Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1893-04-23
MINERAL DEVELOPMENTS IN VA
What II Being Dono In Goochland and
Other Places Along the James River

ToNc Eiforof h. U,sDdct:
read with interest n paragraph IN the
D,IArcH OF thr Sd last month headed
" Will Mica BE- Cheaper y and know tEat
the article alluded 90, While being ltS'L
taken from the New York Word, WAS
copied mo q very large number OF news;
papers throughout the United states ana
Canada. and II l. q matter OF glad tldlhGs
TO all Xircinians to know that the effect OF
this and other true reports OF the Hoocu-
land county minerals has been irau-uO
with signal success so far IA tempting both
northern and foreign capital To- launch
into entcrprises IN this state when mas
hitherto been allowed to remain dormant
either for the want of capital 20 develop
them or the natural local conseryancy IN
embarking on new ventures. especially Oh
a mineral kind. or possibly both.
GREAT BEDS.
The Irwin mica-mines alluded TO by the
New York World and Tux RICHMOND DIS
PATCH are truly phenomenal. mere are 70
be seen great beds of lcpldoite sill
cato OF aluminium potassium, and llthl-
nm. and "phlOgopite tslhcate OF alumni
mum. potassium. and magnesium. couched
with their parent rock, quartz. ana kaolIh,
rho former closely resembling the ores OF
Xnnwald, IN Sax0nv, and those VI Mo-
rayia and some places within the presl-
dency of Bengal. India; while the latter
enual in size and tar superior in quality to
the famous specimens extracted IN such
nrofusion from the Laurentian limostoneS
I Of North Burgess, and reach the unusual
/ size Of 3ON-O.
PROFITABLE MINING.
During the quarter ending March 2jth
! over $1,000 worth OF mica was taken out
u1der nv supervision within eight miles
I Of Irwin Depot at a cost OF less than
! $4,000. Auorthern syndicate Is now COM
/ pietlug the purchase OF tract OF some
/ what under 1000 ceres o. tins belt al
cost of $4,000. and IA preparing the ne,
cessarv plant 30 operate II on a colossal
scale, with a capital already pald III OF
| S2j0.000.
Further up the James, on the Richmond
and AlleChanv railroad, ct West wow, on
fine jayne snd C.se farm, there Is being
raised pocuh-riy tne "tuchs.te" (slllcate
of ALUMINIUM. p,~fsslum. and 6 per cent
! of chronic oxide. bright green MICA
such as Is famous to the II
in the Tyrol. and which IS pecuiII ar,
| adeDted from its brIlhancy when pulycr-
| izej for grinding up for tho manuiac-
ture oil high-prced wall papers anu
other glittering decorations such ny
Christmas cards, shop signs lheattl 1,
cal purposes. and the enormous ana
increasing demand A. lubricant TOT
rapIdly-revolving machinery. (Rlchmond
by its Lubricatng Mills. on south Nlnth
street, can boast proudly OF being the
only factory in the world up 70 the pres
ent time-for mica-grinding IS new IN
dustry-that can grind this unique mineral
with absolute success) Here also land
has Jumped in price from tho old-time SlO
per acre al the very outside 70 $780, ana IN
one recent case know OF $3.50 per acre.
sLoCATING PLANTS.
Still further up the river, and back from
the Richmond and Allegheny railroad
hundreds OF thousands Of imported dol
lars have been paid up, and rarely day
passes without visits from surveying par
ties or engineers and experts arriving &c
locate costly plants which are designed &C
make the earth yield forth her untold
wealth.
Mica, however. is by no means the sole
attraction here for capital, a. gold, cobalt
lead. graphite, and the generous family OF
/ hydrated silicates of magnesia are each
and oil taking prominent part IN oul
States mineral progress.
JOHN y. ADAMS.
Civil and Mining Engineer. Irwin, va,