444 Gold Mines of Virginia. 
dogmas, and become a little more enlightened. As in agriculture 
so it is in mininar. It is not enough that hills whose bowels 
are gold, be purchased at a heavy expense by those who talk 
much of investments, discounts and fortunes springing up in one 
night. Nor will they be apt to become rich by setting a lot of 
negroes (faithful though they may be) to manage their mines, 
when the whole depends firstly upon science. Science is required 
in sinking the shaft, in exhausting the water, in raising the ore, 
and in all the processes of separating the gold from it. In Vir- 
ginia the unbounded mineral wealth will pay for the most labored 
and excellent method of stamping and smelting. The success, 
and often too, the failure of the different mining speculations 
through the country are known to all. I have seen and heard the 
best evidence of success in the " copper enterprise," and I must 
freely admit that they are sorry prospects compared to many in 
the gold mining regions of Virginia. For the last few days I 
have been detained on some matter of business in the interior 
counties of the state and embraced, as I have long desired to, the 
opportunity of visiting the gold mines of that region. Thinking 
that it may be of much interest to many, I offer a few observa- 
tions upon the extent, wealth and importance of those mines, 
some of which have been worked to a limited extent for fifteen 
or twenty years, but seldom with success, owing to the imperfect 
knowledge of a right method of separating the gold from the ore. 
The gold-mining district of Virginia extends in a southwest 
direction through the counties of Stafford, Spottsylvania, Orange, 
Louisa, Fluvanna, Goochland, Buckingham and doubtless through 
the other counties lying in the same direction, and it forms a belt 
of from five to ten miles wide. Now, notwithstanding the extent 
of this vast field of enterprise, it is a fact that as yet but little 
comparatively has been done, notwithstanding the richness of the 
ore and the evidences of its existence in large quantities, found in 
all parts. Many mines have been sold from time to time at large 
prices to incorporated companies, but for want of individual en- 
terprise and the necessary skill, together with an almost total 
disregard of economy in their expenditures, they were soon 
abandoned and entered upon the list of " humbugs," giving to 
such enterprises a check from which they are just recovering. 
Many of these mines have recently been revived under more favor- 
able auspices, and are now proving a source of considerable reve- 
nue to Virginia, whilst new discoveries are being constantly made 
and are a source of considerable profit, even under the present im- 
perfect system of management. 
In the county of Buckingham there are eight or ten mines, 
many of which are in successful operation. In a new mine, owned 
and worked by Messrs. Wm. M. Mosely, Miller & Co., I found a 
