a 
Remarks on the Gold Mines of Virginia. 117 
The Culpeper Mine, belonging to the Culpeper Mining Company. 
The mine is situated eighteen miles west of Fredericksburgh, upon 
the river Rapidan, a few miles above its confluence with the Rappa- 
hannock. The tract is stated to contain five hundred and twenty four 
acres, of which about two hundred are in forest ; a fair proportion of 
the woodland is covered by pine and oak trees, of large size, and 
excellent quality; the oak affords timber of the best kind for ma- 
chinery, and the pine, (chiefly of the red heart kind—most of it 
being heart,) is admirably fitted for the construction of the buildings. 
This species of pine is understood to be confined to a small portion 
of country. The rest of the forest-growth is fitted for fuel and other 
common purposes. 
The soil of the tract, like that prevailing, generally, through the 
gold region of Virginia, is thin. 
The surface is varied ; the portion nearest to the great public road, 
leading to Culpeper Court House, is nearly level: that upon and 
near to the river is formed in fine undulations, with hills which rise 
one hundred and thirty feet above the Rapidan, and afford great fa- 
cilities for mining. These hills are similar to others on the opposite 
side of the river ; and they, with the intervening vallies—the wood- 
Jands—the cultivated fields and the stream, form striking features ina 
varied and beautiful landscape. While the river Rapidan affords most 
abundant hydraulic power, for mills of every description, and washes 
the entire boundary line of the tract on one side—a considerable 
rivulet or branch called Patrick’s Run, passes through the land, fur- 
nishing every facility for washing the ore, and. even “considerable re- 
source for machinery. 
The buildings, of every description, are of a better construction 
than are generally found at the gold mines; with scarcely an excep- 
tion, they are framed substautially, and clap-boarded ; there are 
houses for the miners and laborers, besides inferior cabins: there is 
a good blacksmith’s, shop and store-room adjoining; an ore-house 
properly secured—a. magazine for powder and other valuable things, 
situated on a high point, at once conspicuous and completely detach- 
ed, and in all the arrangements, attention has evidently been paid to 
the morals and decent manners, as well as to the comfort of the peo- 
ple. There are two ore-yards faced with substantial stone walls, 
and properly levelled : they are, of course, contiguous to the principal 
adits or mouths of the mine. 
