The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1912-05-27
SLATE INDUSTRY
IS VERY AC TIVE
All Quarries in Buckingham Sec
ton Are Busy Filling
Orders.

Arvonia. Va. May 2s.-Notwith-
standing the three freshets, which
more or less dcmoraiized business for
n season. the Slate industry OF the
Arvon,a, or Northeast buckingham
section. has been particularly active
since the severe weather of tho past
winter. the six largo quarries being
constantly employed In producing this
roofing material and shipping Il to
all sections of the South and West
The demand for slate has recently
become very active. the most insistent
calls for the product coming from
North Carolina, Georgia. Alabama and
other rapidly developing States of the
South. For some OF the popular sizes
the local dealers have been able with
difficulty to supply the demand
At present five OF the quarries are
turning out tho finished product daily,
the largest and Oldest in the field
being temporarily out of commission
on account OF the great hoods OF
March. The only product of the slate
quarrIes here now is roofing material,
the large structural slate mill having
been blown down in terrific wind
storm some years ago and never re-
constructed
a large mill is now in the process
OF erection ct Penlan. the southern
end of the Buckingham slate field, the
machinery being installed for the
manufacture OF all kinds of structural
material from the slate stock.
The slate workers here formerly
Welshmen almost entirely, now in
clude many native Virginia boys who
have taken up the splitting OF tho
slate stones They soon become adept
at the work, and in a few years of
apprenticeship rival those who come
directly from the Pcnrhyn qunrries OF
North Wales. Within recent years
number OF the Welsh people have left
here, some of them going to the
have died. leaving the younger gen
Grafton. who cannot be told from ma
tive Virginians either by speech OF
habit
There is also considerable activity
in other minerals in Buckingham
county at this time. 1t is understood
that q Northern company Is about 10
take over large mineral properties
near Dillwyn. the properties having
formerly and for many years been
worked for gold Gold is found in
fairly good Percentages TO the depth
OF fifty feet then the deposit Of
pyrites, similar to the Louisa county
deposit. is found. In the debris which
has for years been thrown aside. gold
experts say there is . fortune. pro-
vided 1t can be extracted chcaply and
according 10 the latest methods. This
mine was worked in ante bellun days
by slaves. and the traditions say that
in those days vast quantities of gold
were taken out of the shafts In
more recent years the property passed
into the hands of Roger A. Pryor, Jr..
OF New York. who in turn sold 1t to
the present owners
This mine is located not far from
the old Rough and Ready" or Greeley
| mine, which has not been worked for
many years. Soon after the Civil War
Horace Greeley purchased the properly,
it passing shortly into the hands OF
his heirs. Within recent years the
property was bought in by prominent
capitalists, and it is thought that IL
Will later be worked again.
All told. there arc no less than if-
teen gold mines in Buckingham coun-
ty that have in times past produced
gold in more or less paying quantities
Those who are in position to
know claim that as soon as the many
! Bucking nam mines are worked accord
ing TO modern methods, with new ma
chinery for collecting Gil the gold
from lowSrade ores, the properties
Will at once assume large values. and
will produce gold in quantities COM
parable to the average mine of Col
orado or California.
1t Is also stated by mining experts
that as soon as machinery for taking
care of the sulphur byproducts is in
stalled that alone will prove profit
able and pay all expenses OF mining.
There are now four copper mines
near New Canton, and three miles cast
of Arvona, that have not only pro-
duced copper, but copper and iron
pyrites In paying quantities. SO in
tense were the acids produced by the
disintegration of the dumps under the
action OF the atmosphere that all the
fish were killed in the creeks and
ponds adjacent to the mines. There
is a movement on foot now to get
control OF all these mines and work
tba,n again uDOn 81 larga scale