The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1903-04-12
Largest IN the World Said to
\ Be III Rutherford County.
WAS P i, ( USLY WORKED
Ali Sthe Large Mines u the Mica Belt
ESS Show Evidences Of Having Been
Worked BY Some Vi known Set
II tiers, Probably Prehistoric. % "
Y Especial to Tho Times Dispatch. )

gS This tnine Is situated two and one-h halt
miles northiof Rutherfordton, In Ruther-
AS ford county, N. c., on the Southern Rail
road and Is known as Ising-glass Hill
* from the fact that 1t Is a hill Of mica.
s5 The mine has never been supposed to be
81 Of value, as there was no demand for
5s stained mica until recent years. although
%SS It has been worked by some unknown
(. people many years ago. as mines IN
Mitchell, Yancey and other counties IN
i North Carolina have been. In fact, all
Il the large mines In the mica bolt have Ia,
,een worried by these unknowns to Sc n
"a, txtent.. VI
stss II Is supposed BY some that this was
II done by the Spanlards at tho time Of the
Spanish Invasion, and possibly this II
s4true, for there arc very large chestnnt
aStrees growing on tho dumps that have
III grown there since the dumps were made.
n These trees are possibly two hundred
S.# ears old. Tho fmino Is situated on the
highest point In this locality, being one
II hundred and TWEEN y-flve feet above water
4. level. The entrance to the mine IS about
NIFTY feet above the railroad track and
about one hundred yards from the raj ran
road at tho nearest point. I 5
39fis The vein runs northeast and south
4 west course. and Is very peculiarly con-
#T structed In places. The sfVein OF mica
4 proper Is from eight to twelve feet WIDE
with scarcely any I" aucum'5S (chalk OF
u SLATED mixed with 1t. In other places It
will narrow down to four or. FIVE feet.
The flint wall is from three to ten feet
ii thick. In places It sets exactly cross
ways from the direction the vein runs
In other places 1t will dip to the west,
4 and In a depth$of ten or fifteen feet will
4 dip suddenly back to the east. Hard
IL dkes occur in places and Invariably dip
Ito the southwest. Z: The extent. OF me
e .nhuo1ln Is from fifty to one hundred
feet wide, and In places Is as pure and
h MS white as snow. One minor has been
known to dig down fifteen tons OF mica
III, q day Of ten hours. There have been
( sheets OF mica from this mine that would
cut 12x18 inches without a flaw.
is{ The mica IS of the A or wedge variety
an d Is stained Or black. but is absolutely
8freo from iron or any substance detri-
mental to electrical purposes as II has
8withstood the most severe tests without
stain caused BY decayed garnet.
&2SA At depth Of eighty-ffve feet the mica
!. chan ges to o greenish color and IS nat
q net stain disappears entirely at this
depth, leaving the mica perfectly clear,
y but of a greenlsll color. 4, !, I, "a
lsSIt is believed by men familiar with tho
business that there Is q vein OF white
mica connected with this mine. but his
Il remn ms to be discovered.
The change from tho wedge shaped
/ mica TO the fiat and the black or stained
u mica to tho groen Ia very peculiar
Il change. and must point to something
further.
M There Is estimated to be from 800 to 500
n OF scrap mica on the dumps, which the
present owners have never tried to dis
Move fN1f1 q
Il hill all running to the vctn;t the longest
u OF these Is It's feet long and about fifty
& five feet blow the surface at tho vein.
There are two shafts. one twenty-five
K and one eighty-nve feet deep. Tho vein
is cut in two places about one-eighth Of
4 q mile apart. as&
3 The shooting and trimming Is done by
women and children tho mine employing
Fl from ten to twenty-five shee tors. This
ii work Is dono by tho pound, a good sheetcr,
often trimming and sheeting fifty pounds
y q day. This Is NICE, easy work, and IS
i suited to woknen aAd children.
@ Tho mine wtis worked In 1900 by a Mr..
Burleson. who held loase on II. but in
some way lot his lease expire. AS soon
as Mr.. Bureson's lease expired WV.
Campbell. OF Indianapolis, Ind. secured
lease from Charles Bryant. the owner.
Mr. Burleson tried to re-establish his
claim. but failed. Mr.. Campbell IN the
s
During the summer Mr.. Campbell had
business West and was absent for a
Il short while. When he returned to re-
j sumo work the windlass handles were
chained TO the uprights and notice
Z against trespasscrs was conspicuous. a
gentleman by the name of Clark had as
certained the fact that Mr.. Campbell had
failed to have his lease recorded and took
advantage OF the opportunity to secure
a lease for himself, which he did very
successfully but he failed to hold tho
fort. Tho chains were broken OF the
windlasses In some unknown manner and
Mr.. Campbell and his miners patroled
tho hill with guns Things looked aa II
there might be another rebellion In the
" South. Mr.. Campbell has been heard 10
say that It would not be n good health
resort for any ono to como thcre TO do
work without his orders" Mr.. Campbell
kept guard there day and night for
two months, finally hiring q miner to
live on the mine. keeping him there until
Mr.. ClarR's lease expired, which was for
x TWO years
Mr.. Campbell's lease Was for sixty days
with clause that he could work the
mine as long rs he pleased. so long as
he did not let II lie Idle sixty days with
out doing any work. @ III
Mr.. Clark. with his lease, threatened all
kinds of trouble. but for reasons best
known TO himself. never caused any.
e During Clarks lease MT, Campbell work.
H ed just enough 10 hold his lease. but
8@ after Clark's expired went TO work with
e Vim, clear coast and no warships IN
4 sight. He having had his lease recorded
during the Clark lease no now held the
Oldest paper. and therefore the mine.
But, alas! peace did not reign long on
Using glass HIN, A Mr.. Hester purchased
the mine from Charles Bryant, the own
er. and Mr.. Hester's agent Immediately
II demanded possession. but was Informed
by Mr.. Campbell that he held q lease on
the mine, and did not propose to give II
away. Mr.. Hester, like the gentleman
who secured the lease threatened trouble
OF all kinds. bu, could not scare Dir.
Campbell with his threats, Finally Mr..
A Hester proposed to sell OUT to AIR. Camp
rs bell, and accordingly an option to buy
n was given Mr.. Campbell who immedi-
S@ ately went West and made arrangements
end bought the mine, The mine is now out
OF trouble for the first time in three years,
and Ia being worked by company known
al .-The Hoosier Mica Company" with
ri Nv. w. Campbell as general manager.
Eulogize Mr.. koiner.
There is daily evidence that tho worl
Z OF Commissioner Koiner Is appreciated