The Aberdeen weekly. [volume] (Aberdeen, Miss.) 1878-1933, 1903-09-25

PuN VI tue .COuuiIN we DtilcNt
II il fact that the discovery of
most of the valuable mineral de
posts in this country have been
due 10 accident. and not TO the
gui6 ing opn,n of Sc 20 list |.
though it must be- confessed that
these gentlemen have played an
important part in determining the
proba BILE value of such finds after
they We're made by people who
were not experts in mineralogy.
An incident that occurred in East
Mississippi, just few miles from
Meridian, not many years ago.
serves to illustrate the rather care
'ess way in which the biologists
have dealt with the meteorological
sources of the State: A distin-
guished,physician and chemist OF
ST Louis had his attention drawn
To the Arundel Springs lithia wa
ter He was familiar with the
published geological reports, and
found in the water which he ana
lyzed something that was so in
consistent with what the reports
ret forth that he went in person t.
Mississippi to investigate. Wher
hc stepped from the carriage which
conveyed him from Meridian Il
the springs, his eye glanced upor
the ground, and stopping he gath
cred handful of earth which held
a number of glistening PARTICLES
tie examined it critically mo
meni. and then exclaimed will
surprise: why, your geologist:
have said that this part of Missis.
suppl has no mica, yetthe soil itsel
SEEMS full of it,"
Last year ii was stated in tn,
Mississippi press that a coal mine
mad been discovered in Holme,
county. and that the coal was o
n excellent quality Upon Pear
river, where il forms the boundary
line of Leake and Madison coun
ties. fine vein of what is called
Ignite crops out on the bank. II
tn ineXpert eye il has the appear
tnce of good coal, and the write
hereof knows from actual test tina
u burns freely in an ordinary Goa
stove. gives out strong heat, ant
.caves no residue from com bus
ion save fine ashes. Coal. or lig
niieyof the same character is useC
" black-miths in some parts o
Interior Mississippi. and they de
,lare il as good as the best Goa
or every purpose except welding
With the rapid strides which
chemistry Is making, there is ever,
-cason to hope that means will b
soon found TO obviate this obiec
zion. \ geologist who examine,
.pecimens of the Pearl river Ig
lite above alluded to, assured th
writer of this article few week
$ nee that in his judgment vel
If anthracite coal will be foun,
underlying the bed of Ignite.
The Choctaw Indians of Centrs
Mississippi in earlier days wor
many silver ornaments which il
Heated not only great skill on tn
part of their artisans in that mel
Al, but also the existence of silve
mines in that part of the Stat,
They knew also of the location {
lead mines. But the Choctaw
were all suspicious and secretly,
and even among themselves br
two or three were entrusted with
knowledge of the hiding places {
valuable minerals An old mine
who had for months been quietl
looking over certain Mississippi
territory told the writer, not man
months ago, that the State is ric
IN undeveloped mineral wealth
He said, furthermore. that one Q
the Choctaws had agreed to poin
put to him the location of one c
the silver mines at a stated day i
toe future. The revelation wa
never made. Before the appoin,
ed day arrived the Choctaw wa
killed by another member of hi
own tribe. This old miner exhit
tied specimens of fire clays, pain
clays, mica, etc, which he said h
found in abundant quantities. II
declares his belief that petroleum
veins would be struck wheneve
enterprising persons should under
take drilling for them: and som
weight may be given To this SUI
mise by the fact that upon tn
surface of many of the stream
there are indubitable evidence c
petroleum. These indications ma,
however. be misleading as to tn
source of the oil veins whenc
they came. The veins proper, ma
be many miles away. and the o.
not the streams may simply hav
percolated through the top so
during periods of rainy weather.
There is no reason why Centrs
Mississippi should not have a
abundance of valuable minerals
since the territory to which We r.
fer comprises the foothills of tn
Appalachian range of mountain.
which is rich in minerals. Thes
foot hills divaricated somewher
about Lowndes or Noxubee county
one branch taking southerl