The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1901-07-21
The ACTIVITY IN MINING
Development in Mines Last Year the
Greatest Ever Known.
GREAT DEMAND FOR MINOR MINERALS
Many Facilities Fayorirg Mining in This Stale
Every Year New Minerals Are Being
Discovered and Added 10
Our List.

''The Mining Industry in North Caro-
lima during 1907 is the title of a So
page pamphlet now in press and soon to
be issued. Its author is Mr.. Joseph Hyde
Pratt, mineralogist, and it will be the
fourth of a series of economic papers that
are being published by the North Carolina
Geological Survey
This volume takes up in detail the min
ing operations for the various minerals
as they have been carried on during the
past year. In his introduction the au-
thor says that the year 1900 has seen
greater activity in the development OF
mines and mineral properties in North
Carolina than any during the past fifteen.
He adds:
This renewed activity, which was not
unexpected, has not been confined to any
one mineral, but has been general. In
the report for last year attention was
called to the large increase in the price
of copper and iron, which was the cause
of the re-opening of many of the old
mines of these minerals in the State and
started systematic prospecting for new
properties. The high price of copper has
y
mining for this metal has continued to
increase. With iron. however, there has
been decided decline and nearly all of
the iron mines that were re-opened a
year ago have shut down for one cause
or another In the gold fields there is
about the same amount of mining as last
year, but more of the mines are being
systematically worked, and at others and
work is of better class. The demand
for the minor minerals. corundum, tale,
mica and monazite is attracting unusual
attention to the deposits of these
There are manv facilities favorng
mining operations in North Carolina
SUCH, for example, as cheap labor-al-
though really skilled labor commands
\ about the same price here as in other
southeastern States; climatic conditions,
which permit nearly continuous mining
throughout the year; low cost of timber
for lumber and cordwood proximity to
railroads and also centers of mining sup
plies, as Charlotte and Salisbury; and
the abundance of waterpower that is
available at many of the mining localities.
which would make practicable the in
stallation of electric power plants. But
ried on as a business proposition. Many
of the failures in mining in North Caro-
lima have been due to over capitalization
and either poor management or over
management. AS renewed activity in min
ing has begun, it is to be hoped that it
will all be along legitimate lines and that
speculative mining Especially that on
paper) has had, it's day in North Carolina
During the past century many new
Industries have sprung up that have call
ed for certain minerals for their manu-
facture, and as this commercial demand
arose for these minerals they have been
found In large quantities where, in many
eases, they were formerly Supposed to
be very rare. North Carolina has fur
nished many of these and she is one of
the first States that is looked to when
there is q demand for a new mineral.
Every year minerals new to the State
are being added to the list and frequent
ly a new mineral species is discovered,
thus constantly increasing the variety Of
minerals to be found within the COM
monweath
with the opening of the new century
there is a most promising outlook for
future mining operations in North Caro-
lima, for never were the conditions more
mines; and with capital seeking invest
ment, the next few years should see a
decided gain in this industry