The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1897-11-23
NORTH CAROLINA RESOURCES

NORTH CAROLINA RESOURCES
r.r4. 40 vsguree 0ssA~rea fresh the Re-
pore II the ComnLssioaer 81 Ls0er
Especial Corespodence-)
Messenger Bureau.
Raleigh, n. c.. November Is.
In the chapter on fruit growing IN
western North Carolina, which Is 10 ap-
pear In his years report OF h state
labor commissioner. 1t 10 stated that
fourteen counties ship $4,000 barrels:
Haywood and Swain $1,000 each; Caid-
well and Wilkes. 10000: Yarcey, Clay.
Jackson and Surry. 5000. There are
many localities in this section where
peaches are seldom killed, and espe-
ciaIly Is this the case in the thermal re-
gion. Apples are kept all winter In
ordinary cellars. 1t is destined to be
the greatest apple growing region in
America. There have Sc far been few
attempts to grow apples in q syste-
matte manner, and an absence OF sys-
tenn as to culling, packing and shipping.
These North Carolina apples ave this
wear taken prizes at New York exhibit
tions. The great size OF many Of the
trees attracts attention; as 1t Is not un-
common to find them three feet In di-
ameter.
TANNERIES.
The tannery industry is much larger
in this state than is generally known.
A very large proportion OF the hides
produced are tanned in the state. The
abundance OF oak and hemlock bark
would enable the state to tan all the
leather used within its limits. A large
part Of the leather now produced In the
state is made into harness n collars.
The greater part of these go to Balti-
more, Richmond and Atlanta, and sue
cessfully compete with the product OF
other states. A list Of 122 tanneries is
given, with postoffice addresses and
owners. Chatham county leads with s.
COPPER MINING.
The copper ores Of this state usually
occur in two forms-gold bearing and
non-gold bearing. The ores in Person
and Granville, with a high per centage
of copper, have. received the at
tention they deserve. one Of the mines,
the Ore Knob, in Ashe, has been work.
ed to an immense extent n to a depth
of 400 feet. The discovery Of a vast
deposit on the extreme western boun-
Diary of the state has led to mining on
a great scale, and over 1000 persons
are employed. This las. discovered
deposit is probably on the Georgia side
of the line. A list of IA mines is given
from which copper alone is taken, n
of % from which considerable quanti-
ties Of copper have ,een taken in con-
nection with the gold mined.
MARBLE.
Marble is found in Catawba, in the
north extension of the Kings Mountain
Cherokee, but the Cherokee quarries
are the most important of all. These
are now quite extensively worked.
Marble of various colors and of high
grade is being shipped from that u
ty in large quantities. Georgia and
Tennessee get the credit of producing
a large quantity of marble which is
really the product of western North
Carolina. The peculiar situation of
Cherokee makes the markets Of these
states much nearer than those of this
state. 1t is declared that a lot of mar
bic used in building the new congress
sional library and known as Georgia"
and TENNESSEE" marble, was taken
from Cherokee Quarries. A list Of 8
quarries is given, 6 Of these being in
Cherokee.
MARLS AND PHOSPHATES.
coastal plain regions, marles are found
near enough to the surface to render
it practical to mine them. Theys con-
tain from so to 80 per cen of carbon
ate of lime, but so cheap has lime been
in recent years that the farmers say
they can buy it cheaper than they can
mine and haul the ma9l. Deposits Of
phosphate have been found in Duplin,
Sampson, Fender, Onslow, Brunswick
and New Hanover. In the last the
Castle Haynes mine is in operation and
is the only one in the state. Most of it
has been shipped by the private owners
to fertilizer companies at Wilmington.
Norfolk and Baltimore in the crude
state. A Wilmington firm now pro-
poses to take all the product from the
state (Which this year bought the
mine), up to {, 1000 tons a year. In
Sampson and Duplin the phosphate is
found In beds ranging from a few
inches to two feet in thickness, highly
water-worn and overlaid by from 6 to
10 feet of sand.
BUILDING STONES.
Three OF the geological belts In the
state carry most Of the stone used for
building purposes; the brownstone Of
Arson, Chatham, Wake, Durham.
Guilford. Orange. Rockingham and
Stokes; the GRANTEES in two eastern. five
middle, twelve piedmont and four
mountain counties. One Of the largest
and most remarkable formations OF
granite occurs In Wilkes and is known
as Stone Mountain, which furnishes
stone Of a fair quality and is soon to be
developed. The best known granite
quarry is h a at Mt. Airy, and is ex-
tensively worked. 1t is of regular grain
and texture and is exposed over an
area OF more than 40 acres. In Davie
there is a beautiful stone known as
"orbicular" granite. The figures as to
production of quarries are not recent.
those for 1894 being the last. There "a