The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1900-11-25
THE SWITZERLAND
OF AMERICA
Ashe County Very Rich in
Mineral Deposits.
MAGNETIC IRON ORES
They Are Said to be the Richest in
the World.
ELK KNOBS 80 FEET COPPER VEIN
Between Two Copper Sections There is a Net
Work Of Mica Mines Extending Through
Ashe, Watauga, Mitchell and
Yarcey Counties,
YaLceY Counties,

To the Editor:-This county (Ashe), is
in the extrem northwestern part of
North Carolina, in the corner adjoining
Virginia and Tennessee, and is appropri-
ately called the Switzerland of America.
Situated right on the summit of the Appa-
lachian range of mountains it is 1000
feet above the sea level, with some points
reaching an altitude of $500 feet but yet
possessed of a climate from April to
Christmas unexcelIed anywhere in the
world.
That this country will one day be one
of the most important sections of the
United States is beyond question for
there is a strip of country about 70 miles
IN width, beginning with the Iron Noun
tains, in Virginia, running parallel with
the Blue Ridge through North Carolina
and extending over part of Tennessee,
through Georgia, and a part of Alabama
which is one continuous bed of ore.
A short description of this | think
would be of interest to men who are in
terested in minerals and will only men
tion veins which have been developed suf-
ficiently to determine the quality of the
ores.
Beginning with the Iron Mountains Of
Smyth and Grayson counties, Virginia.
with their immense beds of red and brown
hematite iron ores and coming down on
the south side of the mountain the ia
nous marble and limestone quarries of
Grayson county are approached passing
over the Virginia line into North Caro-
lima on both sides of New river, for long
stretches of miles, immense deposits of
the finest magnetic iron ores in the world,
are found. Some work is being done on
these veins now and it is said that from
800 to 500 cars could be loaded with this
ore by moving no more than a car of
dirt. Five miles further on, in a branch
of the Phoenix Mountain, we find large
deposits of tannic acid iron ores and
looking to our right, fifteen miles to the
west stands Elk Knob, with it's 30 foot
vein of solid copper sulphurettes; then
turning southwark we find copper, both
native and sulDhurettes. One of these
veins was worked extensively about ten
years ago by the Ore Knob Copper Com
pany, but owing to the then great dis
tance from a railroad and the cheapness
OF copper, the works went down; then
further south, over the Blue Ridge, we
have large deposits of manganese, tale,
! and kalin; then gold sets in.
Between these two copper sections we
have network of mica veins. extending
through Ashe, Watauga, Mitchell and
Yancey counties, interspersed with soap
stone and asbestos. In these counties
we have every kind of mica known to
the trade. amber, green, white, black,
and speckled. 1t is a we'll established fact
that North Carolina mica is of the finest
quality known.
The business of your correspondent is
mica mining. This was selected out of
hundred other things for the reason that
when mica is prepared for market it is
not so bulky and can be drawn by wagons
80 miles to the railroad with small cost
and at a small profit.
We located here because we know this
county, with it's vast resources, will at
tract q railroad soon and will not be
always in it's present undeveIoped stage
and this article is written, hoping that it
will catch the eye of some of our North
ern brothers. who have capital and are
seeking a profitable place of investment
with it, and "hang their harps upon the
for it and persuade them to come down
willows" Of the Old North State, and they
will meet with the outstretched hand of
welcome and with the hearty co-opera-
tion of every good citizen of this, Gods
most favored section-the Beautiful
Southland.
Any information desired by any parties
interested will be gladly furnished by the
Carolina Mining Company Jefferson,
N. c.
c. L. ZOLL.