Newly Discovered Paint Deposits.

The Scientific American 48, 7.8.1858

Professor De Bow recently visited the paint deposits lately discovered by Hugh White on his land near Liberty, Bedford county, Va., and furnishes the Richmond Inquirer with the result of his investigations, from which it appears they are the most extensive body of decomposed ochrous iron ores in the United States, if not the world. Though situated in juxtaposition with the decomposed granite in the form of porcelain — which is beautiful and abundant — and formed from the decomposition of the primitive order of silicious formation, this paint has all the features of a real pigment, pulverizes easily, contains no foreign impurities, is soft and yielding to the touch, and though oily and compressible, is entirely free from clay, and indeed has all the properties of umber, which it resembles both in character and appearance. In color it varies from a light yellow to a dark brown, as taken from the bank. The small or loose umber is the lightest, both in density and color. The flake ranges from a chrome yellow to a brown black, and when burned and properly prepared, forms the fine burnt umber of the arts, so valuable to painters and artizans generally.

The hard smooth face presented by the common paint, as taken from the mine, and simply mixed with oil, give it a valuable character as a durable fireproof paint, well adapted to railroad cars, bridges, buildings, &c. The bank containing it is admirably situated, in regard to availibility, both for transportation and mining, or preparing for market. It is near the Virginia and Tennessee Railroad, and situated on the side of a hill, from which the water drains naturally. The paint in the crude form, as it comes from the mines is well adapted to all common purposes, and is said to be much superior, both in appearance and utility, to Blake's paint, with which most of our readers are acquainted. We have no doubt but that this deposit will prove valuable to the owner, and of much utility to the community, since a good and cheap domestic article of paint is a desideratum of much importance.