334 



GOLD-MINES OF VIRGINIA. 



State of minute division. Iron pyrites is another 

 accompanying mineral, which in many mines occurs 

 in considerable quantities." 



The largest masses of gold have been found in, 

 or near, rivulets or brooks, where pieces have been 

 discovered weighing several pounds. On a branch 

 at the Whitehall mine, gold of the value of ten 

 thousand dollars was found in the course of a few 

 days, in a space of about twenty feet square; and 

 seven thousand dollars value of gold was found at 

 Tinder's mine, in Louis county, in the course of 

 one week. Much of the gold is contained in quartz, 

 called auriferous, and, when in the rock, is invisible 

 to the naked eye, being uniformly disseminated 

 through it. From numerous carefully conducted 

 experiments, Professor Silliman found that this 

 quartz, when pulverized and melted, yielded at 

 Busby's mine, on an average, an amount of gold 

 equal to $8 16 for 100 lbs., or one bushel ; at Moss's 

 mine, what was equivalent to $7 70 for the same 

 quantity ; and at the Walton mine, the astonishing 

 amount of $41 42 for 100 lbs. of the quartz. These 

 trials were made upon ore selected at random, and 

 such as was supposed to represent the average rich- 

 ness of that hitherto raised. When we consider 

 that the expense of the whole operation of mining 

 is but about 37 cents to the 100 lbs. of the quartz, 

 or ore, we can form a pretty correct opinion as to 

 the profits. It is, however, stated that the actual 

 yield of the Walton mine is but about $6 to the 

 100 lbs., and of Fisher's mine $3 15 to the same 

 quantity of ore. Any mine which yields $1 to the 

 bushel is considered profitable, and as justifying 

 heavy expenses in machinery and in operations of 

 deep mining. Professor Silliman, in his " Remarks 

 on the Gold-mines of Virginia," remarks, "That the 

 gold region of Virginia, though of very unequal 

 body, is, on the whole, rich in the precious metal 

 admits of no doubt. That the Walton gold-mine 



