jRemarJcs 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- 

 lands — the cultivated fields and the stream, form striking features in a 

 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. 



