MINING PRODUCTS. The products of the mines of the Commonwealth for 1899-1900 are given as of interest as industrial statistics. It was the desire of this bureau to make an exhaustive report on coal and coke productions, but the limited appropriation prevented. GRANITE. The value of the granite production in Virginia in 1899 and 1900 was as follows: 1899, sold in rough, $32,336; dressed for building purposes, $10,349; dressed for monumental work, $28,812; made into paving blocks, $37,127; curbing, $8,683; crushed for roads, $55,666; riprap, $50,407. Total, $223,380. 1900, sold in rough, $54,225; dressed for building purposes, $55,296; dressed for monumental work, $21,461; made into paving blocks, $16,605; curbing, $8,810; crushed for roads, $38,850; riprap, $15,833. Total, $211,080. The quarrying of trap rock for road making purposes has in recent years become an important feature of the trade, and, therefore, is included in the above data. The 'granite product in Virginia decreased from $223,380 in 1899, to $211,080 in 1900, or $12,300. SANDSTONE. The value of sandstone produced in Virginia in 1899 was $8,000; in 1900, $6,000. In 1899 there was sold in the rough $2,000 worth; dressed for building purposes, $6,000. Owing to business changes, but small quantity of sandstone was quarried in Virginia in 1900. SLATE. The value of roofing and milled slate in Virginia in 1899 was as follows: Roofing slate, 52,550 squares; value, $174,950; other purposes than roofing, value, $8,160. Total value, $183,110. In 1900-Roofing slate, 56,365 squares, value, $185,211; other purposes than roofing, value, $5,000. Total value, $190,211. Virginia showed a very slight gain in slate output in 1900 over 1899, the product in 1899 being $183,110, and in 1900, $190,211, or a gain of $7,101. The gain was in the value of roofing slates, the product of which increased from 52,550 squares, valued at $174,950, in 1899, to 56,365 squares, valued at $185,211, in 1900, an increase of 3,815 squares, and in value $10,261. The value of milled stock decreased from $8,160, in 1899, to $5,000, in 1900, or $3,160. The home trade was reported to be better, with less foreign demand. GYPSUM. The total production of gypsum in Virginia in 1899 was 11,480 short tons; sold crude, 225 short tons, value, $463; ground into plaster, 9,349 tons, value, $22,758; calcined into plaster of paris--before calcining, 1,906 tonsafter calcining, 1,589, value, $8,222. Total value, $32,043. In 1900-Total product, 11,940; sold crude, 200 tons, value, $262; ground into plaster, 9,124 tons, value, $11,996; calcined into plaster-before calcining, 2,616-after calcining, 2,093, value, $5,853. Total value, $18,111. Comparative statistics of gypsum production for twelve years in Vir In order to preserve individual statistics it has been deemed necessary to include the productions of Virginia and West Virginia in the amount of iron ore produced in 1900. The totals are as follows for the two States: Red hematite, 3,664 long tons; brown hematite, 918,157 tons. Total, 921,821. Virginia and West Virginia led all the other States as brown hematite sources of supply, Alabama being second and Colorado third. The two States mined in the year 1900, 921,821 long tons of iron ore, giving them fourth position. This was an apparent decrease of 64,655 long tons, or 6.6 per cent. from the 1899 total of 986,476 long tons. Of the 1900 production, 918,157 long tons was brown hematite ore, in which class Virginia ranked first, and the small remainder, 3,664 long tons, was red hematite. Virginia supplied the bulk of the ore, the relatively small output of West Virginia being included to maintain the policy of the United States Geological Survey to respect individual reports. The amount and value of iron ores produced in 1900 by Virginia and West Virginia was as follows: 921,821 long tons; total value at mines, $1,489,318; value per ton, $1.62. Stocks of iron ore on hand at mines December 31, 1900, 6,000 long tons. LEAD. Very little lead is produced in Virginia. In the tables of production prepared by the United States government a small amount of lead from Virginia is included, to which at times, lots of metal produced in Tennessee is added. Never in the history of the lead industry of the United States has so large an increase in the production taken place in a single year as in 1900. LIMESTONE. The total value of limestone produced in Virginia in 1900 was $403,318. The total value of limestone, marble, sandstone, slate and granite produced in 1900 amounted to $810,609. MANGANESE ORES. The amount and value of manganese ores produced in Virginia from 1896 to 1900 is as follows: 1896-Product, 2,018 tons; value, $21,485; average value per ton, $10.65. 1897-Product, 3,650 tons; value, $33,630; average value per ton, $9.21. 1898-Product, 5,662; value, $55,938; average value per ton, $9.88. 1899-Product, 6,228 tons; value, $53,069; average value per ton, $8.52. 1900-Product, 7,881 tons; value, $69,924; average value per ton, $8.87. Outside of Virginia and Georgia comparatively little ore was mined. These two States contributed 11,328 long tons, or 96 per cent. of the United States total of 11,771 long tons. Virginia was formerly a large contributor of manganese ore, 20,567 tons being mined in 1886. After this there was a decline each year, with but one exception, until 1895, when 1,715 tons were produced. Since that date each year has shown an advance, the 1900 total being 7,881 long tons, making the output for the State from 1880 to 1900 183,751 long tons, as will be seen from the following table: Production of manganese ores and manganiferous iron ores in Virginia from 1880 to 1900. MICA. In 1900 Virginia produced 16,000 pounds of sheet mica, and ranked fourth in the list of mica producing States. No production of scrap mica was reported. OCHRE. Virginia ranked sixth in the list of States producing ochre. In only three States in the Union were there more than two producers. In order not to divulge private and confidential information the output is not given for Virginia. Ochre of superior quality abundantly abounds in different parts of the State. PIG IRON. The production of pig iron in Virginia from 1897 to 1900 was as follows: 1897, 307,610 long tons; 1898, 283,274; 1899, 365,491; 1900, 490,617. TALC AND SOAPSTONE. The production of talc and soapstone in Virginia in 1898, 1899 and 1900 was as follows: 1898, 10,059 short tons, valued at $119,480; 1899, 10,886 short tons, valued at $107,062; 1900, 9,806 short tons, valued at $116,930. CLAY PRODUCTS. The value of the clay products in Virginia in 1899 and 1900 was as follows: 1899-Brick and tile, $1,084,064; pottery, $9,720. Total, $1,093,784. 1900-Brick and tile, $1,305,195; pottery, $3,110. Total, $1,305,195. Virginia ranked 19 in the clay producing States of the Union in 1899, and 15 in 1900. Number of operating firms reporting in 1899 was 96, and in 1900 the number aggregated 112. In 1899, 128,847 thousands of common bricks were manufactured, valued at $765,598, average price per thousand, $5.94; front brick manufactured, 18,712 thousands, valued at $242,137, average price per thousand, $12.94; vitrified brick manufactured, 5,000 thousands, valued at $50,000, average price per thousand, $10. Fancy or ornamental brick were valued at $16,117. Drain tile manufactured was valued at $5,160. Miscellaneous products were valued at $4,115. Total value of all productions, $1,084,064. In 1900 there were 153,409 thousands of common brick manufactured, valued at $934,185, average price per thousand, $6.09; front brick manufactured, 15,617 thousands, valued at $275,847; average price per thousand, $17.66; vitrified brick manufactured, 3,692 thousands, valued at $44,067, average price per thousand, $11.94; value of fancy or ornamental brick manufactured, $17,921; value of fire brick manufactured, $26,573; value of drain tile manufactured, $3,285; value of miscellaneous product, $200. Total value of all products, $1,302,085. In 1899 Virginia manufactured 1.38 per cent. of the total clay product of the United States, and in 1900 she manufactured 1.70 per cent. The average value per thousand of common brick in Virginia in 1900 was $6.09; front brick, $17.66; vitrified brick, $11.94. Decisions of Courts Affecting Labor. As a matter of general information is appended the latest decisions of the courts affecting labor, compiled from the reports of the United States Commissioner of Labor, Hon. Carroll D. Wright. DECISIONS UNDER STATUTORY LAW. CONTRACT OF EMPLOYMENT-LIMITATIONS-RELEASE OF CLAIM FOR DAMAGES-FRAUD.—Missouri, Kansas and Texas Railway Company v. Smith, Court of Civil Appeals of Texas, 68 Southwestern Reporter, page 543.-J. E. Smith was a conductor employed by the above-named railway company, and was injured in 1892 while attempting to effect a coupling between two cars. He brought suit to recover damages, but before the matter came to trial one Maxwell, as agent for the company, induced Smith to withdraw the suit. promising him, as he averred, employment for life at $60 per month. Smith withdrew the suit and signed a release of all claims for damages arising from the above accident, receiving in consideration therefor the sum of $300. He was given employment for two years at $60 per month, and then asked for a lay off of six or seven months, which was granted. When he went to resume work he was told there was no place for him, but after repeated solicitations he was given work for two days and again discharged. This was in April, 1897, since which time employment had been refused him, and on September 10, 1900, he filed a petition stating the above facts and claiming that the release signed had been fraudulently obtained and that the failure of the company to furnish continuous employment was a failure of the consideration for which he agreed to the release, for all of which, and for loss of employment, he asked damages in the sum of $20,000. He was allowed the sum of $4,000 and costs in the district court of Hill county, from which judgment the company appealed and obtained a reversal of the lower court. Judge Bookhout, who announced the decision of the court, first discussed the contention of the railway company that since more than two years had intervened since Smith's right of action, if he had such right, had accrued before the filing of his petition, such cause of action was barred by the statute of limitations of two years. On this point the court said: "If it be conceded that the plaintiff was induced to dismiss the suit then pending in the district court of Grayson county [the original suit for damages] by the fraud of the defendant's agents, this would not prevent the |