The Roanoke times. [volume] (Roanoke, Va.) 1890-1895, 1891-03-21
.lg conditions squarely in the

5t lol ig conditions squarely in the
t.oe: s
i'iist ie must, by patient and
or y. Investigation and positive OK
rat,oy 3by shafts and crosscuts under
l,oc easonably satisfy himself that
.hCy *, fair prospect of making
.e Surface showings, no matter
nos ~, they look, are many times not
wor-b pinch of snuff, being Oftentimes
slop-overs or blankets, with no
width or depth, or they may be
~ local deposits showed out of
J, which are isolated and soon pinch
aecond. When he thinks he has found
God thing, he must find out whether
party selling it has a good title;
,metimes he has, but very frequently
Q has not.
Third. AS stated above, the ores lie in
che foothills of the Blue Ridge, gen.
orally in remote and inaccessible locali-
ties. He must either build himself, or
get the railroad company to build, from
one to twelve miles of track, as rule
with heavy grades and sharp curves, pos
siblY getting over divides by means of
switchbacks.
Fouth. He must erect frst-class
washing plant of double-log washers,
with simple, strong engines and boilers
of full power. Fancy work will not do,
as repair shops are remote and good
engineers scarce. Picking bolts are a
necessity if the ore is to be properly
prepared: All this means a considerable
outlay of money and tine. AS rule,
the clays accompanying these ores are
unctuous, stiff and clogging, and can
only be handled by log washers of ap-
proved make and modern construction.
Where tho soil is friable and loamy, the
Carter washers can be used, but this the
exception.
Fifth. He must provide an ample water
supply. This is essential. One double
log washer capable of turning out, say,
from so to 12O tons of ore working
day, will take about 800 gallons of
water minute. Many of the best de-
posits known are a long way from sufii-
cient water, and an adequate supply
must be had. At one large mine under
my own supervision, we are arranging
to put in a powerful pumping station,
with pipe line from two and half to
three miles in length, with an elevation
of $50 feet to overcome. This means n
big lot of money. The only alternative
is to run the dirt from the mines to the
water, which is the handling of an i'm
mense amount of waste. The ground
justifying it, pipe line is true econ
omy.
Sixth. He must build houses for the
foreman and men, and provide or run
commissary. The ores being in sparsely
inhabited districts, labor must be
brought in and cared for.
Seventh. He must secure proper lal or
in advance. Reliable labor is the crying
want of this whole country. The extra
ordinary development that has been and
is going on, has absorbed all local help.
and, while considerable has come in
from the outside, there has been nothing
like enough to meet the demand.
Negro labor is docile, good while actu-
ally working, but unreliable A cold
morning makes the 'shack," with it's
smouldering fire, much more attractive
than outdoor work, and as long as 'hog
and hominy" lasts, the shack keeps
ahead. The ease with which a negro
can get sick, If he thinks he ought to be,
is extraordinary. A circus within ten
miles will deplete camp as quickly as
If pestilence had struck it.
The climate, the country and the sur
roundings generally are admirably fitted
for white labor of every kind, and it
must be brought in and localized if posi-
tive and satisfactory mining results are
to be reached.
The point that wish to make is this:
with the peculiar conditions confront
ing the operator all through this
mineral section, anything like quick
result from n mining enterprise is i'm
possible. A load of money first and
then lots of time to get mines in shape
are required to run even one modern
furnace successfully.
The men who do not get their mines
fully opened at least two years before
they lay the first foundation stone in
their furnace plant are, in my iudg-
ment, making great business mistake
With the proper outlay and attention
given, the cheapness with which the
Potsdam brown ores can be had, is sur
prising. A very great change is now
taking place, and better methods, i'm
proved machinery and more systematic
are laying the foundations
strongly and deeply for most SUCCESS
full and gradually but surely growing
great iron industry. In another article
l will call attention to other sources of
supply.
For n Chemical Engine.