The Opelousas courier., 1890-08-16
INDUSTRIALINEW
RIoH DEPOSITS OF IRON ORE.
Tho Mining end chipping of Ore in ito
Southern States.

Nearly all of the purchase de ore property
rave been made with a view to securino
source Of supply fer projected furnaces
o b. built on the spot, and robody
seems to have thought of undes,nl ipg.
on 4 large scale, the executive business
oF selling ore. Ia the iron districts OF
be North this fs carried on as a business
Id distinct from the manufacture of iron
the latter Is from the conversion of
IRON into stoves and other products, and
il ID one of the most profitable branches
81 The iron business.
~fhege is not only an opening. but a
Vtry great need for d business Of this
sort ii the South. Several furnace com
panIes do not own satisfactory ore lands.
end IL Is Il source of considerable rer-
plexity and annoyance to have a regular
and constant supply of ore uniform
psade Many other furnaces. would buy
heir orein preference TO doihg their own
mining If there were in existence inv
well organized system Of conducting
mining operations on a large scale.
The iron business Of the South is but
ii its infancy. With its continued de-
yelopnent and with the recurring
periods of depression to which this and
very other industry always has been and
always will be liable, tie question of
cheap raw material will be one of the
Important considerations affecting the
profitable operation of furnaces. Fur
naceg so located as to be able to secure
h1ghest grade ores at a minimum of cost
viii have an advantage over others not
10 f<4ftrnaAo fhof ssaor -nan AuoN6nl1r
ircn making to one, and stoppage to
he other. That there are furnaces in
the South infinitely more fortunate in
Ehs matter of ore supply than others is
an unquestionable fact, but this diff
erence would be greatly narrowed if
some Uf the best ore properties in the
South were operated solely for the pur,
pose Of shipping Ores by men who had
. through and accurate knowledge of
the needs and methods of the business,
and whose experience would enable
them to mine and deliver ore at the low
eH& possible cost.
III seems probable that this need will
soon be, in a measure, supplied.
a few months ago some iron men who
have been operating mines in the great
Lake Superior district conceived the
idea of undertaking q similar business in
the South, and they have been indus.
triouely Investigating ore properties and
parfecting plans since then. The orlgi-
mater of the idea was MIR Chas. A, Avery,
Of New York, who has inaugurated and
managed successfully d number of enter
plises Of very considerable magnitude.
Mr. Avery and his associates have duling
the last three months secured control Of
some superb iron and manqanes g proper
ties In several Southern States, which
have been selected after extended
and careful examination by the mos
competent and eated experts. They in
clude fourteen til Ets of brown hematitt
ore in Georgia and Alabama, seven Bess
emer iron ore properties in Tennessee
and a manganese mine in Augusta
county, Virginia. The Beesemer mine,
are the property of the Augusta Mining
s. Invetment Co., of which MIR. Avery Ii
president.
~ahara2ncern1ng the properties to be pur
cnas1ra, the Observation-Disclosures iron
reports on them that have besesh b,
Acknowledged authorities will beE ny.
with interest. The following is arepor
ON the Bessemer ore property in Ten
nessee.
There arc two seperate and distinc
veins, and the trend is northeast snf
southwest. The veins are one hall mil
apart. The south vein bling . mixture b
hard and soft ore; the analysis Of thv
soft ore IL this vein gave iron So 10
phos. .048.
There is an openirg on this that wa
worked a number Of yeara ago ans
hauled several miles on wagons 10 fur
naces. The opening is about % fee
deep and about 1875 feet long. and til
stope on the east end gives d width of Q
feet, without any foot wall being shown
This bank IL very fayorably situated TO
mixing, as railroad could be brough
cloee to the ore.
The north vein Is hard, red spscular
very dense and lays on a hard qLartizit
foot wall. Analysis frnm this vein CAV
non 80. ID phos. .04o.
For three miles. the entire length o
this property. Jon can trace these vein
By the float on the surface.
Mr. Avery examined tie Augusta man
Ranese mine near Siaunton, on the 8 "
Il. r.. and wrote about 1t as follows:
There was upon this properly th
Hnsst showing Of manganese that hav
ever seen. The quantity indicated Woul
be excellent wen for On iron OF
property.
They had made n opening 81 fer
long and ~ feet wide, from which
selected samples the entire length an
wEdth. a shaft has been sunk 10 tee
i'll III GOOD manganese. The forn alto
is generally clay, filled with Manganese
varying from the siza Of d o. To 8 larg
boulser, and cccurli ing In place In man
Instances. The manganese is very clear
snd should judge about one-haH wonl
by lump ere and the balance would =
4nlre washing.
About three quarters OF mile fuftfler
tAesouthwcst, upon the same pFopert.
Ahey were also DONG q large amou
OF exploration work ct OF near some 81
pits where manganese had nbeen mine
years ago upon d small scale, and aE
Farsntly il 4 very ernde manner Sc
sEal trenches had been opened, q
shoWing excellent manganese IL lars
quantities.
The company will have its OWE q
eafs 80 ss not to be hampered in
operations BY the frequent inability
gaslToada Ri supply cars when NEEDED.
70 carry ont this enterprise on =
ssale that hos been planned will reqna
2l2S, Q0p.
NOTES