Greenbrier independent. [volume] (Lewisburg, Va. [W. Va.]) 1859-1980, 1896-07-02
Our Mineral Wealth.
THE RESOURCES OF THE REALM
OF THE UNKNOWN.

THE RESOURCES OF THE REALM
OF THE UNKNOWN.
Within the last fifty years, say!
Professor Shaler, writing in Dona
hoes Magazine, far more minera
substances have been brought into
general use than In all the time be
fore. There is a common opinion
that the explorations of the earth
which have been made within the
lifetime of men now living, have
narrowed the realm of the unknown
to the point where little remains tC
reward the search of those who seek
for fresh fields and pastures new, or
the surface or in the under-earth.
Professor Shaler is of the opinion
that we can regard the mineral re-
sources only Of one continent-that
of Europe-as tolerably well ex
plored. The inquiries of this cen
tury have revealed comparatively
little mineral wealth, except thai
contained in the deposits of coal
In the United States, the region east
of the Mississippi has, so far as the
standard earth resources are con.
cerned, been tolerably we'll examined
In the region west oft Mississippi,
the work of exploration has gone on
with singular rapidity; although
here and there new mineral deposits
will doubtless reward the prospectors
there Is little reason to believe that
such resources as those afforded by
the stores which have been worked
at Leadville, or Virginia City, will
hereafter be brought to light.
There are several conditions
which make the discovery of the
mineral resources of Canada a mat
ter of much difficulty. Almost it's
entire area is covered with coating
| of glacial waste, which much more
than the ordinary soil, serves to
conceal the structure of the rocks.
The frost and snow prevent any
search of the under-earth for more
than one-half the earth. It is, how
ever, in this country that we must
look for the gradual and important
accessions to our mineral resources.
From the United States to the
Isthmus of Panama there are many
districts which have long been in
habited by people of European ORR
gin, and they have been only scan
tily examined, though the Spaniards,
in Mexico, have searched 80 thorough
ly for silver and gold that not
much addition to their knowledge
has been reached during the last
half century. Yet, for the other
elements of mineral wealth-the
grosser minerals and precious earths
this part of the world is still, to a
great extent, an unknown realm.
In South America the vegetation
is dense and the soil covering deep.
Civilized population has net pene-
trated far into the land. There is
reason to believe that the stores of
precious metals in South America
than In any other continent, except
Africa and perhaps Australia. In
this realm, however, as in the Cana
dian Dominion, the obstacles in the
way Of climate and of superficial
deposits are very great, and are not
likely to he overcome, save by many
centuries of labor.
The resources of Africa are by far
the least known. The recent dis
coveries of ancient cities and mines
in the southern part of the continent
seem to indicate that the ancients
sought gold in this remote region.
Biologists are inclined to look to
Africa for the most important reve-
lations.
AS to Asia, all it's seaboard ports,
except those in its Arctic regions,
have long been occupied by peoples
who have developed arts that call for
the exploration of the under-earth,
but there has been little search for
the grosser products of the earth, on
which the development of society
mainly depends, such as coal and
iron.
Australia is substantially, in it's
interior portion, an immense wilder
ness. Only the fringe of the shore
has here and there been adequately
searched for its mineral stores. The
same Is true of the great islands be-
tween Australia and Asia. They
have given something to commerce,
but doubtless still withhold the
knowledge of their richest stores.
On the whole, Professor Shaler is
inclined to believe that not more
than one half Of the land areas have
yet been explored to the point
where we may assume that we know
something of their contents of gold
and silver, and that not one-tenth
of the stores Of the grosser metals
have been revealed. For centuries
to come the resources of the under
earth will respond to the demands
of civilization.