The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1902-11-23

Ing greatly to the mansions beauty, and
the Interior arrangements and furnish
ings correspond with all that has pleas
ed the eye without. For several years
past the main burden OF the entertain
Ing has fallen upon niece Of the widow.
Mrs. Laura Crittendon possesses grace
tact. wit, cleverHess, and conversational
powers of grade such as you might
expect to find in an ambassadors wife OF
lotg experience. Statesmen OF iocat
county. State. and national reputation
have often enjoyed its hospitality. and
Its fried chicken 10 as tempting and as
famous as any ever portrayed BY the
pen Of Thomas Nelson Page.
Seven mics from Morrisville on road
almost parallel to the river lies Bealeton.
a steadily growing little village Of about
three hundred inhabitants and great
shipping and distributing point on the
Southern Railway It has q 1team hour
mill of the most modern type. You must
live in Bealeton while.5 they say. to
really appreciate 1t. for in summer the
dust Is penetrating and annoying and in
winter. with its poor drainage. the mud
is something fearful and indescribable
Three miles from Worthwhile the road
leading to Bealeton passes through what
is known as the marsh. When the
road is transformed into slough OF
mud usually designated by those who
live outeide Of the marsh section OF
country as that blackjack mud and
It is asserted that 1t takes the hair and
skin off Of horses legs. that 1t takes
the paint and varnish of the wheels OF
wagons. that before it comes Off your
clothing 1t takes wfth4t the fibre 1t is
fastened to. that 1t freezes twice q year;
yet 1t raises splendid crops OF corn.
wheat and grass with but little cost OF
cultivation. Think of farmer running
.lrfI1fE ali n we do
above the horses Shoulders and raising
twenty-four bushels OF wheat to the
acre.
BARYTES.
Not gold mine and vet more paying.
than many a gold mine is mine opened
up about one mile east Of Bealeton. To
see a two-horse team with what looks
to be acouple Of wheelbarrows full of
wbiteish looking mineral substance in the
bottom of the wagon and to learn that it
weighed a ton, would surprise good
many people. It Is Barytes one of the
hea West minerals known to man and it
Is used extensively In the manufacture OF
Paints. to give a gloss to paper and IN
the arts. From Rcaleton the Barytes is
shipped TO Lynchburg. where 1t is bleach
ed, washed. dried. Graded. ground and
prepared for the market. The Barytes
mine Is a half mile from the main road
away from the river. AT this old mine
recently reopened they sunk a shaft forty
five feet dTifted forty feet. then worked
up TO the surface. They have cut around
a solid block of this material from four to
zfv. feet wide and how long or how deep
the vein is no one knows At some points
where the vein has been opened UP large
deposits Of copper have been found. Near
tere is an abandoned copper mine which
was once very Furnishing. but water
forced the miners out. Barytes has -four
enemies TO cut into the enormous profits
Of those who handle it--Inud. water. grit
ard a tendency of the highest grade OF It
to crumbie. for he best Of 1t when pre-
rared Is as white as chalk and as fine as
flour Ono thousand two hundred pounds
of this prepared barytes can he put In
Ninnea polls flour barrel Of strengthened),
being as heavv# as Lead If. when tur-
pentine is poured upon II, 1t retains Its
prhiteness its purity Is unGuestsoned; but
n Il turns muddy color this Is evidence
OF adnlteration. 1t Is extensively used in
turn o aduiterate sugar and lard where
ii Is difficult to detect. as It Is odorless,
tasteless and white as the driven snow
As the prepared barytes only costs about
y IL cents per pound tho profits to the
refiners and packers using it, are. 1t is
easy to see. enormous
This mine is said to yield barytes of
most excellent quality and the water has
given but little trouble so far Some idea
OF the value OF this mineral may be gain
"a when 1t IS known that the miners pay
a ROYALTY Of fifty cents sunon every ton of
;,arrtes mined to Mrs. e. A. Gere, the
widow Of a prominent New 9orks Ia WSer
ard editor ard owner of the large and
valuable estate upon which it is located.
A pleasant unassumng woman Of great
common sense is Mrs. Gere, beloved by
all for her generosity and her numerous
acts of Kindness. To q negro church In
this section she recently. made present
of a bell costing $780, which under favor
allie atmospheric conditions can be heard
Al a distance of fifteen miles.
Mining as it is now carried on is a bene-
III To- this entire section: but If the day
ever comes that these mines get into the
hands of compsny promoters. that the
era of speculation takes the place Of
legitimate business, that every landowner
thinks he Is the posscssor OF branch
mint and the agricultural resources neg
elected then the gold locked away IN me
veins beneath vii prove to be but tho
eo,ntry.s curse To neglect agriculture
for mining would ruin the people OF this
fair valley to-day just as 1t ruined SO
manv OF the early coiontsts. who sought
IL vsin for the mines and smelters OF Au-
naia chen. Even more than gold Is the
,.,,, Of all evil is the grass root the root.
,fa5 root of al good. for were the latter 70
-,arisb55 hit Tor q single .season-man ara
lie civilization would both perish with
it.