Year: 1866

I $500, 900, which is all taken The officers of
the company, who are also the principal


owners are Thomas z Thomas, President;
S. G. Sturges, of Newark, N. j. Treasurer,
and James II. Platt Jr., of Petersburg, Va,
General Agent and Superintendent.
Operations were commenced here on the
1st of August, and Mr. Platt had steam
saw mill in full operation in just three weeks


from the day machinery left New York,


which, taking into consideration the distance
from the railroad and the nature of the roads
over which the machinery had to be hauled,
is a remarkable feat. They have also COM
pleted two story building, seventy by thir-
ty, built from material sawed at their own


mill since it was erected some six weeks ago.


The machinery to be used in mining is q


new invention recently patented by New


ark manufacturer, which, if as successful as
the experiments promise, is destined to work


an entirereyolution in the process of surface
| gold mining. Itisa combination OF the iron
barrel used in Russia and Germany and an


amaIgamating process. The barrels are


made of boiler iron, and are sixty by forty


inches inside. They have two openings,


twelve by twelve, through which the mate


rial to be washed is introduced, and out of
which the taiIings are forced after washing.
On the side of the barrel, extending its en-
tire length is pocket holding seventy


pounds of quicksilver, and in the centre of
the pocket hole one inch in diameter, in
which is fitted faucet through which the


quicksilver can be drawn off. The barrels
filled something more than half full of soil


and rock, and water enough introduced to


make the masses about the consistency of


"mush" They are then closed and revolyed
by machinery at the rate of twenty five rev.


olutions to the minute for thirty minutes,


when the quicksilver is thrown in. Every rev.


olution of the barrel then throws the quick


silver through the entire mass, and after re-


volving for another thirty minutes the bar


rels are stopped, with the pocket down. and
the openings at the side A stream of wa
ter is then introduced through hose from
the reservoir, and the tailings washed off,


leaving the quicksilver in the pocket with


all the gold previously contained in the ma
terial adhering to the mercury 1t is sim


pie, complete and beautiful process, and


promises to be a remarkable success.


have not the time, and fear you would
not spare the space, to give minute account


of all have seen here The work is Dcing


driven forward with energy and rapidity 1
have never seen surpassed, and with an econ
| omy really astonishing As there is none of
| the stock of the company for sale cannot be
accused of writing in their interest, and I


can hardly trust myself to write all I hon


estly believe in regard to this mine Gold
! has been found all about this section in pay
| ing quantities, but it is remarkable fact, in
every instance. that the veins struck have
all run into the :" Potts" mine. and I conf
| IDENTIFY believe that sooner or later the main


vein from which all this wealth has flowed


will be found on this property. Wonderful
as the statement may seem, it is yet fact
| that the deepest excavation ever made by
| any of those who have worked the mine


hardly reaches twenty feet, if / except an at
| tempt to sink an Artesian well made many
! years ago and abandoned on striking trap
| rock at depth of eighty feet. ~
Unmistakable evidences of volcanic action


and former submersion exist all over the
property, and in some great convulsion of


nature the gold was deposited where it is
| now so plentifully found.


North Carolina is unquestionably one of
the richest States in the Union in minerals
The cost of mining here hears no proportion
to the great cost in more distant localities,
where wood and labor are scarce and held


at enormous prices. The only things neces-
sary to develop her immenee wealth are in


telligent labor and available capital, and I
| do not believe the world can show more


promising field for the profitable employment
| of these great agencies. The success of the


Ports Gold Mining Company will doubtless


stimulate inquiry in this direction, and


should any person who may read this letter


be induced by it to visit North Carolina for
the purpose of investigating the mining adj


vantages of the State he may call on me for


his expenses if the trip does more than re-


pay him. The climate among these noun
tains is temperate and rarely subject to ex-
tremes. The air and water are pure and


heathful, and the people hospitable and will


lig to welcome Northern men who come here


to invest capital or assist in developing their


resources.


Mr.. Platt assures me he has met only kind


ness from all classes, though well known to


have been in the Northern army. He also


saws the great error of Northern men COM
ing South to settle is, in many instances,


sycophantic adhesion or pretended conver-


sion to extreme Southern views, instead of


an honest acknowledgment of their real feel


ings He has found nearly every gentleman


he has met tolerant of a temperate express


sion of Northern sentiment, and believes they


respect an honest opponent more than they


do an apostate He urges the acceptance Of


the constitutional amendment as the best


thing the South can now do, and as fair


compromise between the two extremes. and


believes the people could easily be induced


to accept it as settlement if they could be


convinced that no. farther terms would be


demanded. and the States admitted at once


on their adoption Politicians who are af-
Z fected bv one clause, and fear that its adop-


ton will remove them from public life and


prevent them from holding Office, of course,


oppose it bitterly, and their influence will


probably prevent its acceptance Mr.. Platt


was originally from Vermont, settling in


Virginia Immediately after Lees surrender,


and is we'll qualified to judge intelligently of


public feeling in the South. q as,s
shall extend my trip to other mines in
this State, and will write you, again should
this meet your acceptance.


Message of the Governor of Mississippf.
NEW ORLEANS, Oct. ,16.-The Mississippi
Legislature met yesterday in extra session
The Governors message says that the neces-
sites of the State constrained him to call
the Legislature It was not special emer
gency, but a general exigency, resulting from
| the altered and deranged condition Of our
| Federal relations and domestic affairs.
He states that the removal of negro troops
| from the State, and thetransfer of the Freed
mems Bureau to officers of the regular army,
arc s,,hieets of conuratulation He de-