Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1921-01-09
LEAD INDUSTRY IN
VIRGINIA STARTED
PREVIOUS TO | $50
Mines in Wythe County
Discovered More Than
ITO Years Ago.
COLONEL WILLIAM BYRD
ONE OF FIRST DEVELOPERS
Shot Tower Built More Than
Century Ago Is Still
Standing.
ny JOHN III. puCKErsr.

W SOhN II. ftthEI'E.
Three miles northeast OF Ivanhoe.
In "ythe County. Va. Are situated
flhc Wy.hc lead mines. now operated
by the Bertha Mineral Company.
The original Lead Mine TractH was
$40 acres. on which IL is said lead
was hrst discovered some time be-
fore the year 1850 by farmers and
1niians. who put the ore into crude
kettles and melted the lead. but NO
way was found to separate II from the
Stag until some one accidentally
threw some chips OF wood INTO u kct-
tie and discovered that the molten
metal adhered to them. In this way
pure lead was obtained and used for
various purposes
1t seems that the mineral value CT
the land vas first discovered. or. Sc
riously considered. by Colonel VIII
liam Byrd. founder OF Richmond: John
Robinson. afterward Treasurer o!
virginia. and Colonel John chiswell.
who was native Of Wales and
among the first OF the bold and ad-
renturous men who crossed the Blue
Ridge Mountains to seek fortune In
the Wild and rugged section now
known az Southwest Virginia.
Only "Opcn Work.
Colonel Chiswcll personally. and
practically alone. began TO operate
these mines in the year 1850. II
seems that the perpendicular mining
shaft was not used at that time
However. Colonel Chiswcll was not
prepared ID cut through the hard
strata, neither did II seem necessary.
owing to the fact that abundance Of
highs grade ore was practically in
sight. and hence he did only open
work" that Is. he cut the ore from
shallow dips and followed the veins.
At ons-time. however. the intrepid
colonel did attempt to reach, or TO
follow. a vein leading to ''lcw depth"
that Is. when he began personally
with only crude tools to cut 4 tunnel,
from the edge OF New River under
IA high elm and below the mouth Of
Bald Hill Spring. near Ivanhoc. but
he abandoned the work after digging
the tunnel about twenty-five feet,
mcetiy through limestone The ''Grca:
Scar" may yet be clearly seen. and
is generally known as Chiswells Hole.
from and near which much heavy
ore was mined. and. after being wash
cd. was TAKEN 10 Il llttlc smcllnS
furnace on the brow OF Bald Hill.
Portions OF that little furnace. In
Guiding several well-prescrved are
bricks (madc in i:ngland?) after rest
ing quite undisturbed nearly cen
fury were brought TO light by miners
while searching for ad-bcarinE Stag
In 1850. a part OF a cupcl was also
found. clearly indicating that Colonel
Chiswel was At least to some cN-
tent familiar with the art Of REIN
Ing. which probably gave rise to the
idea that he made silver" and also
to the tradition that just before final
ly leaving the mines. he buried n
large kettle full of coined silver
somewhere in or near Bald Hill. Two
or three. possibly four. generations
have sought the hidden treasure more
or less earnestly. but all have been
disappointed.
Dies In Jnil.
I: is said that about 1870 (prob-
ably latcr) white with coteric Of
friends and acquaintance at n ban
quct in Cumberland County, Va, Col
onel Chiswell gave glowing (wine-
colcred?) description of the wonder
full wealth evidently hidden In and
under the hills along New River. as
clearly indicated by what he found
while prospecting. 1t seems there
was n doubling Thomas" In the par
ty and that he candidly expressed
his doubt as to one or more of the
colonels statements. whereupon CHS
we'll challenged him. They agreed to
fight informally and At once; and In
an incredibly short time the colonel
ran his sword entirely through the
body Of his adversary In due time
ne was legally charged with murder
and confined In the Cumberland Coun-
ty Jail, where he died soon afterwartl.
Colonel ChisweIl was not only an
alien, but he was an active and very
influential Tory. Therefore. about
1875 his entire estate was confiscated
and seized by the State of Virginia,
whose agents operated the mines un-
til 1880. when the entire premises
were sold to Moses and stephen Aus
promptly took charge and continued
the mining operations while his
dcphia. whore he and his son
Soon after the Austin brothers
purchased the property. many miners
and others came from Pennsylvania
and settled near tho mines Still later
many others came. and soon there
WAS established an Important village.
ethe name Of which. "AustinvilIe"
naturally suggested itself, and is now
probably as generally known as
Jamestown, Williamsburg or Apo
Vn 1890. Moses Austin. desired to
leave the mines and to go further
West: and Ms his brother. Stephen.
was yet engaged at Philadelphia, they
= Colonel James Newell who left his
arm. on the. opposite side OF the
aver, and took charge OF the mines
According to those who seem hest
informed Moses Austin had several
and all Of them were born
named Stephen, who WINS of, great as
;sistance to his father In managing
snS Ysssse S wb.a the M,ss9sp
tin WAS nearly twenty-seyen - ears!
old, he In turn decided to 4 go further
n - A. H..