Schemnitz

Schemnitz (Magyar Selmeczbánya), the oldest and most famous mining town of Hungary, stands in a narrow mountain gorge, 65 miles N. by W. of Pesth. Together with its suburbs it has 15,265 inhabitants, mostly Slovaks. The academy for mining and forestry, embracing collections of minerals and a chemical laboratory, is the principal building; there are also two castles and a pilgrimage church. A highly-esteemed tobacco-pipe is manufactured here and exported to America. The mines have been worked since Roman times, and produce gold and silver, copper and lead. The families of the miners make lace. Tobacco and violin strings are also made. Two-thirds of the mines are state property.