic iron, but the indications
are favorable for an equally abundant sup
| ply of manganese and manganiferOuS ores.
Recent investigations have satisfactorily
demonstrated that there is no area OF
| ground in the United States, where the
promise is better for an unlimited supply of
| these valuable ores, and all that is wanting
| is the capital and skill to develop them. The
manganese analyses from As to 60 per cent.
of metallic manganese, and if all the sur
face evidences to indicate the presence of
abundant quantities do not fail. they will
be found amply sufficient to justify the
expenditure to develop them.
Within this region, too, are located the
Irish Greek Tin Mines. Prof. Hotchkiss
has recently made an examination OF this
property, and is now preparing report on
| it. Exactly what that report will be, can
not be known until it is given to the pub
| lie, but we have every reason to believe
that it will meet the expectations OF the
owners Of the property and demonstrate
that tin ore, of excellent quality. exists in
large quantities and will Justify the invest
ment of capital for its utilization.
While these sources Of natural wealth
exist in the portion of the Valley deslg-
mated there has been no effort to convince
| the outside world that these vast mineral
deposits lie untouched, dead and unproll-
table, awaiting the application OF the
necessary means to convert them into &C.
| tive values. Were they in other States. Ell
ther n orth or South, newspaper correspon-
dents would make them the theme OF ex-
| travagant descriptions and inviting repre-
sentatious The Birmingham District OF
Alabama has been written into proml-
nence, and from the glowing descriptions
given of its mineral wealth, enormous
CAPITAL and skilled enterprise have gone
there to establish one of the most marvel
Gus industrial seats known in the United
States. The natural wealth Of the South
River District, we believe, surpasses that
of the Birmingham region, but no persis-
tent and systematic effort has been made
to bring it to public knowledge. 1t lies
right along side of a great through rail-
road. the Shenandoah Valley. which would
accommodate every portion of it, and
lessen the expense of development far
below the costs which have been incurred
to reach the coal and iron fields of Ala
bama. We read of the magical appear
ance of cities and industries in the latter
section. and are lost in wonder at the
great progress which has been made there
in material development. while we sit
supinely by. without putting forth a
practical effort or devising feasible
scheme, to utilize district right at our
own doors, with more diversified resources
than ever were thought of in Alabama.
It has, indeed, been already demon
strated, that in Virginia iron can be pro-
duced cheaper and more profitably than in
any other portion of the Union. Long
dale and Low Moor are little spoken of
the newspaper man has rarely ever ven
tured to their confines, and consequently
| two of the most successful iron furnaces
in the United States are scarcely ever re-
ferred to in the public prints. We ven
ture the assertion that there is nothing
to compare with them, so far as success
| full results are concerned, in the whole
| Birmingham district. Yet birmingham
is known the world over. Capital is flood
ing there to engage in competing indus
trial enterprises, while Longdale and Low
Moor are modestly moving along. turning