The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1911-03-11
The Mineral Resources of Virginia
By THOMAS l. WATSON,
State Geolog and Professor of Geology University Of Virginia

abundance In Floy0s 1aFfolI, anu tfasSSh couhIfS.
This ore is mined near Monarat in Carroll county.
and treated at Pulaski for sulphuric acid The
annual production Of pyrte and pyrrhetihe In vir-
ginia exceeds 100000 in value
The principal gold belt in Virginia extends from
Maryland the State in southwestward d.
rection TO the North Carolina line. The belt varies
in width from fifteen to twenty-five miles, and Is
200 miles long, with its best developed portion In
Fauquier, Stafford, Culpeper. Orange, Spottsyl-
vania, Louisa, FIuyanna, Goochiand, and Bucking-
ham counties. Gold mining in the State dates
from the year s3l. and from 1881 to 1850 the
production reasonably steady, the annual value
being between s5e,U0e ana 100000 AT present
the production is very small. but considerable ac-
tivity is being manifested in the mines Of this
belt, which should yield STEADY and profitable
returns If properly managed.
Copper ores are found in many counties of the
State but the principal are three in number:
G) The Virginia district. including parts OF Hall
fax, Charlotte, and Mecklenbarg counties. t2p the
northern Blue Ridge region including parts OF War
ren, Fauquier, Rappahannock, Madison, Page. and
Greene counties; and t3l the Southwest Virginia
region including Floyd. Carroll. and Grayson
ties The principal production has been from the
first and third areas. The Virginia is COM
mercaliy the most important copper district in Viz
ginia, and the principal aexelepmeHts include
considerable numter of mines
Lead mining in Virginia dates back more than
$50 years, and the old lead mines of AustinyilIe,
Wythe county, were the first to be worked. Min
ing of zine in the State dates from the open
ing the mine at Bertha, Wythc county in 1879.
smelling plant tthe only in the Soath) owned
and operated at present by the Bertha Mineral
Company, was promptly hailg at Pulaski for the
making of speiter from the Virginia ORES. The
Bertha" speter is OF exceptional purity, and has
worldwide reputation.
The first coal mined In the United States was In
the Richmond tasn, where mines were opened and
worked on the James river. near Richmond, as early
1850. For the next II years. or from 1859 to
1892, there available records of production
from the mines near Richmond the first year for
which figures Of production given in S22 when
54 .o0e short tons of coal were mined. The pro-
auction from the Richmond basin continued TO in
crease until sac tthe production in is2s being
$50 tonsf when IL began to decline.
The construction of the Norfolk and Western
Railway through southwest Virginia in 1882, open
ed mp the famous Pocahon,as coal DIS .re,, when
lies partly in Virginia Likewise. the building OF
the Cinch Valley division of the Norfolk and West
Railway, nine years later. marked the be-
ginning OF the development OF the Wise county coal
district. The developments in these two fs1da in
southwest Virginia, Taze~eil county in 1883 and
Wise county in 1884, again restored Virginia to
Importance a coal producer.
The Virginia which have produced Or are
producing coal are as follows
1.-THE coal deposits OF the Richmond Coal
Basin which covers parts of the following five
counties: Henrco. Chesterfield Powhatan, GOoch-
land, and Amelia. This is the only area Of free
g Farming coal III the portion OF the United
States that Is located Immediately adjacent to tide
water. It contains large reserves OF coal and has
received In recent years the attention which 1t
merits 1t will probably become important pro-
Queer in the near future since development work is
we'll under way In portions OF the area.
1.-THE coal deposits Of the Mountain province
which include number OF separate areas extend
ing the State In soathMestefiy direction
from Frederick county On the north to the Tennes-
boundary on the south. These are:
% The Frederick County Area. Including the
Mountain Falls district In the southwestern por
ton OF the county and the West Virginia line
ga The Augusta County Area Incindes the
North River district In the northwest corner OF
Augusta county and the contiguous part Of Rock-
ingham county.
t3) The Botetourt County Area. Includes the
southwest corner OF Botefourt county.
ca The Montgomery Pulaski Counties Area.
Includes Price and Brush mountains In Montgom-
cry county. and Cloyd and Little Walker mountains
in Puiask county.
go The Hand ythe Counties Area Includes
a small In the southern part Of Bland eOaaty
and in the n0rthern part IT Wsthe county
a6) The Southwest Virginia Area. Forms tho
southeastern portion OF the KAnawha basin, ana
HNt