What We Are Gaining by the War [pp. 158-160]

WHAT WE ARE GAINING BY THE WAR.
rudiments of geology, mineralogy and chemistry. Put them to work as miners and
metallurgists of gold and silver!
There necessarily is in England and most of Europe, a great and inneent igno rance of metallurgy in gold and silver. The consequence of all mining enterprises
for the very desirable and precious metals, gold and silver, is problematical, and
thus mining and metallurgy, from the experience obtained, is looked upon generally
as uncertain, if not visionarv.
N. B.-When, with exact chemical metallurgy and fixtures, there is not in the
exprizes" of the world a mnore sure and( legitimate source of industry and wealth
thao hl. y How be opened up by the citizens of the Confederate States of America,
without;o'eiqn capital, or miiiie's, metallurgists, or chemists. This I have demon strated in Charlotte, N. C., on the mine of Judge Jas. W. Osborne, and as my
friend and life acquaintance, Professor E. Emmons, can fully certify. At some fu ture day I may write an epitome of the metals, gold and silver, how they were
secreted, and i,l comibi),ation, atid associated in veins; how these hate been trans formed and decomiposed, anlt their gold a)ed silve?, in somie instances, metalized to a
limited extent, bttt still atre combined, ob8scs,!e and mineralized. My patented devices
are not fully completed, but the stultified act of these Confederate States nullified
my patents, which I, a citizen of North Carolina, will not renew and publish until
the act, in limine, is revised, and secures something besides litigation to the patentee
and inventor.
SUFFOLK, VA.-A large majority of families in this country have made or manu factured on their farms, clothing for their servants, including shoes. I think I may
safely say, more than double as much cloth has been manufactured this year as has
in any previous year for twenty years past. There has been made in this town, for
the special use of the soldiers who have gone from this county, four hundred pair
shoes, and the nmalting will continue until each soldier is furnished with a pair. The
cost of the shoes and making will be paid by the county.
LErXIC,TON, VA.-We have had a considerable change in our manufacturing in terests since the Yankee blockade commenced, and a change, I am happy to believe,
that is much for the better. We are fast coming back to the good old homespun
system. In the important article of wearing apparel, our people have fallen back
upon their home resources. The family spinning-wheel and loom have been resurrected from their hidden corners, brushed tap, and set to work again. Jeans, linseys and flannels are now made by private families in considerable quantities, and
of much superior quality to articles of the kind we formerly got from the Yankees.
Our people are taking pride in obtaining and wearing homespun suits, and feel finer
and far more comfortable thierein than they used to do in imported broadeloths.
The attention of our farmers is turned to the raising of sheep for the sake of the
wool; and by another year we shall have a good deal larger supply of that valuable
article. We have a wVoolen factory near this place, which, this fall, has turned out
an unusually large quantity of cloths, flannels, blankets, etc. It has supplied much
material for soldiers' clothing, and much more for neighborhood wear. A new impetus has been given to this business since the beginning of the war.
In the article of leather, preparations are going on for a large increase in the
manufiteture thereof. The old tanneries are enlarging their business, and new ones
are springing up. This section is tolerably well supplied with bark for tanning
purposes, and as the business is now considered quite profitable, the attention of
capitalists, and those who know anything of the business, is being turned in that
dlirection. They can buy hides in Richmond or other distant markets, and tan
them at a handsome profit, not only for the home market, but also to send off again
to market. We now look to the home manufacture for boots and shoes-ladies' wear
to some extent as well as gentlemen's-and although articles in that line have been
scarcer and higher than formerly, yet our people are pretty well supplied, and the
business is improving at a rate which will soon insure an abundant supply.
In iron-manutfacturiug resources, the materials in this region are inexhaustible.
Our mountalltins are full of iron ore. A few years back we had seven or eight furnaes in this county, which could have extended their business in proportion to the
demand for iron, but several of them were suspended owing to the decline in the
demand and price of iron. We have had quite a number of forges in operation
also, some of which are still going. The increasing price and demand for iron is
again calling attention to its manufacture, and we may soon expect to see it largely
increased.
The very high prices now paid for whiskey has produced quite a fever for its
manufacture, and large quantities of grain are bought up, and distilleries in abundance are called into requisition for maklting the',old mountain rye."
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