1~1 (;2:30) 

4 IJ· 

Bulletin No. 293 . {A, Economic Geology, 80 

Senes B,' Descriptive Geology, 99 

DEPARTMENT OF .THE INTERIOR 

UNITED STATES GEOLOGICAL SURVEY 

CHARLES D. WALCOTT, DIRECTOR 

RECONNAISSANCE 

OF SOME 

GOLD AND TIN DEPOSITS· OF .THE 

SOUTHERN APPALACHIANS 

;/ 

L. C. GRATON 

WITH 

NOTES ON THE DAHLONEGA MINES 

BY 

WALDEMAR LINDGREN 

:•• :••:••.: :•• •• •• o ::•• .•. : . . . . . . . . . .. . .... 6231:~·:·· :· ...... ·.: .

• •• • • •• 41 • • • • • • • • •• • •••• 

. . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . .. • • • • • • •• 5 • ••• • • • • • • 

: ·. ·: :. ~ : : .. : :. : : ·. : ~: : ·. 

· WASHINGTON 

GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE ,./ 

1906 
.· .. •.• c.•···· :.···.··:···. : :.·. :: .. :·:.: :· . ·: ... . . . . . . . . . . • . . . .. . . .. . .. c. . .• . . . . .. . .. . .. . . ...... . . . . .. . . . ·• . .. .. . . . ..... : .·::··.::~.:: .. : 

. . . .. . . .. -. . . ·. . . . . . . . . .. . .. . . . . .. . . .. • ce! •.• .•:• •• ••.• 
CONTENTS. 

Page. ntroduction _________ _______________________________ ~ ___________ . __________ · 9 

Field work and acknowledgments ________ ~ __ . _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ 9 

Scope of report _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ 9 

Literature _______ __________ ~ __ · _____________ ~ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ 9 

·eography __________________ : _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ 10 

Location and general features ___ ___________________________________ ~ _ _ _ _ 10 

Topography_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ 10 

General outline___ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ 10 

Relief ______________________ ' __________ : ____ • _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ 11 

Description __________________________________________________ ~ 11 

Development_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ 11 

Drainage _______ _______ __________________ · _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ 12 

Description_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ 12 

Development _______________________________ : ________ . _____ ' _ _ _ 12 

eneral geology ______________________________________________________ ~ _ _ _ _ 14 

Description of the rocks ________________ -·-______________________________ 14 

Outline _______________________ . ____________ · ____ :___________________ 14 

Metamorphic rocks ___ ·- _____________________________ · _ ~ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ ! 4 

Schists of igneous origin ________________ . ____________ · ____________ . 14 

Amphibolite ____ ____ __________________ _____ ______________ .- 14 

Quartz"sericite schist ____ : ____________ . _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ 15 

Gneiss (schistose granite) __ __ : ______________________________ 16 

Schists of sedimentary origin __________ _____________ .- __________ ,__ 17 

Quartz schist __ __ __________ __ . _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ 17 

Quartz-sericite schist_ ________ . _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ 18 

Quartz-biotite schist __________ __ .. _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ 18 

Sericite schist_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ .. _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ . 18 

Limestone _________________ .. _ . .... _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ 19 

Igneous rocks. _____________________________________________ · __ -·-___ 20 

Granite_~ _______________________________ -,- _________ ·______ 20 

Pegmatite_ . _____________________________________ · __ · ____ ~ _ _ 20 

Porphyry ______________________________ ·- _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ 22 

Diabase ________________________ ·_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ 23 

Sedimentary rocks _________________________________________ . ______ ~ 23 

''Monroe'' beds ___________________________________ . _ .. _ .. -. _ 23 

Sand ____________________________ _. ____________ ·- _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ 24 

Clay _______ · ___ · __ ~ ___ ·_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ 24 

Alluvium ___________________ ·_____ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ -24 

Effects of metamorphism ____________ . _ . _ _ _ _ _ _ _ ________ . _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ 24 

]iegional metamorphism ____ ~ _________ ·_ _ _ _______________ . _ _ _ _ _ _ _ 24 

Contaet metamorphism. ______________ " ______________ ~ __ -_------ 24 

Hydrometamorphism .. ______________________________ . _______ - - 25 

3 
4 ONTENTS. 

Gonornl geology-Cont inu d . 

Stratig raphy and trud u rP _ _ ___ __ ____ ____ ___ ______ ___ __ _____ _ ~ __ ___ ___ _ 

K in!!S ~J unt in bPit ____ ___ . ___ _____ ___ _______ _ . __ __ ___ __ __ ___ ____ _ 

R elations of the ro('ks ____ ____ _ ______ _____ ____ ___ _____ ______ __ _ _ 

St ru et u re __ ____ ___ __ _ . _______________ __ ______ ___ ___________ __ _ 

O ther pu rt. of the area __ . __ ____ ________ _____ _________ ___ ___ _____ __ _ 

Age of the rocks __ _______ . ____ __ __ __ _____ ___ _____ _____ . ___ . __ ______ ___ . 

11rtamorphi c rocks_ . _ . _______ __ ___________________ __ _____ ____ ____ _ 

Ig neou rock __ ______ __ __ ___ ________ ________________ ________ _____ _ 

Sed imentary rock __ . ___ ______ ____ ___ __ ___ ____ _____ ________ ____ ___ _ 

E conomic g eology _._ .. . ___ _ . . _____ ____ ________ ________ ___ ___ ____ ___ ___ ___ _ 

T in ___ _______________________ ___ .. __ __ _____ _ - · __________ ____ ________ _ 

Hi to r_v of t in mining in the Ca rolina . ____ . __ . _. _. ___ ___ ___ ___ ______ _ 

G ology of t he t in b<' lt _ .... __ . _____ . _ ... _ .. __ . _. __ ____ ____ . _______ _ 

Locati on _ __ ___ . _ .. ______________________ ____ . _ . . _____ . ______ _ 

Tin-bea ring rock ____ . ______________ . _ . _ . __ .. ___ . _ . __ . _______ _ . 

Di tribut ion __ __ __ _____ ______ _____ ______ ___ _______ . _. _ . . __ 

Structure __ _____ ___ ____ ___ _____ _____ ___ __ ____ __ ___ __ . ____ _ 

De c ription a nd mineraloay _ ____ _____ _____ ___ ____ _____ __ ___ _ 

Con tact metamorphi m ___ __ ____ __ ____ ______ _______________ _ 

Tin d eposit __ _____ _____ _____ _______ _____ ___ ___ ___ _________ __ _ 

Distri bution uf ca iteri te in t he di kes _________ __ . __ ___ __ ____ _ 

The o re ·- __________ _______ ____ ____ _____ __ . ___ . ___ __ ._. ___ _ 

Genesis of t he depo. it.> _____ _____ _ . _. _________ ____________ _ _ 

Age of t he d posits __ __ ____ ___ _____ .. . . ___ ____ _______ . ____ _ 

P lace rs __________ __ _ . ____ _______ ___ ___ ___ . _____ __ ______ __ _ 

Concl u ions_ . ___ _____ ; _____________ __ _ . ______ ____ ________ _ 

:Mining development-" __ ... _____ ___ _____ ___ __ . __ .. ______ . _____ . ____ _ 

L oca liti c'S __ _______ ________ ____ ________ _ . __ _________ . ______ . __ . 

De cript ion of min('S nnd pros pect. ___ _ __ ____ ___ _____ . __________ . 

J ones In inP __ . . ... ____ _____ __ ___ . ______ . ___ ______ .. ___ ___ _ 

Fnin•s Inine. ___ ____ ____ ________ _______ ______ _____ __ . _____ _ 

Hoss Ini ne . _____ . ___ _____ ______ _______ __ __ ________ . ___ __ _ _ 

Other portio ns of the belt _ .... _______ ..... _ .. __________ ___ _ 

Pl ace rs _________ __ ______ _________ . _. _____ . ____ .. _________ _ 

l\lt'Lhods uf mi ning a nd e:draetiou ____ . _____ .. ____ ____ __ . ____ __ _ _ 

1\l ining . _____ __ ____ _____ ____ ___ . __ ___ _____ ______ _ . _______ _ 

T t•st for ca siteri tc _ __ ____ ____ ____ __ __ ___ ______ ___ . __ ___ . __ 

Ext rnction . ___ __ ______ __ ___ ____ ________ _______ _____ ____ __ _ 

] 'rodu ct ion ___ _ _________ ______ ______ ____ _______ . ____ _________ _ 

Econ01n ic importa nce of t he tin deposit _ .. _____ __ ___ _ · __ ____________ _ 

Va lu e of th e ore ___ __ ______ ____ _ . ____ ___ . ___ __ ____ ___ ._- ______ _ 

Size nn d ex te n t of the de po its_ . _____ _____ _____ __ _________ __ ___ _ 

Future p rodu ction __ _____ ___ ____ ___ _________ ___ ______ __ _______ _ 

Costs of p roduct ion _ _____ _____ ______ ____ ___ ___ _____ ________ __ _ _ 

Cost of 1n ining ____ __ ____ . ___ ______ ________ ___ ___ __ ___ ____ _ 

Co. t of ext md ion nnd smelt in a __ _ __ _ __ ___ __ ___ _____ . ____ __ _ 

T rn nspo rtn t io n nn d In isccll a ncou co t.s __ __ __ ____ ____ _ - _- ____ _ 

Conclusions __ . ______ __ ______ ___ ___ ___ ______ __ . __ ___ ___ __ ____ _ _ 

Summary ____ ___ __ __ ____ ___ ______ ___ __ ___ ___ _____ ____ _________ ___ _ 

Gold . _______ ._ .. __ . . __ __ ._ . . _________ ____ ___ ______ __ __ ___ ____ _____ __ _ 

In trodu ct ion _ . _ . ..... __ . ___ ______ ______ -- -- -- -- - - -- - __ - _- _. - . .. -- -

IIi. tory and produ d ion _ ___________ __ . __ . ____ _______ . . _ . . __ ___ _ 

I mport a nce ___ _________ __ _ - _- - - - - - - -- - - -- -- - - -- - - -. -- - - -. -- . - . 

Page. 

26 

26 

26 

27 

28 

29 

29 

3 1 

31 

31 

31 

32 

34 

3-1 

:~ l 

3-1 

35 

37 

39 

40 

40 

4 1 

42 

4-1 

44 

45 

45 

45 

46 

46 

4 

4f} 

51 

!i'2 

52 

[i:!, 

.')'2 

;):3 

:)-! 

.'}-1 

.5-1 

5.5 

!).') 

;)() 

;)6 

57 

57 

.57 

:)7 

.::, 

;) .'-> 

;j . 
CONTENTS. 5 

Economic geology-Continued. Page. 

Gold-Continued. 

Gold deposits ................ _ . _. ___ .. ___ . _ . __ .. _ ....... __ . _ ... _ _ _ 59 

Occurrence and structure ... __ ... _ ... _ ...... _ . ________ ..... ___ . . 59 

Fissure veins _ .... _ . .. __ . _ . __ . _ . _ . _ .... _ . ___ . __ . _ .. ___ . __ . ·. 59 

Replacement deposits_ ....... _ .. __ . __ ......... __ . _ ....... _ _ 60 

Deposits of intermediate character ...... _._._ .... . __ . __ ...... 61 

Mineralogical character . _ .. _ . __ .. __ . _ . .. .... . _ .. _ ..... ___ . _ . . . . . 61 

List of minerals. _ ..... _ . ____ .. _ . _ .... _____ ....... ___ ..... _ 61 

Description of the gangue minerals ... . _ .... _ ... . _._._ ... ~.. .. 63 

Description of the ore minerals .. _ . _ . _ ...... _. _ ...... _______ . 64 

Conclusions __ . ...................... _ . ___ .. ~ .... _ . _ . _ . . . . . 65 

Distribution of the gold_ ...... _. _ .. __ . _ ........ _ ... _ . . . . . . . . . . . 65 

General features_ ...... __ ................ _ . _ . _ . .... _ .. ___ . . 65 

Secondary enrichment_ .. _ .. _ .. _. ______ ... ..... __ .... _ .... _ . 65 

Value of the ores .. _ ~ __ .... __ . _ .. _ .... _____ ...... _ . _______ . 67 

Genesis of the deposits ......... __ .... __ ....... _. _. __ . ~ . . . . . . . . . 68 

Character of the solutions. _ .. .. __ · _ ........ _ .. _ . . . . . . . . . . . . . 68 

Source of the materials .. __ . . _ . _ . _ .. . ...... ___ . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 69 

Deposition of the ores ... _ .... _ . .. ___ .. ·_ ....... _ . _ ..... ____ . 72 

Conclusions .. . _ . _ . __ . _ ... ~ .... _ . _ . _ . .... _ . _ . _ .. _ ..... __ . . . 73 

Age of the deposits .. _ .. _ ....... _. _ .. _. _ .· ........... _ .. _. _. _. _ _ 74 

Placers ... _______ .. _ . _ .... __ . _ . _ .. _______ . ........ . _ .. _ ... _ . _ _ 7 4 

Mining developments._ .... _._ .. _ .... ..... .. _._. ______ ........... _.. 75 

General statement ... ________ . ____ _ . __ ._ ........ __ .. __ .________ 75 

Extent .. _ . _ .... _______ . _ .. __ . __ · ___ ............. _ . ___ . . . . . 7 5 

Methods of mining. ______ ___ . ______ ........ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ 7 5 

Methods of extraction .. _ . _ ............... _______ ...... _ _ _ _ _ 76 

Costs of production .. __ ............... ______ . .... _ : _ ..... _ _ 76 

Haile mine_. _____________ . ___ ._. _____ ._ ....... _. _____ ._. ____ .. 77 

History and production __ . _ . __ . _____ .............. ___ _ .. _ . . 77 

Development. _ ............... ____________ .. _ .... _ . _ . _ . . . . . 77 

Geology ... __ .... _ ................. _. __ . ___ ... _ .. __ ._ ... _. 78 

Character and occurrence of the ore ___ ...... · ..... : . . . . . . . . . . . 80 

Value of the ore .. _ ... __ . _ .............. _. _ . ____ .... _ ... __ . 81 

Ore bodies . _ .... _ . _ . _____ ... ___ . _ ....... _ . _ . _____ .... _ _ _ _ _ _ 83 

Colossus mine ___ ..... _ o ••• _ •••••••••••• • ••• __ •• _ • _ •••••••••• _ • • 87 

Brewer n1ine ___ ... _ . . _ . _ ..... _ .. ___ . _ . _ ......... ... __ . _ . _ . _ . _ _ 90 

Blackmon mine._ ... ___ •.......... _ ..... __ ....... .............. 92 

Kings Mountain mine __ ___ ......... ___ . _ ..... _ ~ .. ___ .. __ . __ . _. . 94 

Ferguson mine .....•............. _ ........ _ . __ ___ . __ .. __ . ___ . _ 96 

Brown mine ____ . __ . __ . _ . _ .. . ....... .... . . _ ..... ___ . . . . . . . . . . . . 99 

·schlegelmilch mine .. _. _____ ____ .... ___ ......... _ ... __ ... . . . . . . . 101 

Thompson mine. _ .. ___ . __ . _ ......... ___ ..... _ .... __ . . . . . . . . . . . 103 

Other mines. ________________ ...... ____ ........ ______ .......... 104 

West mine ____ . _ . _____ . _ . _ .. _ .. __ .. _ ...... ~ __ . __ .... ·. . . . . . 104 

Nott mine __ . ______ . __ ._ .. ____ . __ . ____ .... _ ...... ___ . __ .__ 105 

Magnolia mine_ . __________ . _________ ............ _ .. __ .. ___ . 105 

Darwin mine ... __ .. _ ....... ___ .... _______ . _ . . . _ ....... _ . . . 106 

Ross & Carroll mine_ . __ -.... _ . __ _ . ____ . _ .. _ . _ .......... _ . _ . _ 106 

McGill mine __ ........... . _ ... _. __ .. _ . __ . _______ . . . . . . . . . . . . 106 

McCaw mine .. - . _ . _______ .. __ .. __ .... _ . _ ......... ___ . __ . _. _ 106 

Love mine_ . __ ... __ ___ .. _ . _ .. __ . _ . __ " _ ... ___ . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 107 

Wilson mines ..... _____________ . __ . __ .. _._._. ___ ._. __ ._.____ 107 
6 CONTENTS. 

Economic geology-Continued. 

• Gold-Continued. 

Mining developments-Continued. 

Other mines-Continued. 

Prospects _________________________ : ____________ -- -- _ - -- __ -

Old abandoned miries _________________________ ~ ___________ _ 

Summary ____________________________________________________ _ 

Conclusions ____________________ · ______________________________ ___ _ _ 

. Other mineral products of the region ____________________________ : _______ _ 

Silver ________ __ _________ ____ __________ _______ _____ ______________ _ 

Copper _______________ -. __________________________________________ _ 

Lead .. ________________________________________________ ----------- . 

Zinc. _________________________ -------------------------- --------- Iron. __________________________ ____ _____ ___________ __________ ____ _ 

11anganese ______ .- ________________________________________________ _ 

~~~~~t~-- -_ ~ -_ -_ -_ ~ ~ ~ ~ -_ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ · ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ . ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ Barite. _____________________________________________________ - ____ _ 

Monazite ___ · _____________________ · ________________________________ _ 

Li~hium _________________ · __________________________ .. _____________ _ 

Mica.----------------------------------------------------- -'------ Corundum ___________ , ________ ___ _ ~ ___________________ .. __________ _ 

Limestone ___ ___ _____________ · _______________________________ _____ _ 

Clay. __ ------ --------------- ____________ · ________________ _____ ___ _ 

The gold deposits of Dahlonega, Ga., by Waldemar Lindgren ____ ~ _______ _______ _ Introduction _____________ _____________________ ________________ ________ _ 

General geology ______________________________ . ., J- ______________________ _ 

Production. __________________________________________________________ . 

General character of the \eins __________________________________________ _ 

Descriptions of mines _________________________________________________ _ 

Preacher cut __________________________________ : __ · ________________ _ 

Consolidated mines. ___________________________ ' ____________________ _ 

Standard mines ___________________________________________________ _ 

I.10ekhart mine __ · __________________________ ___ ___ _________________ _ 

Benning mine ____________________________________________________ _ 

Jumbo n1ine. _____________________________________________________ _ 

Index ____________ •.. •. . ___ .. _____ ·- _________________ .. _____________________ _ 

Page. 

108 

109 

110 

111 

112 

112 

112 

113 

114 

114 

116 

116 

116 

116 

116 

118 

118 

118 

118 

. 118 

119 

119 

119 

122 

123 

125 

125 

125 

126 

126 

127 

128 

129 
ILLUSTRATIONS. 

Page. 

PLATE I. Topographic map of the central portion of the Carolinas, showing location of gold mines- - - - - - - - - - - - - -- - - -- - - - - -- -- - - - - -- -- -- -- - - -- - - - 10 ·II. Limestone quarry at Gaffney ________________________ · ____________ . _ _ 18 

III: A, Specimen of tin-bearing pegmatite; B, Photomicrograph of tin ore_ _ _ 42 

IV . .Side of diabase dike exposed in Haile pit_ ______ ___ _ . _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ 80 

V. Haile c1re body near bottom of Haile pit _______ ~ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ 82 

VI. Beguelin ore body, showing diabase dike_· ______ ___________________ ___ 84 

VII. Beguelin ore body, Haile mine, showing old levels and stopes. _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ 86 

VIII. Contact of granite and micD schist at Benning mine___________________ 122 

IX. Polished specimen of ore from Lockhart mine________________________ 126 

Fw. 1. Index map showing location of area ____________ c _____________________ . 10 

2. Sketch showing disturbance of .Monroe beds_ -. ___________________ . _ _ _ _ _ _ 29 

3. Sketch map showing distribution of pegmatite and tin in the Carolina belt_ 35 

4. Sketch of narrow pegmatite dike, sho""·ing distribution of cassiterite._. ___ ·_ 40 

5. Diagrammatic plan showing structure of cross dike of pegmatite_________ 47 

6. Diagram showing structure of interfoliated pegmatite dike __ . ___ . __ • __ --- 50 

, . Sketch of pegmatite dike, showing internal structure ___ . __ ·_ . _____ • _ -- . - 51 

8. Sketeh map showing location of the principal ore bodies of the Haile mine_ 78 

9. Longitudinal projeetion of the Bumalo ore body, Haile mine ________ .---- 85 

10. Vertical section of the Beguelin ore body, Haile mine ____________ _-__ . ___ . 86 

11. Sketch of vein, Ferguson mine _____ : __ : ___________ " __________________ - 97 

12. Diagrammatic sketch of vein, Brown mine ____________ ~ ______________ -- 100 

13. Hypothetical plan of vein, Browi1 mine _________ . ____________________ - 101 

14. Sketch o£ vein, Schlegelmiich mine __ . ___________ . _______________ ------ 102 

15. Sketch map of the vicinity of Dahlonega, Ga ______ __ _____ · ___________ -- - 121 . 

16. Diagram showing ~tructure of Lockhart vein ___ c _________________ • - - - . - 127 

7 

RECONNAISSANCE OF SOME GOLD AND TIN DEPOSITS 

OF THE SOUTHERN APPALACHIANS. 

By L. c. GRATON . 

. INTRODUCTION. 

FIELD WORK AND ACKNOWLEDGMENTS. 

That part of the Carolinas which lies immediately to the southeast of the Blue Ridge, in 

vhat is known as the Piedmont region, has long been of both scientific and commercial 

mportance, largely on account of the variety and abundance of its minerals. In 1904 the 

vriter was detailed to -make a brief preliminary study of the mineral resources of a portion 

f this area, under the direction of Mr. Waldemar Lindgren. The work began October 5 

nd ended November 25, being thus favored by the delightful autumn of the South. Near 

he close of October the writer enjoyed the advantage· of Mr. Lindgren's active supervision 

1 the field ±or about five days and was also privileged to accompany him on a trip of a few 

.ays to the Dahlonega gold region of Georgia, where interesting comparisons with the Carona deposits could be made. Mr. Lindgren kindly consented to publish in this bulletin a 

rief description of the Dahlonega mines. A few hours were spelit in November at the 

!ash tin mine, in Rockbridge County, Va., to ascertain if this deposit is related to those of 

he Carolina belt. Early in May, 1905, the writer made a three days' visit to the tin belt to 

lam of later developments. 

During the course of the field work assistance was rendered and information furnished by 

1any persons residing in the area traversed. Especial thanks are due to Mr. E. A. Thies, 

1anager of the Haile mine; Mr. 0. J. Thies, manager of the Blackmon mine; Mr. J. L. 

>aniels, superintendent~ the Ross mine; Mr. John F. Jones, of Blacksburg, and Messrs. 

L M. Carpenter and A. , Rudisill, of Kings Mountain. The writer is glad of this opporJ.nity to acknowledge h s indebtedness to Mr. Lindgren, whose constant and inspiring 

lterest in the work and willing criticism and suggestion have been of great value and· 

;sistance. 

SCOPE O:llf REPORT. 

A complete study of the area would have resulted in a thorough understanding of the 

~neral geology, as well as in detailed information regarding the mineral resources. But 

1veral things conspired to make it very difficult to obtain an accurate and comprehensive 

lea of the geology. The area to be covered in the time at the writer's disposfLl made it 

:~cessary to confine effort almost entirely to visiting mines and mineral localities. No 

tpographic or other thoroughly reliable maps of this particular district have been pub3hed-a lack which made accurate locations of particular points impossible and reduced 

te amount of ground which could be covered. Finally, decomposition of the rocks is so 

rofound that it is, in general, only by careful and repeated examination of the altered prod-

~ts and extended search for exposures of fresh material that safe conclusions as to lithology 

m be reached. 

9 
1 T L T I DE O~ . OF : l 'I HF. ~. P P L A H I.-\ 

Tht• follo?:in r p rt, th<'r<'for dt•td.· principally ,,·ith th ' 

hr Hldt•r "OI gy will be tlt•:crib d and ils h •a ring on tIll' 

m· po: ·iblt'. 

UTf:R.\ 1T1 . 

This portion of th Cnited 'Utl(•s has b nlong · •l tl<.'d nnd wn: orw f the eurli . l minl'rt I 

r gions in the(' untr.r lo bet•onw of con ntit imp rbl!lct>. lt ha. lh •r •fon altm ·l<'d n~t· h 

attt>nl ion from g •o logi ~t. , pttrticulttrl · hi' for . th(• ci ,·il war nnd many of th lettdin . rit"nti:L of th ir tinw IH1\' stlldi d and de, crib d it. lt i · inter ·ting to not thnL the Xorth 

urolina TPOlogical. 'urvt',Y, < tabli. h din 1 2·1 with Prof. I ni ·on lmst<'d ttl its h<'tld, wn;q 

th fir. t rg,uti7.ed IJ'ort of th<' kind on this ·ontinrnt. .' uth nrolintl f llow<'d next in 

1 G, with its sun·<'.v under \·Rnuxem. Thr JLWh Llt esc• surT ys T tlt nwy, Li<'h •r l<.. h •nt ZN 

Emm n.· Kl' IT llnnna nnd .\'itz m' dt• c· ntributi ns to Lht• a olOK\' of th' Ar >linns thut 

hnY<' be ·omr W<' ll known. 

ThP prPliminary na. liT'<' of this n port do ~ n t proper] r ndmit th • in lu ·i n of H <·ornplctt 

biblio,.,mphy of thi. g nentlrrll'ion but through ut lh<' r<'port lht•r<' 11n ll11111,Y rd ren '('. t 

nrlicle.· or p rtions of work. which den! with the tll'l'tl hrn• de t'ribt•d. 

'I'lw a rl't 

3 1 nnd :35° 3 1 north. I <· 

boundnr ' linr and includes pans 

):! rth 

outh 

It lid 

Th top ll'raphy f hi nr n i. 

GEOGRAPHY. 

TO PO RAPID.- . 

GENERAL OUTLINE. 

3 0 

linn. 

tm i . in 

n Lh join ground. of topogrHphy nnd g ology, into thr<'t' ;,.o nf's tn' nding 

norLiwu t n.nd . outln <'· L nnd appr ximntt'ly pnrnll<'l. 
U. S. GEOLOGICAL SUR EY PL. I 

RY 

10 5 0 20 

TOPOGRAPHIC MAP OF THE PORTION OF THE CAROLI A . 

Showon , by cro s d h3mmt>rs, locat oons of p inco po l gold mH1t' > on ho ilto>a d··~cllbPJ 

TOPOGRAPHY. 11 

On the northwest is the mountain belt of the Appalachian system, made up of sedimentary and accompanying igneous rocks, much folded, metamorphosed, and dissected. For 

most of the distance the Blue Ridge is the easternmost range of this mountain zone. 

Skirting the eastern flank of the Appalachians lies the Piedmont Plateau. Although composed of older rocks·, it is structurally similar to the mountains; but it is now so worn down 

by erosion that, viewed broadly, its surface is a plain which bevels the edges of the upturned 

strata composing it·_ 

On the ·southeast the Piedmont rocks are concealed by the overlying unconsolidated 

sediments of the Coastal Plain. 

The particular area which is the subject of this study forms a part of the Piedmont 

Pl!1teau and extends on the east approximately to the boundary of the Coastal Plain. 

Its geological structure conforms with that of the mountains and of the other portions ~f the 

Piedmont belt; the rocks are much folded, usually dip at large angles, and almost invariably 

have a northeasterly strike. · 

RELIEF. 

DESCRIPTION. 

Standing upon any slight elevation the observer remarks the generally flat character of 

the country. The level sky line is almost u"nbro~en until the foot of the Blue Ridge is 

reached. This fact is indicated by the map (P.l. I), on which this area is represented almost 

entirely between the 500- and 1,000-foot contour lines. For this reason features of relief 

which would otherwise be of small significance become conspicuous and are often assigned 

an undue importance. Almost eve.ry elevation which may be seen at a distance of more 

than a mile or two is dignified by the name mountain. · 

· The most noticeable topographic feature is a chain of disconnected ridges eX.tending 

southwestward across Lincoln, Gaston, and Cherokee counties and part of Cleveland and 

York counties. Crowders, Kings, Whitaker, Draytonville,a and Thickety mountains are 

the culminations of the ridges of this chain, which is commonly designated as the Kings 

Mountain Range, both because of the prominence of that elevation and because of the 

historical significance b attached to the name. 

Although rising only a few hundred feet above the surrounding. plain, these hills 

form noticeable landmarks for miles around. Kings Mountain, which is the highest, 

is said to be about 1,700 feet above sea level, and its summit is probably 600 to 700 feet 

above the plateau at its base. Crowders Mountain is somewhat lower, and the other hills 

are much less prom~nent. All these hills rise rather abruptly from the plain, and some of 

them, as Kings Mountain, are bounded on one or more sides by steep cliffs. 

With a few unimportant exceptions, such as Henry Knob and Nannies Mountain, in York 

County, the topography is otherwise diversified only by depressions below the general 

level of the plain. These depressions ~re the valleys of present or past streams and give a 

rolling or undulating surface to the country. The monotony of the ordinary plain is thus 

relieved and a pleasing aspect given to the landscape. 

DEVELOPMENT. 

The prevalent explanation of the origin of the Piedmont topography may be summarized 

as follows: It is supposed that the Piedmont Plateau was once a mountain region, much 

like the present Appalachians. During long intervals, in which this region ·was subjected 

to erosion, very little elevation or depression took place. This constant stand of the land 

gave the rivers opportunity to lower the surface gradually toward sea level. By a continuation of this process the greater portion of the region was degraded to a very slightly 

undulating plain, called a peneplain, which sloped gently toward the ocean. The streams 

a Sometimes called Gelky's Gelkey's, or Gilkey's. b A stone shaft marks the site of the battle of Kings Mountain, one of the decisive engagements of 

the Revolutionary war, fought October 7, 1780. 
12 GOLD .AND TIN DEPOSITS OE' SOUTHERN APPALACHIANS. 

then occ-upied extremely shallow and broad valleys and flo we sluggishly, with little degrad-· 

ing power. Areas of rock particularly resistant to the age cit:s of denudation partially 

withstood this otherwise general planing down and remained as monadnocks, somewhat 

elevated above the general surface of the peneplain. 

Before thrse last remnants could be reduced to the common level the whole region was 

elevated to approximately its present height. With their gra~e thus increased, the streams 

took on new vigor and again began active cutting. Up to the present time they have been 

unable to remove these conspicuous residuals of the former t~pography, but hav~ produced 

the other variations in the surface as it appears to-day. 

The monadnocks of the area concerned in this report are the hills above describedKings, Crowders, Draytonville,a and other mountains. All these eminences are made up 

of hard and resistant rock, in most cases quartzite. To this fact, as has been shown, they 

owe their commanding position. 

DRAINAGE. . . I 

DESCRIPTION. 

A well-developed system of drainage is established in thi region about three principal 

channels-Lynchs, Catawba, and Broad rivers. All these rivers flow across the area in a 

direction slightly east of south, turn more to the southeast o~ the Coastal Plain, and empty 

into the Atlantic. . 

On the east Lynchs River, formerly called Lynchs Creek, rises in the southern part of 

Union County, N. C., and forms the boundary between Laicaster and Chesterfield counties, S. C. It flows into the Pedee, which is the lower part f Yadkin River. 

Catawba River drains the central part of the area. ising in the western part of 

McDowell County, N:· C., it takes a course slightly north of ast to the northwest corner of 

Catawba County, and then flows almost due south, forming the eastern boundary of Lincoln and Gaston counties. In South Carolina it crossEs York County and separates Cheste~ 

and Lancaster counties. It there becomes known as Wateree River, and farther soutli 

joins the Congaree to form Santee River, which continues to tho coast. Little Catawba 

River, one of its principal tributaries, rises in the northern part of Catawba County, crosses 

Lincoln and Gasto:o. counties, and reaches the Catawba just north of the State line. 

Broad River heads in the western part of Rutherford County, N. C., flows southeastward nearly to the State line, and then turns almost due south, crossing part of Cherokee 

County and forming the eastern boundary of Union County, S.C. At the edge of the Piedmont Plateau it unites with the Saluda to form the Congaree, which in turn joins the Wateree 

to form the Santee. Two tributaries within the area are of sufficient size to be mentioned, 

viz: Broad River rises in the northern part of Cleveland County, flows southward and 

empties into Broad River just north of the State line. Pacolet River heads in the northeastern part of Spartanburg County, forms the southern limit of Cherokee County, and 

reaches Broad River at the corner of Cherokee, York, Chester, and Union counties, S.C. 

Each of these rivers has numerous minor tributaries, of which the greater number flow 

in a southeasterly direction. 

Nearly all the streams are rather swift and flow over innumerable rapids, commonly 

called shoals, and at some places over considerable falls, thus furnishing power for many 

mills. The water is generally yellow and muddy, owing to the large amount of material 

held in suspension. The valleys are, as a rule, not deep, but have rather steep sides. 

Most of the streams, particularly the upper tributaries, have noticeably straight courses. 

DEVELOPMENT. 

Only a glance at a large-scale map of the area and of the surrounding region is needed 

to show that the general direction of the streams is southeasterly and that their disposition 

corresponds rather closely with the drainage that would be expected if a plain, tilted i 

aCf. Tuomey, M., Geology of South Carolina, 1848, p. 101. 
DRAINAGE. 13 

that direction and composed of homogeneous material, had been exposed for a considerable time to erosion. It is known that the elevated peneplain slopes to the southeast, and 

the drainage of this area is therefore largely consequent-the result of the initial slope of 

the plain. But H has been_ shown that this plateau is composed of rock beds tipped on 

edge and striking northeasterly. These various beds of rock are of dissimilar composition, 

and hence possess different degrees of hardness and resistance to corrosion and corrasion. 

The natural result when streams flowing down a slope cross a discordant structure is 

adjustment to that structure, fina1ly causing them to flow along the strike of the rocks. 

W:hen such a r~sult is not reached, as it is not in the present case, other conditions must 

have entered. 

The explanation which first suggests itself is that after planation the Piedmont Plateau 

was submerged, covered with a layer of sediments, and then elevated to its present stand. 

Consequent drainage established on its slope would cut through this mantle and be superimposed on the transverse structure of the ancient rocks below. There is, however, no 

evidence preserved of such a submergence or of such a deposit, and this explanation may 

therefore be abandoned. 

. A second explanation involves much the same principles as the first. It has been shown 

that the regioi). now occupied by the Piedmont Plateau was eroded nearly to base-level. 

When this process, whose effect gradually lessened, had reduced the land well toward a 

peneplain; the rate of erosion became so slow that decomposition of the . rocks-perhaps 

aided by the peculiar conditions existing at s ch a stage a-proceeded faster than degradation. That decomposition has.actually exceeded denudation is evidenced by the fact that 

many of the streams have not yet cut down to fresh rock; but the rate at whicb the streams 

are now cutting, when compared with that in other regions, is almost certainly greater than 

that of decomposition-an indication that decomposition could have exceeded denudation · 

only when conditions were different from those at present. 

During the interval from the time when decomposition began to proceed faster than its 

products could be carried away until the streams were finally rejuvenated by uplift, 

atmospheric alteration of the rocks had opportunity to extend far below the surface of the 

peneplain. It is probable that all the rocks of the region, including the quartzites (which, 

as will be seen later, are .impure, holding much mica, and hence readily susceptible to. disintegration), were, at the surface where decomposition was greatest, reduced to soil. But, 

under the sluggish action of the streams, which had almost attained base-level, this soil 

remained in situ and "still retained the structure of the rocks from which it had been derived. 

Here, then, was a layer of soft and relatively unresistant mate'rial to serve as a mantle to 

the hard rocks below. In appearance it possessed a decided structure of its own; in 

e·ssence it was at the surface almost structureless. 

The drainage consequent on the establishment of the present Piedmont slope began to 

trench this covering of soil and soon incised considerable valleys in it. As the streams 

wore down the beds of rock more resistant to weathering were discovered and eroded, 

but, in general, less rapidly than the surrounding beds. In this way the rapids and falls 

were formed. These barriers tended to divert the streams and adjust them to this newfound structure, but the valley walls already formed held the streams closely to their 

initial consequent courses. At present a number of streams have cut down to and into 

solid, fresh rock, to whose structure they show very little adjustment. 

Such streams appear to belong in a subdivision of superimposed rivers. They have· 

courses" quite out of accord with the underlying st~uctures on which they have descended,"b 

but the relatively thin overlying mass through which they have first cut, instead of being 

an unconformable deposit, as the usual definition of this class of rivers requires, is the 

irregularly decomposed zone of the deeper lying rocks. 

Other factors have doubtless helped to maintain this unadjusted condition of the streams. 

The principal one of these is steepness of slope to the southeast--,-i. e., across the structure. 

aCf. Campbell, M. R., Erosion at base-level: Bull. Geol. Soc. America, vol. 8, 1897, pp. 221-226. 

bDavis, W. M., Rivers of northern New Jersey: Nat. Geog. Mag., vol. 2, 1890, p. 82. 
14 GOLD AND TIN DEPOSITS OF . SOUTHERN APPALAOHIANt;. 

Although the Piedmont Plateau appears approximately level, its slope is considerable 

when compared with the average profile of streams in soft material. This slope prevents 

an overloading of the streams, and consequently, by preventing meandering, induces the 

fairly straight courses which have already been alluded to in the description. The slope 

also causes headward cut~ing of the tributaries, which likewise results in straight courses. 

Such courses are less easily brought into adjustment with discordant structure, than meandering courses. 

Some adjustment has, however, taken place, as shown by a number of the smaller, and 

hence younger, tributaries, whose courses are parallel to the strike of the rocks. Such 

subsequent tributaries of some of the larger consequent streams have been able in certain 

instances to capture weaker consequent streams which were perhaps held up by the temporary base-level of a hard rock barrier. 

An interesting evidence of the planation of this region is shown on the map, where it is 

seen that the railroads are enabled to follow the present watersheds or divides, whereas in 

most regions of equally diversified topography they are forced to follow the more circuitous 

courses of the stream valleys. 

GENERAL GEOLOGY. 

DESCRIPTION OF THE ROCKS. 

OUTLINE. 

The rocks of this area belong to three great classes-igneous, sedimentary, and metamorphic. Sedimentary and igneous rocks of great age have been much contorted and 

folded. The forces producing and attendant on these movements have extremely metamorphosed the rocks, converting them into schists. Volcanic rocks, mainly represented 

by bedded tuffs, covered these metamorphosed rocks in places and were themselves subjected to a part of the metamorphosing influences. Into these metamorphic rocks later 

igneous material has bee11 intruded. Granite is the most abundant of these igneous rocks 

and the numerous .dikes of pegmatite are probably closely connected with it. Diabase 

dikes cutting all the foregoing rocks are the last representatives of intrusion. On the 

eastern border of the area the solid rocks are covered by thin beds of sand, which probably 

belong to the Coastal Plain formations. 

METAMORPHIC ROCKS. 

The metamorphic rocks ~f this district have resulted from the action of the tremendous 

forces of mountain building, They are usually extremely metamorphosed, and may be 

placed in that perplexing group, the crystalline schists. In many. places nearly or quite 

all traces of their original character have been removed; but here and there the former 

nature of the rock can be seen, and by comparison and analogy the more altered varieties 

are correlated. These schistose rocks are derived from both igneous and sedimentary 

formations. 

SCHISTS OF IGNEOUS ORIGIN. 

AMPHIBOLITE. 

The most common and abundant rock under this head is hornblende schist or amphibolite. In some places, as in central York County, the gradation from this rock into fairly 

unchanged gabbro can be traced with certainty. It seems probable, however, that much 

of it has resulted from volcanic as well as from plutonic rocks, for its exact intercalation 

with the sediments in many places would indicate that it had been in such cases a surface 

rock, probably occurring as basaltic flows or tuffs. On subjection to shearing and other 

metamorphosing processes these igneous rocks were foliated and otherwise altered, becoming schistose amphibolite. 

These amphibolites are fine-grained rocks, of dark, greenish color, generally possessing 

a definite structure in one direction, or "grain." In soine of them the foliation is suffi-
METAMORPHIC ROOKS. 15-

cient to allow a very easy parting in thin plates. Under the microscope the rocks are 

found to have .a surprisingly large amount of feldspar, in consideration of their ve~y dark 

color. They are typical "greenstone schists." The feldspar occurs in small; rudely 

polygonal grains, in many specimens built up zo~ally, commonly untwinned, and perfectly 

clear. It belongs mainly to the variety albite, with a less amount of oligoclase. Epidote 

is often found in abundance, both in irregular interstitial grains and as lath-shaped prisms 

poikilitically p-enetrated by other constituents of the rock. Zoisite occurs in a manner 

similar to epidote and is on the whole more common. These two minerals may occur 

together and in many cases can be distinguished only in 'polarized light. Qalcite likewise 

occurs in numerous speCimens, in irregular grains and in lath-shaped individuals, and 

was undoubtedly present when the recrystallization of the rock took place. Calcite is 

usually not abundant in those specimens which contain much of the calcium silicates 

epidote and zoisite, or, if it is, it occurs principally in bands or zones in which they are 

sparingly present. Quartz, either formed by the removal of bases from some of the silicates or introduced by the waters producing metamorphism, perhaps also in part primary, 

forms mosaics of small clear grains which are distinguishable from albite only in convergent polarized light. 

The dark constituent is the typical amphibole of the "greenstone schists" and is probably uralite. It occurs in well-formed prisms and in .irregular, elongated grains, but in no 

case ~as it seen developed as a pseudomorpb after pyroxene. As a rule, it is rather strongly 

pleochroic in bluish and brownish greens and has a not very strong double refraction. 

. Black iron ore is generally abundant and is associated particularly with the amphibole. 

The most common occurrence is in irregular grai~, but in some cases it is present as crystals of definite outline, usually too small to be accurately determined as to form, but sometimes showing a pair of predominant parallel faces that give the crystal a flattened .appearance and suggests ilmenite. Many of the grains are surrounded by borders of sphene, and 

in some cases the change to this mineral bas been complete. In a few instances a mineral 

which is probably rutile accompanies the titanite. The iron ore is therefore titaniferous 

in most or all cases. Small broken grains of zircon are present in a few specimep.s. 

In those specimens which contain considerable calcite, epidote, or zoisite it is not uncommon to finp irregular grains, turbid and decomposed but still showing the twin lines, of a 

moderately calcic plagioclase, usually labr.adorite. The rocks free from calcite, epidote, 

and zoisite have in general a cleaner, better-defined app aranc~ than those which are not; 

It appears probable that the crystallization of these secondary lime-bearing minerals is 

only an intermediate step in the complete metamorphism of the original roc}\:, the ultimate 

result being their solution and removal, leaving a rock decidedly less rich in lime than the 

original. 

These amphibolites thus present a typical example of the original metamorphism of a 

rather basic igneous rock, probably having the composition of a gabbro, with the production 

of a wholly recrystallized and altered schist. 

Rocks of this character are extremely common in the · western part of the area examined 

and probably are the most widely developed variety in that part. In central York County, 

as bas been said, the degreb of metamorphism which they have suffered is not so great. 

There they possess ·a more granitic texture and pass gradually into gabbros. In the 

eastern part of the area ampbibolites were less commollly observed, although a study of 

the areal geology might reveal them in abundance. 

QUARTZ-SERICITE SCHIST. 

Dense, siliceous rocks, usually of rather light gray color, more or less schistose, occur 

in several portions of the area and may have a considerable extent. A peculiar silvery, 

mottled. luster, frequently seen on the planes of schistosity, bas won for these rocks the 

very suggestive name applied by the miners, "fish-scale slate." The appropriateness of 

this name is especially apparent when the rocks are wet and viewed by the flickering light 

of the miner's candle. 
16 GOLD AND TIN DEPOSITS Ol!' SOUTHERN APPALACHIANS. 

In their common development it would be a very difficult matter to determine the nature 

of the rocks from. which these have been derived, but fortunately a clue is given in a few 

localities, where enough of the original character is preserved to aid in arriving at a fairly 

definite conclusion. 

The least altered of these rocks are well-bedded; fine-grained, and not very much indurated tuffs, made up of irregular fragments of a rock which if massive would have been a 

porphyry. Broken grains, some of them rounded, of quartz and feldspar, representing 

original phenocrysts, are embedded in an evenly fine-grained matrix of quartz, feldspar, 

and mica. The porphyries from which these fragmental rocks were derived therefore correspond to granite porphyry and quartz-monzonite porphyry and were probably related 

to the porphyries which occur in the vicinity of the Brewer mine in Chesterfield County 

and the Blackmon mine in Lancaster County. 

The quartz appears in many cases to have existed in the massive rock as sharp double 

pyramids without development of prism faces. The character of the feldspar varies in 

different localities. In the neighborhood of the Ferguson gold mine, in the northwest 

corner of York County, for instance, most of the determinable individuals of feldspar 

appear to belong to the varieties oligoclase and andesine. At the Colossus mine, in the 

southwestern part of Union County, N.C., microcline is most abundant, while microperthite is rather common. At the Haile mine, in the southern part of Lancaster County, 

the character of the feldspar could not be determined. Both biotite and muscovite are 

present, and while it seems probable that the former at least was an original constituent 

of the rock, the evidence is not conclusive and the mica may have been introduced by the 

contact metamorphism to which the rock has plainly been subjected. The biotite is 

present in small ragged flakes, usually exhibiting a parallelism of arrangement and indicating the direction of foliation of the rock. It is of a clear brown, and shows fairly strong 

absorption and rather strong polarization. In many cases it has been changed to a dirty 

greenish chlorite. Muscovite is doubtless secondary in all cases, having been derived 

both from the biotite, by the common but poorly understood process known as bleaching, 

and from the feldspars by decomposition. In the less foliated rocks it can be seen in 

process of formation from both these minerals. Compact, fibrous muscovite or sericite 

occurs commonly in the more schistose rocks and is especially abundant along certa_in 

planes which are planes of greatest movement and hence of greatest weakness-in other 

words, planes of schistosity. It is the silvery sheen of this muscovite, exposed when the 

rock is cleaved along these pla'ues of fissility, which gives rise to the term "fish-scale slate." 

It is possible that these soft tuffs cover a considerable area, but do not outcrop conspicuously, and are in consequence overlooked. The localities where they were found, however, 

are in the immediate vicinity of gold deposits, and there, owing to their physical make-up, 

being rather porous and in fine particles, and possibly also to their chemical constitution, 

they were easily attacked by the mineral-bearing solutions which produced the gold deposits 

and were very greatly altered. This alteration has been for the most part a silicification 

with attendant recrystallization. Feldspar, biotite, and sericite have all been attacked and 

more or less completely replaced by quartz. Since these silicified tuffs are closely connected genetically with th~ gold deposits which occur in them they are more fully 

described in the section dealing with gold (pp. 78-79). 

These granite-porphyry and quartz-monzonite-porphyry tuffs have been observed in 

the vicinity of the Haile mine in Lancaster County, the Colossus or Howie mine in Union 

County, N. C., and the Ferguson mine in York County. They doubtless belong in the 

group of ancient volcanic rocks whose distribution in the eastern part of North America 

has been set forth by G. H. Williams.a 

GNEISS (SCHISTOSE GRANITE) 

Much-foliated rocks which show by their'texture and composition that they were origially granites are found in isolated localities throughout the area. They are usually of rather 

a Jour. Geol., vol. 2, 1894, pp. 28 et seq. 
METAMORPHIC ROCKS. 17 

fine grain and light color and exhibit by the position of the dark biotite flakes a decided 

foliation. When greatly weathered it is not always possible to distinguish them from 

granite. 

Viewed under the microscope quartz is seen to be fairly plentiful and shows crushing. and 

strain shadows. Microcline is very abundant in :many specimens, intergrown micropegmatitically with the quartz. A little plagioclase is present and probably is albite. Small 

broken plates of brown biotit ~ and of muscovite occur somewhat sparingly. ·Fragments of 

apatite crystals are sometimes seen and more rarely broken grains of zircon. ~rushing seems 

to have taken place, especially along certain zones. ' . 

The gneisses are most common along the Kin.gs Mountain Range; but prob,ably occur also 

at places in the eastern part of the area, as in the western part of Chesterfield Comity. 

As is shown on page 20, it is probable that these gneisses have a close genetic connection 

with the massive granites. 

SCHISTS OF SEDIMENTARY ORIGIN. 

QUARTZ SCHIST. 

Foliated or schistose rocks made up principally of quartz are common and conspicuous 

throughout the western part of the area. Original sandstones, arkoses, and quartz-pebble 

conglomerates have been changed into q~artzitic rocks, which usually retain enough of their 

former structure to make their derivation a matter of certainty. 

The finer grained or sandstone members ~r made up of small polyhedral grains of quartz, 

in most cases combined with minute yellowish scales of mica, mt.:scov:te, and a little biotite, . 

but in some cases composed of quartz alone and then very friacle or" sugary." 'Ihe mica- ,.-" 7 

bearing varieties usually have a decided schistosity dependent on the parallel arrange:rn.ento1 . 

the mica flakes. In some localities the scales of mica serve to bind the qu~r:tz gra!m together, 

and, being flexible, allow a slight movement of the quartz gra!r;s , pro ucing the flexible sandstone or itacolumite described at length by Lieber.a Jn these micaceous quarfzites magnetite is commonly present and ~xidatioi}»-stai~s the rock p:nk, red, or brown. Under 

the microscope the polygonal outline of tl:ie quartz grains penetrated by foils of mica, usually 

muscovite, the numerous small octahedrons of magnetite, and the occasional crystals of 

garnet indicate that recrystallization has been considerable. 

Some varieties, perhaps different in original composition or possibly subjected to different 

conditions of metamorphism, have fresh microcline instead of muscovite and hold numeroql;J 

small, irregular grains of garnet. 

The conglomerates are made up principa ly of quartz pebbles varying in diameter from a 

few millimeters to several centimeters, but most commonly 1 to 1~ em. These pebbles have 

· been almost everywhere much flattened and drawn out by pressure, and in many places the 

resulting mass can be determined as a conglomerate only by observing the gradual change 

into more typical facies. The matrix of the pebbles is in some places a green, slaty, sericitic, 

and chloritic material, rather abundant as compared with the bulk of the pebbles which it 

contains and wrapped around the pebbles in a manner recalling the flow lines of a porphyry. 

In other places the pebbles, lfl,rge and small, compose nearly the whole of the mass and the 

cementing material is mainly silical probably derived from partial solution of the pebbles. 

Were it not for their flattening due to pressure, the pebbles would in most cases be well 

rounded. Surface specimens, however, frequently show a peculiar faceting of the exterior 

pebbles and sometimes suggest a rude approach to crystalline form; but large exposures 

show that this faceting is due to solution. The surface of the conglomerates is covered with 

pits and depressions exactly similar to those produced by solutiQn in many limestones. The 

very decided solution which is thus evidenced probably has some relation to the conditions 

existing in a region near base-lev13l already referred to (p. 13).b 

a Survey of South Carolina, vbl. 3, 1859, pp. 75-106. b Campbell, M . R., erosion at base-level: Bull. Geol. Soc. America, vol. 8, 1897, pp. 221-226. Cf. also 

Hayes, C. W ., idem, pp. 213-2'20. · 

Bull. 293-06-2 
18 GOLD .AND TIN DEPOSITS OF SOUTHERN APP ALACHI.ANS. 

) 

The quartz pebbles are now a granul~r !tggregate of quartz grains, but whether they are 

portions of clastic rocks or have been derived from the breaking down of quartz veins, in 

which the· rocks abound, and have been given their granular structure by crushing, it is 

impossible to decide, although the latter view is perhaps more plausible. 

These quartz-rich metamorphic rocks are particularly abundant along the Kings Mountain 

Range, but also occur in places, isolated so far as known, farther east. They are more n:sistant than the surrounding rocks and hence outcrop conspicuously, forming the ridges of which 

Paysour, Crowders, Kings, Draytonville, Whitaker, and Thickety mountains are the h:ghest 

portions, many smaller near-by ridges or mounds, and the elevations Henry Knob and 

Nannies Mountain. Notwithstanding this apparent resistance, the~e quartzitic rocks are in 

many places so rich in minerals like mica and magnetite, which are more susceptible to 

atmospheric decomposition than the quartz, that they crumble to ~oil with considerable 

readiness and do not form conspicuous outcrops. This variation in composition from place 

to place undoubtedly has had much to do with the unsymmetrical and irregular shape and 

distribution of the quartzite ridges. Conglomerate occurs along Kings Creek and makes up 

the greater part of Draytonville Mountain in Cherokee County. At the latter locality the 

surface of the rock is strewn with unevenly rounded pieces of quartz-the conglomerate 

pebbles which have been released by the decomposition or solution of their matrix. On tho 

summit of this hill the conglomenite is exceedingly well exposed. This occurrence was noted 

by both Tuomey a and Lieber. b · 

.QUARTZ-SERICITE SCHIST. 

Closely related in composition .to the quartzitic rocks described in the preceding section are 

certain schists which, when unaltered, are gray, glistening, micaceous, and much foliated; 

As generally seen, they are colored various shades of red by the oxidation of the magnetite 

which they contain. Some specimens hold an abundance of small red garnets. On disintegration they form a soil which gives little indication of the amount of mica which they held. 

The microscope reveals in the thin section abundant quartz in rudely polygonal grains surrounded and enmeshed by shreds of fibrous muscovite or sericite. In places it appears as if 

numbers of these fibers had been so rearranged as to crystallize into an irregular flake of 

muscovite. Octahedrons and irregular grains of magnetite are rather common, and furnish, 

on decomposition, most of the coloring matter of the stained rocks. In a few cases turbid 

decomposed remnants of feldspar grains are being replaced by sericite. It seems probable 

that these rocks represent arkoses richer in feldspar than those from which the quartz schists 

were derived. 

Quartz-sericite schists of this kind were not seen at many places in the area, probably 

owing in 'large part to the ready disintegration which they undergo. An occurrence of 

unknown extent was found in the northeastern part of Gaston County. 

QUARTZ-BIOTITE SCHIST. 

Dark-brown fine- and even-grained micaceous rocks are found at numerous places along 

the Kings Mountain . belt. They consist of small grains of quartz, a little ruther turbid 

feldspar, mostly oligoclase, and abundant brown biotite in small scales. Muscovite is 

present in some cases, and grains of carbonate are not unusual. Schistosity is well developed. They ha~e probably been derived from impure feldspathic sandstones. 

These rocks are found generally in close association with the limestone beds, though it is 

of course possible that they have a more extended development. They have been encountered in the limestone quarries at Gaffney and Blacksburg, S.C., and a similar rock is found 

at the Thompson mine, near West Springs, Union County, S.C. 

SERICITE SCHIST. 

Compact grayish or bluish-gray rocks, with a characteristic lustrous sheen on their 

parting planes, are known at various places along the Kings Mountain Range. They are 

made up almost wholly of sericite, and have probably resulted from the metamorphism o 

a Rept. Geol. and Agr. Survey South Carolina, 1844., p. 18; Geology of South Carolina, 1848, p. 77. b Survey of South Carolina, vol. 2, 1858, pp. 40-42. . 
U. S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY BULLETIN NO. 293 PL. If 

LIMESTONE QUARRY AT GAFFNEY . 

Showing stratific ation and sod derived by decomposition of rock in place. Dolomitic beds above to right. 

METAMORPHIC ROCKS. 19 

shales or other argillaceous rocks. They are associated with beds of manganese oxide and 

graphite and may represent deposits in comparatively shallow water. 

A beautiful deep-green rock, which resembles a talc schist, forms the -wall rock of the 

Blackmon mine in Lancaster County. In places the green color gives way to a silvery gray 

and pink, suggesting mother-of-pearl. This rock is almost completely made up of exceedingly .fine fibers of sericite and contains, in addition, a few small 1

dark-red garnets. ·It is 

probably a sediment much altered by regional metamorphism and by an intrusion of 

porphyry which has penetrated it. 

LIMESTONE. 

The limestones of this area can hardly be called schists, but they have been subjected to 

the same forces of metamorphism as the surrounding rocks and in many places, particularly 

near the limits of the beds, they are foliated and comp_osed of other minerals in addition 

to calcite; in such places they possess a truly schistose appearance. These limestones are 

rather magnesian; the upper portion of the beds is in places too high in magnesia to make 

. lime, and is practically a dolomite. The dolomitic portions are usually light gray to white 

in color and the more calcareous varieties are generally blue. The q!Jarrymen are pleased 

to find" blue rock," while the white they speak of as" dead." Below are given the analyses 

of some typical limestones of this area, which the writer owes to the courtesy of Dr. Earle 

Sloan, State geologist of South Carolina: 

Analyses oftypicallimestones. 1 

1. 2. 3. 

---- ---

Si02 ........................... . ........................... . .... . .. . .l .. . 0. 71 1.28 1.-16 

Ah03 .......................... : ....................................... .. 0 23 .23 ---------- Fe203 ................................................................... . 0 47 0 47 0 96 

MgO ........ . ............................................. : ....... ..... .. 1. 16 5. 60 25.48 

CaO .. -.................................... : .......................... : .. 54.24 48.66 30.50 

Na20 ................................................................... . .02 .08 ---------- !{20 ............................. · ................................... . ... . . 01 0 01 ---------- H20 at 100 .. . ...................... . , .... ... .•. .•. .' ................. . ... . . 02 .06 .03 

'fi02 .......................................... ............... · ....... . ... . 

P205--····· · ······························································ 

'l'race. 'l'race. 

'l'race. 'l'race. 1:::::::::: C02 ........................... . ................. · ............ . ........... . 

Loss on ignition ... _ ......... . ............. . ...... ····:·· -....... _ ...... . 

143.27 43.52 --- --- ---- . 11 0 12 ----------

ioo. 24 100.03 .... ..... . 

All these specimens are from near Gaffney. No. 1 represents very pure limestone; No. 2 

ndicates a rock that is somewhat less pure, but makes very good lime; No. 3 is a partial 

~nalysis of a magnesian or dolomitic phase, which is not burned.for lime. ,f 

Mineralogically, these rocks consist principally of grai:ml11r carbonate, whether calcite 7Y~ ~ 

)r dolomite can not be told by means of the. microscope. Smal~ lenses and bunches of 

1uartz, probably introduced at the time of the metamorphism of tlie region, occur in some 

pecimens. A little colorless amphibole, probably actinolite, and thin blades of a colorless 

~r whitish mineral, presumably wollastonite, are rather commonly observed. At the edges 

~f the limestone masses the rock passes over within _a short distance, yet by gradations, into 

,he adjoining rock-feldspathic quartzite in some places, qukrtz-biotite schist in others. 

The limestones are known to occur at numerous points through practically the whole 

xtent of the Kings Mountain Range. A good view of the limestone in one of the quarries 

t Gaffney is shown in Pl. II. · 
20 GOLD AND TIN DEPOSITS OF SOUTHERN APPALACHIANS. 

IGNEOUS ROCKS. 

The rocks described under this section are those which were intruded and reached their 

present position after most or all of the metamorphism which affected the rocks described 

in the foregoing pages had taken place. They exist at the present day, therefore, in practically the same state in which they crystallized from their molten magmas. These rocks 

have a small areul extent as compared with the metamorphic rocks. They appear either 

as dikes or as elongated bodies, whose shape was influenced by the structure of the rocks 

which they penetrated. 

GRANITE. 

Granite is the most abundant of the massive igneous rocks. It is of light color, medium 

grain, and typical granitic texture. Exposures of large -size sometimes show the rock to be 

almost structureless--that is, devgid of any foliation-but in most places a more or less 

distinct gneissic structure is observable, in spite of the fact that hand specimens may appear 

nearly or quite massive. This granite is rich -in the lighter-colored constituents, which 

include muscovite, and contains a rather sparing amount of brown biotite. 

The microscope shows the presence of abundant quartz in clear grains, holding numberless 

fluid inclusions of the ordinary kind. Microcline is the predominant feldspar, followed in 

decreasing amounts by orthoclase, oligoclase, and albite, all fresh. Muscovite is plentiful 

in broad, thin foils. Deep red-brown biotite is not very abundant. By its bleaching, some 

of the muscovite may have been formed. Some of it has been changed to chlorite. Scattered garnets, a few crystalline grains which are probably epidote, one or two small zircon 

crystals, and numerous prisms of apatite complete the list of constituents. 

A comparison of this description with that of the granitic gneiss (pp. 16-17) in the section on 

metamorphic rocks shows that the two types of rock are practically identical mineralogically. 

While the field relations are not very distinct and have not been carefully studied, it is 

believed that they likewise favor the view that the foliated granite or gneiss and the massive 

granite were derived from a common ~p.agma and belong to the same general period of 

intrusion. If this is true then the eruption of the granite must have marked the closing 

stage of the regional metamorphism of the country; otherwise, all the granite would be 

foliated. The· difference in amount of foliation of the granite and the gneiss may partly 

be explained by the reasonable supposition that these last metamorphic movements were 

not equally inte:t;,J.se in all portions of the area. It seems. probable, however, that other 

conditions were largely responsible for this difference in foliation. 

It has just been stated that the granite and the gneiss probably belong to the same 

general period of intrusion. This does not mean, however, that all the masses of these 

rocks were intruded at the same absolute tiine. It is doubtful, indeed, if instances of such 

kind are at all common. On the other hand it is reasonable to suppose that successive 

intrusions took place and that the interval from the beginning to the end of eruptive activity 

was considerable. Since this epoch of eruption probably began just as the great movements 

· of compression and folding were- dying out, the first of the granitic intrusions would suffer 

more or less squeezing and shear.ing and would be converted into a granitic gneiss, while 

successively later portions of the granite magma to be forced up into the metamorphosed 

rocks would be subjected to less and less dynamic action, an,d the last of the granite would 

appear after metamorphic movements had ceased, and would thus remain massive. 

PEGMATITE. 

The dikes of pegmatite which abound -in the western part of the area studied form one of 

the most interesting geologic features of the region. Several varieties of pegmatite may 

be distinguished, although it may be that all are members of a series in which · certain 

varieties are most common or abundant. Of the types established several exhibit a considerable variation in mineralogica] composition, so that it is not at all improbable that a 

further slight change would result in a passage to the neighboring type. Although these 

rocks are of various appearances, they all possess features which at once characterize them 
IGNEOUS ROCKS. 21 

as pegmatites. In composition they are all closely relate~ to granite. in the following 

paragraphs the four most common varieties are described I in the probable order of their 

formation. 

The first variety is usually of light color and not very coarse grain . . It occurs in small 

contorted lenses and dikes in the granite and surrounding rocks. Microcline, quartz, 

oligoclase, orthoclase, and muscovite are present in decreasing amount. Small red garnets 

are numerous in some specimens and ilmenite is a prominent constituent of some of the 

small masses. Crushing can be seen to have taken place in much of the rock. In· some 

cases it appears as if contortion had gone on while the pegmatite was unsolidified. 

The pegmatite of the second variety is a light-colored rock, much of it somewhat foliated 

or gneissic, whose chief constituent is feldspar. The microscope shows large individuals of 

orthoclase with well-developed.cleavage, some of them with microperthitic intergrowths of 

albite. Numerous smaller· grains of albite also occur near the periphery of the orthoclase 

individuals. Narrow tongues of quartz appear to be eating into the feldspars and are 

surrounded by small grains of micropegmatite-a granophyric intergrowth of quartz and 

feldspar. Small shreds and sca:les of brown biotite are plentiful in some parts of the section, 

and associated with the biotite particularly are small prisms of monazite. In thin 

section this mineral is pale yellow, and has a high index of refraction and apparently rather 

low double refraction. In many places the dikes contain flakes of graphite, whose origin 

is undoubtedly primary. 

Dikes of this kind are rather common in the western part of Cherokee County, where 

they are injected into gneiss and amphibolite, and where, on sufficient decomposition, they 

are sometimes worked for monazite. 

l'he third variety of pegmatite is very light colored and fairly coarse grained. In most 

places quartz and feldspar are the only constituents visible in the hand specimen, but in . 

some places muscovite is present and locally cassiterite .becomes an essential constitue~t. 

It is rather easily decomposed and weathers to a soft mass chiefly made up of kaolin. 

Microcline is abundant in large individuals penetrated by grains of albite and by long, 

narrow tongues of quartz, which look as if tlJ,ey had eaten their way into the feldspar. Along 

the borders of these larger quartz individuals ·are small grains of different orientation. The 

quartz is crowded with fluid inclusions. Much of the muscovite is converted i~to the fibrous 

variety, sericite, by crushing. Cassiterite, when present, occurs as crystalline grains of 

dark color and pleochroic under the microscope. This kind of pegmatite is known only in 

the vicinity of the Ross tin mine, near Gaffney, Cherokee County, S.C. In some respects 

it resembles the monazite-bearing pegmatite.s from the western part of Cherokee County, 

and the occurrence of a notable amount of monazite in the bed of the stream which crosses 

the dikes of the Ross property may be an indication that this variety also is monazite 

bearing. Neither biotite, monazite, nor graphite has been found in the Ross dikes, however. 

A slight change in composition of the .pegmatite of this class would probably result in 

the production of the fourth variety. 

The fourth kind of pegmatite consists very largely of quartz and muscovite. It is 

coarse grained, some of the mica flakes attaining a width of 10 em., and in this wa.y merits 

the name "giant granite" sometimes given to it. 

As a rule feldspar is absent or only sparingly present, but in certain cases good-sized 

crystals of feldspar are rather abundant. Where these dikes penetrate the metamorphic 

rocks they seem in general to contain much mica and little or no feldspar. Where they 

cut the granite or granitic gneiss, on the other hand, they usually hold a plentiful amount 

of feldspar and decidedly less muscovite. Cassiterit~ is in some places an important constituent and seems to be most abundant in the mica-rich varieties. Among other minerals 

which have been found in these dikes are large but imp rfectly terminated crystals of 

spodumene, violet-blue or bright-green apatite, and a brownish or yellowish-brown lithiamanganese phosphate, probably lithiophilite. These dikes are in some places so resistant 

to atmospheric agencies as to outcrop conspicuously. Many of them . are very friable, 

however, and hence disintegrate and are concealed by soil. This varjety ·of pegmatite is 
22 GOLD AND TIN DEPOSITS OF SOUTHERN APPALACHIANS. 

described at greater length in the section devoted to the occurrence of tin (pp. 31-32). ·Dikes 

of this rock appear or have been exposed in many places along the Kings Mountain Range. 

They extend in a belt which crosses Lincoln, Gaston, Cleveland, and Cherokee counties, and 

passes beyond the limits of the area concerned in this report. 

The possibility that the various types just described may be members of a continuous 

series has already been stated. Whether such is the case or not, it seems probable from 

the amount of foliation which each has suffered that the types appeared in the order 

described. The first variety is almost always considerably crushed. The others are progressively less affected and the fourth variety only here and there gives evidence of having 

been deformed. 

In the description of the granite (p. 20) the opinion is expressed that the gneiss and granite 

belong to the same period of intrusion, were derived from the same magma, and differ 

only in having suffered unequal amounts of squeezing consequen·t on being erupted at somewhat different times. It is here proposed to extend this hypothesis still further to aid in 

explaining the origin of the pegmatite. 

Pegmatite of the first variety cuts the granite and suggests at once the conclusion that 

it was a part of the granite magma. The other varieties of pegmatite were nowhere found 

cutting massive granite. In the northwestern part of Gaston County, however, pegmatite 

dikes of the fourth type are abundant in the somewhat gneissic granite, and the impression 

conveyed by the appearance of these dikes is that they are related to the rock which they 

cut. If the granite were not foliated, it might be said without hesitation that the pegmatite 

dikes represent the last phase of the eruption which resulted mainly in the production of 

granite. The fact that the granite is rather gneissic, however, while the pegmatite is 

practically uncrushed, indicates that considerable time bas elapsed between the intrusion 

of the two rocks-. This would, in general, be sufficient to prove that the two could not have 

been derived from the same magrpa. In this case, however, it is believed that a particular 

combination of circumstances accounts for the seeming paradox of pegmatite cutting· its 

parent granite after the latter had been rendered gneissic. 

If the gneiss is really the earliest portion of the granite magma, which happened to be 

caught in the grasp of expiring dynamic metamorphism, and if the last of the granite was 

late enough to escape nearly all the squeezing-in other words, if the granite £!,nd gneiss 

are related-it is conceivable that pegmatite and gneiss can bear exactly the same relation 

to each other as pegmatite and granite. 

It is believed, in short,· that the pegmatite-the residuum from the solidification of the 

granite, the last of the material to be ejected in a molten state from the magma reservoirappeared after almost all regional metamorphism had subsided, and, coming from the 

heated interior, where the effects of surface folding were not felt, cut the gneissic and the 

massive granite indiscriminately, except that the gneiss, having been subjected to pressure 

and stress, was probably weaker. and allowed an easier access of the material than ·the 

massive granite. Such a hypothesis, if true, would account for the relation of the pegmatite to the foliated granite and for its greater abundance in that phase of the rock. It is 

realized that this theory is open to the criticism that it is based on an artificial and perhaps 

unwarranted grouping of favorable conditions . . But the intimate lithologic connection 

between gneiss and granite and the close relation of pegmatite and gneiss, added to the 

fact that the pegmatite is almost certainly related to some mass of granite, have fav~red 

the acceptance of this hypothesis. 

PORPHYRY. 

In a few places masses of rock with porphyritic texture intrude the surrounding schists. 

These masses are in all known occurrences closely associated with gold deposits and are in 

consequence much altered. In general they are light-grayish, granitic-looking rocks, of 

moderate grain. Phenocrystic grains of quartz are visible in many hand specimens. In 

the least altered rock from the Brewer mine crystalline individuals of an unknown mineral 

(seep. 90) are easily rec~gnizable. · 
SEDIMENTARY ROOKS. 23 

Under the microscope the rocks are seen to consist of good-sized individuals of quartz, 

some of which are developed as bipyramids, and very turbid crystals of orthoclase and 

oligoclase, decomposing into kaolin, sericite, and epidote. In the rock from the Brewer 

mine large individuals of the unknown mineral arc being slowly converted into sericite. 

The matrix for all these individuals is a fibrous mass of sericite. Magnetite is present in 

some specimens and is probably secondary. Pyrite is abundant in places. A little rutile 

has probably b..een formed by the decomposition of some original titanium-bearing mineral. 

There is no indication that dark silicates were ever present. 

These porphyries have been found at the Brewer mine in Chesterfield County and at the 

Blackmon mine in Lancaster County. It is probable that they are closely related to the 

tuffs found at the Haile, Colossus, and Ferguson mines. While it is difficult to determine 

the origin~l character of these rocks, because of their altered condition, they probably 

belong in the quartz-monzonite-porphyry group. At the Brewer mine the porphyry shows 

in places tbe effects of brecciation. 

Keith a has described a series of volcanic rocks from the Cranberry quadrangle, about 80 

miles northwest of the area embraced by this report. The rocks there are considered to be 

altered rhyolites, andesites, basalts, and diabases, and are thought to be of Algonkian age. 

Keith believes that the porphyritic rocks in the two localities are similar. 

DIABASE. 

Dikes of diabase occur at many places through the area studied and represent the last 

phase of eruptive activity experienced here. These bodies range from a few to 200 or more 

feet in width, and cut any br .all of the other hard rocks of the district. The material of 

the ·dikes ranges from moderately to very fine grained and is of greenish-black color. Individual minerals can with di~culty be determined by the unaided eye. The rock is fairly 

resistant to weathering · and, although seldom outcropping, · furnishes much float which 

marks the course of the dikes. It weathers in the·coneentric layers characteristic of diabase. 

In thin section the rock is found to be a typical olivine diabase. Plagioclase, a calcic labra:-

dorite, in long, narrow laths, was the first mineral to form. Olivine is generally abundant 

and occurs mainly in automorphic crystals, but here and there in irregular grains. On 

decomposition it chan~;es into the mineral called iddingsite, which, in these rocks particularly, seems certainly to be a micaceous mineral. Less commonly it alters to a material 

which is of almost identical appearance in ordinary light, but which is isotropic. In a few 

places serpentine results from the olivine. Augite is abundant, usually as irregular interstitial individuals, but locally in crystals of fairly good form. It is slightly pleochroic in 

colors suggesting a small content of titania. Cleavage is very well developed. Some of the 

pyroxene may be diallage. Closely associated with the olivine and commonly included in 

it are numerous small octahedral crystals of perofskite. The exterior of the crystals is 

nearly opaque, while the interior is a rather dark brown. Small crystalline grains of black 

iron ore, probably titanic, are especially assoCiated with the pyroxene. The ophitic texture 

is beautifully exhibited. 

SEDIMENTARY ROCKS. 

Sediinents which have been deposited since the cessation of regional metamorphism and 

which are, in consequence, present in the state in which they were laid down, are of unimportant extent in this locality.-· 

''MONROE" BEDS. 

Extending for a considerable distance about M9nroe, Unio~ County, N. C:, are horizontal 

or slightly tilted beds of fine-grained material, well stratified. They were seen by the writer 

only to the southwest of Monroe, and the following description applies only to that part of 

their area. They are considerably affected by decomposition, and colored yellowish or 

a Geologic Atlas U.S., folio 90, U.S. Geol. Survey, 1903. 
24 GOLD .AND TIN DEPORITS OF SOUTHERN APPALACHIANS. 

pinkish by the oxidation of the iron which they contain. Along the joint planes thin films 

of limonite have been deposited. 

The appearance of the ro9k at once suggests that it is a tuff. No conclusive evidence has 

been found to prove this assumption. Porphyritic crystals have not been observed and the 

microscope shows only very minute grains of quartz and of some other mineral much 

obscured by limonite stain. The fact that fossils have never been found in these rocks is a 

negative evidence in favor of their being volcanic tuffs. 

SAND. 

In places along the eastern part of the territory traversed are areas covered with a clean, 

loose quartz sand. This is the country of the" long-leaf" or turpentine pine. This deposit 

is in most places known to be thin, resting on the Piedmont rocks, and is doubtless a part 

of the Coastal Plain formations. It is regarded by Doctor Sloan as probably of Quaternary 

age. 

CLAY. 

Comparatively small bodies of cl~y, like that near Grover, K C., occur in isolated l<,>calities. They probably represent deposits, in small basins, of material derived from the decay 

of the other rocks. 

ALLUVIUM. 

Along some of the streams small flood plains have been formed. They are built up of the· 

detrital material which the streams have been forced to deposit and consist principally of 

sand and gravel. These plains are, of course, the most favorable localities in which to 

search for placer deposits of valuable heavy minerals, such as gold, monazite, cassiterite, etc. 

EFFECTS OF METAMORPHISM. 

REGIONAL METAMORPHISM. 

A" may be gathered from a statement of the relative extent of the three great classes 

of rocks, this is a region characterized by the presence of metamorphic rocks. The principal effects of the agencies which caused the changes from their original to their present 

form have been described in the section dealing with the metamorphic rocks (pp. 14-19). 

In structure the changes have been f~om the stratified sediments, bedded- tuffs, and 

massive igneous rocks to the wholly crystalline and generally much foliat_ed schists. It 

appears probable that these meqhanical changes have not been accompanied by marked 

changes in chemical composition; but in some cases, as that of the quartzites, there has 

been pronounced silicification, while in the amphibolites ~e lime has doubtless been 

removed. The molecular or mineralogical changes, however, have been great. Feldspars have been changed to sericite or to epidote, zoisite, calcite, and a less calcic feldspar. 

Pyroxene has been ch~nged to amphibole. Impure kaolin has become sericite and biotite. Garnet is a common product in many of the rocks. 

CONTACT METAMORPIIISM: 

The changes induced in the surrounding rocks by the intrusion of igneous masses are of 

much less extent in this portion of the Carolinas than those produced by dynamic forces. 

Nevertheless the heat, pressure, solutions, and vapors caused by or accompanying the 

molten material have in this region had a very noticeable effect along the contacts of the 

igneous bodies. In most cases the structure of the original rock has not been altered, 

but has' instead impressed itself on the new minerals developed, so that the change . is a 

pseudomorphous replacement. In only a few instances has a new foliation been developed parallel to the contact of the intruding mass. 

Unlike the effects of regional metamorphism, the results at the contact of igneous bodies 

have been accomplished by more or less intense chemical and consequent mineralogical 
EFFECTS OF METAMORPHISM. 25 

changes. The nature of the intruding rock, however, has had much to do with the degree 

of metamorphism. The diabase dikes effect in the wall rocks very little change beyond 

a rather slight induration. Granite, on the other hand, has produced very pronounced 

changes. Little opportunity was found to examine the effects of the large granite masses, 

but in the case of some of the smaller dikes the results. can be well studied. 

In amphibolite the secondary, uralitic hornblende is generally converted into a biotite 

which under the microscope possesses the clear, chestnut-bro)Vll color characteristic of 

mica of this origin. In a few cases a lavender amphibole, related to glaucophane, accompanies this secondary biotite. It appears in long, slender prisms of amphibole outline, 

with cleavage not so perfect as is common in hornblende. A transverse parting is also 

present. The plane of the optic axes is the clinopinacoid and the maximum value of 

the angle~: c is 16°. It seems probable that this orientation of the axes of elasticity is 

somewhat variable, for most sections give a much smaller extinction angle. The character of t.b.e double refraction is positive. Pleochroism is noticeable, as follows: c.t=pale 

yellow to colorless, h=very delicate lilac, r=lavender; r > h> a. Some of the amphi-

,bolite is tinged with a border of a green, strongly p:leochr<}ic mineral, of fairly strong double 

refraction, which may be another amphibole intergrown with the lavender variety; Small 

red garnets are developed in some abundance, tourmaline and magnetite are introduced 

in certain cases, and not uncommonly small grains of sulphides, pyrite, pyrrhotite, and 

chalcopyrite, many of them intergrown, impregnate the wall rock. These changes become 

less prominent away from the contact, but the secondary biotite has been found more 

than 10 feet from the granite. 

The effect on rocks other than amphibolite has not been carefully studied. The principal result seems to be the development of the brown biotite. 

Pegmatite as a rule acts in a similar way to granite, except that its action is in most 

cases much less pronounced. In a few instances, however, tourmalinization of the immediately adjoining wall rock has been exceedingly intense. Garnets and sulphides are seldom seen at the contact of pegmatite dikes. 

The metasomatic replacement effected by quartz-vein solutions in their wall rocks is 

in these southern deposits strikingly like that produced by contact metamorphism. This 

feature is dwelt on at greater length under the heading "Gold" (pp. 63-64), but it may be 

said at this point that tourmaline, garnet, magnetite, and sulphides characterize the wall 

rocks of many of the quartz veins and the resulting products are in some cases almost 

indisti.nguishable from those ~aused by granite or aplite dikes. Porous rocks, like the 

acidic volcanic tuffs, have in many places been subjected to intense silicification. 

All these results of contact metamorphism bear evidence that they were produced at 

great depths and have been exposed only by profound erosion. 

HYDROMETAMORPHISM. 

Throughout the southern Piedmont region the effects of weathering are very prominent. 

In many places marked decomposition of the rocks has extended over 100 feet below the 

surface. It is believed that the physiographic history of the region has allowed this weathering to proceed to so great a depth. With the slow rate of erosion as base-level was 

attained and the help of those conditions which are supposed to exist at such a stage, 

decomposition of the rocks exceeded erosion of the products of decomposition and in conequence extended to very unusual depths. This decomposition seems to have been, except . 

erhaps within a few feet of the surface, much more a hydration than an oxidation~a 

act which probably indicates that there w~s sluggish circulation of the waters that caused 

his ch~mge. So far as they haveJ~een studied, the principal products of this hydratio~ 

re kaolin and chlorite. ~etite is oxidized to limonite near the surface and colors 

ed or brown all the rocks which co tain it. The amphibolites thus produce a very red 

oil, while much of the magnetite-bear-ing itacolumite· is stained red or pink. The quartztes become friable, partly from solutioh of the cementing silica and partly from decompoition of the mica which helps bind the grains together. The limestones are dissolved, / 

~ 

• t-

.,_/( 
2(5 GOLD AND TIN DEPOSITS OF SOUTHERN .A.PP .A.LACHI.A.NS. 

leaving a small amount of red residual soil at .the surface. · (See Pl. II.) The granites 

and gneisses are much less affected tha::1 the more schistose rocks, but are somewkat decomposed near the surface, the principal change being the conversion of feldspar into kaolin. 

Those pegmatites which are poor in feldspar are fairly resistant to decomposition, and 

some of them outcrop distinctly; but the feldspar-rich varieties are readily affected by 

weathering. In most cases where observed, the porphyritic and tuffaceous rocks have 

been sufficiently silicified to enable them to resist extreme decomposition. The diabase 

dikes very commonly outcrop in the characteristic "nigger-head " fashion, showing that 

the rock has not been greatly decomposed. 

STRATIGRAPHY AND STRUCTURE. 

The broadest features of the structure of this area and its relation to the rest of the 

Appalachian province have been outlined on pages 10-11. All the foliated or schistose rocks 

strike in a northeasterly direction, varying from N. 20° E. to N. 65° E., and dip at high 

angles, usually between 45° and 90°, either to the northwest or to the southeast, but 

probably most commonly· to the northwest. 

Undoubtedly the best place for studying the structure within the area described is along 

the Kings Mountain Range, particularly in the vicinity of Blacksburg, S. C. The stratigraphic relations are much more evident there than elsewhere and furnish the necessary 

key for deciphering the structure. Moreover, the intimate dependence of the distribution 

of the tin deposits on the structure of the Kings Mountain belt warranted the expenditure 

of more time on the examination of the geology of this particular locality than was possible 

in other places. Yet even here the study was so hasty that the writer does not feel justified 

in attempting to enumerate, in exact order, the formations w.hich occur, nor to represent 

their respective attitudes in ~ sketch. The Kings Mountain belt will be first described 

and remaining -portions of the area will .be considered later. · · 

KINGS MOUNTAIN BELT. 

RELATIONS OF THE ROCKS. 

The Kings Mountain Range is made up of nearly all the schistose rocks described in the 

preceding page8. A broad view in the field confirms the idea that many of these rocks 

are of sedimentary . origin by revealing a stratigraphic succession characteristic of sedimentary formations. Impure quartzites, biotite and sericite schists, and partially marmorized limestones, representing original sandstones, conglomerates, shales, and limestones, are bedded with true sedimentary regularity. At the limestone quarry south of 

Gaffney, S.C., the limestone is seen passing upward into impure quartzite, which is exposed 

in typical development along a road not far to the northeast. On the west bank of Kings 

Creek, near the point where it enters Broad.River, a quartz-rich conglomerate with a chloritic 

matrix is exposed. It probably represents a transition into the quartzitic beds which occur 

just above, capping the l;>luff on the eastern side of the creek. On the summit of Draytonville Mountain is a similar ?ccurrence of much-metamorphosed conglomerate passing into 

quartzite.a 

Intercalated with these several rocks are layers of iron and manganese ores and bands of 

graphite or graphitic schist. As. might be expected, these beds are less persistent and 

regular than the ~trata which inclose them. It is believed that the iron, manganese, and 

graphite beds represent localized deposits in bogs or swamps, while the sandstones, shales, 

and limestones were deposited in much more extensive basins, possibly in the ocean itself. 

It should be stated here, however, that not all the iron deposits of the Kings M0untain 

belt are attributable to such an origm. 

a Cf. Tuomey, M., Rept. Geol. and Agr. Survey South Carolina, 1844, p. 18; Geology of South Carolina, 

1848, p. 77; and Lieber, 0. M., Survey o.f South Carolina, vol. 2, 1858, pp. 40-42. 
STR~TIGRAPHY· AND STRUCTURE. 27 

From evidence furnished by the structure which is described in the next section, a 

succession has been determ:ned which is probably fairly correct. Beginning with the 

lowest member the rocks a ~ biotite schist, limestone, biotite schist, sericite schist, conglomerate, quartzite, graphi e, or graphic schist, sericite schist containing a bed of manganese ore, beds of iron -ore, s ricite schist. The thickness of the beds was not determined. 

These strata are penetraiied or separated by layers of amphibolite lying in parallel 

position. It seems probable that part of the amphibolite represents intercalated intrusi~ns 

into the sediments, while pa!I't represents interstrati:fied deposits of basaltic tuff or flows 

of basalt lava. Ancient bodies of granite, now converted into a more or less ·foliated 

gneiss, are likewise intercalaGed with the other rocks. More recent intrusions of _granite, 

pegmatite, and diabase have also penetrated these strata. 

STRUCTURE .• 

The strike and dip which are most prominent · in these rocks are dependent on the 

direction of schistosity or foliation induced by movement. But it is found that the foliation. 

is parallel to the bedding of the rocks. Th~re may be in some cases a slight divergence of the 

plane of schistosity from tha_t of sedimentation, but such was not observed. A determi- -

nation of the strike and dip of the foliation will therefore throw light on the structure and 

position of the sedimentary strata and hence will indicate what changes have taken place 

since the beds were deposited in their originally horizontal position. 

A traverse across the Kings Mountain Range in the vicinity of Blacksburg shows that 

the ridges are composed of the hard, resistant quartzites and that the valleys between 

mark the position of the softer schists and the Iime~tone. Starting near the North Carolina 

boundary and passing along a southeasterly line through the town of Blacksburg, the 

observer encounters the upturned edges of the beds enumerated above, beginning at the 

top. These rocks dip steeply to the northwest; in places they are nearly 'vertical. To 

the southeast from Blacksburg the same rocks are observed but in the reverse order 

and generally dipping very steeply to the southeast, although in some- cases-for instance, 

the quartzite of Kings Mountain-the dip is steep to the northwest. 

It is evident that the rocks are, in general, symmetrically arranged with respect to an 

aXis which lies between the two layers ·of limestone.a While the evidence is not so conclusive as would be desirable, it seems probable that the dips on the opposite sides of this 

axis are, in general, awayfrom each ot her. In other words, this strip. of country is probably 

an anticlinal fold, with its axis running northeast and southwest. Blacksburg is situated 

just northwest of this axis. Because of their comparatively small extent, the beds of iron 

and manganese ore and the conglomerate do not always form continuous outcrops and are 

not always present on both sides of the fold. With these exceptio~ the. repeated succession in reversed order is very distinct. Local variations in the dip between the exposures 

of limestone and quartzite on the southeast limb of the fold indicate that minor folding 

has taken place and has formed a part of the main anticline. Another deviation from 

exact sym1p-etry on the two sides of the axis is the fact ~hat the dips on the southeast are 

rather steeper than those on the northwest limb. of the fold, with an actual reversal to 

northwesterly dip in some places on the southeast side, This indicates an approach toward 

isoclinal structure with dip to the northwest. 

If theTesults of this folding had not been modified by erosion, a steep-sided ridge much 

higher than Kings Mountain or Whitaker Mountain would be prese{lt to-day. But after 

the folding had taken place, erosion wore away the highest parts, so that the crest of this 

fold has now been completely cut down. The rate of erosion has been slowest on the 

resistant quartzite, which therefore remains higher than the surrounding rocks. Viewed 

in this way it is probable that the· two beds of limestone were once parts of a single, continuous, fiat stratum and that the quartzite of Whitaker Mountain and of the ridge extenda Cf. Tuomey, M., Geology of South Carolina, 1848, p. 76. Only one of thP.se limestone outcrops was seen by the writer. Old pits are said to have been made on the other limb and now to be caved 

in and filled. 

. . . . .. . . . ... . 

•• •••e• e• •.,. • ••• :••• .•.: .. . . . . . . . .. . .. • • • • • • • e • • • • • • • • • •• •.•: •• •.• : •• •.• •e• · e• w• e 

. .. . . . 4i ! - • 

• 

. ..... . . . " .. . ··· 

·-
28 GOLD AND TIN DEPOSITS OF ·SOUTHERN APPALACHIANS. 

ing southwest from Kings Mountain were similarly connected when in their original horizontai position. The schist which appears between the two limestone ~eds is the lowest 

member of the series exposed, and the schist overlying the quartzite is the highest member 

which can wi~h certainty be assigned a definite geologic position. 

In $Orne places along this belt only one bed of limestone has been found; in other places 

three or four layers are said to occur. · It may be that two strata of limestone are present; 

if so, four outcrops would normally occur wherever erosion has extended. sufficiently deep 

to cut the lower stratum. If the lower stratum is barely exposed, then three bands would 

appear on the surface, while if erosion had cut down only to the upper bed but one band 

would be exposed on the surface. On the other hand, it may be that faulting parallel 

with the axis of the fold has caused a repetition of some of the beds by uplift or a disappearance of some by depression. However, since th~ limestone outcrops are generally 

obscured by coverings of clay and other detrital material, it is easily conceivable that outcrops actually present have never been discovered. Since limestone is the one member 

of the series by which the details of structure are at all readily deciphered, and since the 

data which it furnishes are not conclusive, it is impossible without further study to decide 

the direction and amount of pitch of the fold and ~hether or not faulting has taken place.a 

Both Tuomey b and Lieber c recognized this anticlinal .structure. 

The foliation of the igneous masses, the amphibolite, and the gneiss is of course parallel 

with that of the sedimentary rocks, since both were subject to the same forces. 

Granite, pegmatite, and diabase have been intruded since the lolding and foliation took 

place, and hence are massive and almost unchanged. The form and distribution of the 

granite and pegmatite bodies were largely influenced by the structure of the rocks which 

they invaded, and hence they are elongated masses striking with the surrounding rocks. 

The pegmatite of course occurs as dikes. The diabase also is in the form of dikes, but · 

more commonly cuts across the formations than runs parallel with them. 

The general trend of the Blacksburg anticline is northeasterly, but certain irregularities 

are worthy of mention. At Gaffney, S. C., the rocks and the axis of the fold strike about 

N. 45° E. From a ~hort distance northeast of Gaffney to Kings Mountain the strike is 

about N. 55° E. Thence intol.incoln County the strike is about N. 20-25° E. This jog 

or bend in the fold near the State line corresponds on a reduced scale with the similar 

change of trend of the Appalachians to the northwest. 

An interesting side light on the structure of this region is the behavior of the well which 

supplies the water fQr the town of Gaffney, S.C. This well, about 550 feet deep,. is said to 

be wholly in schist<;>se and gneissic rocks. With the exception of such minor elevations as 

Dtaytonville and Thickety mountains and slight ridges and valleys occurring here and 

there, the country is practically level for miles around. In spite of this fact, the well for 

some time after completion was of the artesian type, a steady flow of water rising several 

inches above the top of the pipe. This phenomenon may possibly Indicate that Gaffney is 

located on a syncline, but is probably to be explained by some other peculiarity of structure. 

OTliER PARTS OF THE AREA. 

Interpretation of the structure in other portions of the area is much more difficult, principally .because of the lack of distinctiveness in the formations exposed. Quartzite is 

known in isolated localities, as on Henry Knob and Nannies Mountain, but definite stratigraphic relations hav,e not been found outside of the Kings Mountain Range, where the 

limestone is the main factor in solving the problem. 

Nevertheless, it is believed that the general conclusions reached in the Kings Mountain 

belt may be applied to some extent to other portions of the region. It is probable that a 

fold so marked as the Blacksburg anticline would be accompanied by-would., in fact, be 

a Lieber, 0. M., Survey of South Carolina, vol. 3, 1859, pp. 112, 116. b Rept. Geol. and Agr. Survey, South Carolina, 1844, p. 16; Geology of South Carolina, 1848, p. 99. 

cOp. cit., vol. 1, p. 92, Pl. V. Cf. also Nitze, H. B. C., Bull. North Carolina ·Geol. Survey No.1, 1893, map opp. p. 85. 

: •• •••. : ••• . Ct . • .& ·. ••• •• . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. : : : 

• • • •o•.:: •:.::.: •• :• •• :.:: •:.: • ::. • = .• : 

· ... : ::: .. . ..... . ·.: · .. : 

· .. · .... 
AGE OF THE ROCKS. 29 

only one of-many other similar folds. In regions of intense movement isoclinal or overturned folding is very common. It seems probable that almost or quite the whole of the 

area has been subjected to repeated folding, with axes trending in a northeasterly, direction. Prevailing isoclinal folds would account for the predominant northwesterly dips, 

while southeasterly dips could be. explained by the presence of more nearly symmetrical 

folds, like the Blacksburg anticline. Thrust faulting may also have taken place. Such 

an explanation accords with the accepted idea of structure elsewhere in the Appalachian 

province, where conclusions can be more safely drawn. Careful and detailed study will 

be required to prove the truth or falsity of this hypothesis. 

At one place the structure is worthy of mention. The "Monroe" beds, southwest of 

Monroe, N. C., ~re very well .bedded and in most places have only small dips. In several 

places cuts along a new road ·expose a . structure illustrated in fig. 2. The beds are bent 

up as if by a thrust from below and are broken and crushed. The material in the crushed 

zone is of the same character as that of the beds. This structure resembles the products 

of some of Willis's a experiments in the folding of sediments. It is a fold-fault produced 

by compression, and probably results from expansion of the beds due to atmospheric 

alteration. 

Scale of-feet 

.0 2 3 4 5 

FIG. 2.-Sketch of exposure along road west of Monroe, N. C., showing disturbance of'' Monroe" beds. 

a, Soil; b, disintegrated tuff; c, volcanic tuff. 

AGE OF THE ROCKS. 

Almost from the beginning of geologic study in this region the age of the rocks has. been 

the subject of much investigation and speculation. The earlier workers found slight 

encouragement in the results of their labors, and it must be admitted that our views h~ve 

advanced very little beyond theirs. It used to be supposed that practically all the ore 

deposits of these Southern States were contemporaneous in origin with the inclosing rocks. 

Attention was therefore directed principally to the metamorphic rocks, in which most of 

the deposits of economic value occur. 

METAMORPHIC ROCKS. 

From their crystalline structure and the absence of org~nic remains these schistose rocks 

were first supposed to represent part of the original crust of the earth and were called 

primitive or primary. Emmons b in his report of 1856 considered these rocks as the oldest sediments of the globe and placed them at the base of the Paleozoic, in what he cal hid 

the Taconic system. On the basis· of what he supposed to be fossils, he concluded that 

a Willis, Bailey, The mechanics of Appalachian structure: Thirteenth Ann. Rept. U. S. Geol. Survey, pt. 2, 1893, Pls. LXXV, a'; LXXXII, e. b Emmons, E., G~ol. Rept. Midland Counties of North Carolina, 1856, pp. 41-45, 60-64. 
30 GOLD AND TIN DEPOSITS OF SOUTHERN APPALACHIANS. 

these rocks contain the first record of life on the earth. It was later shown that the specimens which he supposed to be fossils were not of organic origin. Lieber, wo~king in the 

-]'tte fifties, regarded the Kings Mountain series as Silurian.a Kerr b in 1875 placed the 

Kings Mountain series in the Huronian system and considered the other rocks of the area 

as Laurentian. Becker c and Nitzed concluded that the metamorphic rocks of the central Carolinas were of 'Algonkian age. 

From the description of these rocks and their structure Dr. C. W. Hayes favors the view 

that they are Cambrian, and hence that the Blacksburg fold is a syncline-one of a series 

to which belong several others known in the region farther west. 

Acquaintance with the rocks occurring to the northwest of this area 'leads Mr. Arthur 

Keith to · believe that the schistose rocks here described belong somewhere between the 

beginning of the Cambrian and the end of the Carboniferous; that the metamorphism 

which affected them took place in or at the close of the Carboniferous, and consequently 

· that the unfoliated igneous rocks are post-Carbonife~ous. 

Satisfactory proof of the presence of fossils in these rocks has never been made, although 

the discovery of organic remains has been several times reported. e 

It seems unlikely that the age of these rocks will ever be determined by biologic evidence, 

because it is doubtful if such evidence, even if it has ever been present, is preserved. It is 

conceivable, however, that some place in the limestone may be found where there has been 

so little alteration that fossils may remain and be identified. 

It is far more probable that the age of the rocks will be determined only by stratigraphic 

methods. Extremely careful study, consisting in tracing formations and gradations in 

character from rocks of known age continuously up to these very rocks, will be required to 

reach final conclusion by lithologic or structural correlation. Any opinion based on no 

more definite stratigraphic relation to known rocks than has yet been found can at best be 

only tentative. 

These metamorphic rocks are in some places on the east overlain by beds of the "Newark" 

system, now regarded as Triassic, showing that these rocks must have been formed and 

rendered schistose before Triassic time. The last intense metamorphism which affected 

the rocks of the eastern United States took place in the Carboniferous period. These rocks 

must therefore be Carboniferous o~ older. . 

Several facts point to pre-Cambrian as the probable age of these rocks. The seemingly 

entire absence of fossils is such an indication. So far as known to the writer, proved Paleozoic rocks in the Southern Appalachians are by no means so much metamorphosed as the 

schists here described. As stated by Mr. Lindgren, also (p. 120), granite is nowhere known 

in the South intrusive into rocks proved to be Cambrian or younger. Yet the metamorphic 

rocks here described are cut by granite which in many places is little or not at all foliated. 

In the Cranberry quadrangle, about 80 miles to the northwest, folded sediments, somewhat 

metamorphosed in places, and, assigned by Keith to the Cambrian, unconformably overlie 

gneisses, schist, and intrusive granite which appear to correspond in a general way to the 

rocks of the area here concerned. Keith shows that the underlying rocks were much metamorphosed previous to the deposition of the Cambrian.! It seems probable that the rocks 

of this central Carolina region belong to the same pre-Cambrian complex as those in the 

Cranberry district. In support of this view, the· porphyritic rocks here described certainly 

cut some of the schists, and corresponding tuffs are interbedded with the schists. As has 

been stated on page 23, Keith considers the porphyries of this region similar to the volcanic 

a Lieber, 0. M., Survey of South Carolina, vol. 3, p. 149. b Kerr, W. C., Geology of North Carolina, 1875, p. 133. c Becker, G. F., Gold fields of the Southern Appalachians: Sixteenth Ann. Rept. U.S. Geol. Survey, 

pt. 3, 1895, p. 260. d Nitze, H. B. C., Bull. North Carolina Geol. Survey No.3, 1896, p. 44 . . eCf. Lieber, op. cit., vol. 2, pp. 87-88; vol. 3, p. 149; Emmons, E., Geol. Rept. Midland Counties of 

North Carolina, 1856, pp. 60-64; Marsh, 0. C., Am. Jour: Sci., 2d ser., vol. 45, 1868, p. 217. 

Geologic Atlas U.S., folio 90, U.S. Geol. Survey, 1903 . 

. ) .(~ .. 
;ECONOMIC GEOLOGY. 31 

rocks in the Cranberry quadrangle which he considers pre-Cambrian. These porphyritic 

rocks have likewise been regarded as pre-Cambrian by others.a 

From all the facts available it seems most reasonable to regard these rocks; and the 

metamorphism which affected them, as probably of pre-Cambrian age. While a more conclusive statement can not now be made, the writer believes that later detailed study will 

confirm this view. 

IGNEOUS ROCKS. 

The igneous rocks which are now represented by granitic gneiss and amphibolite first cut 

the sediments and then were metamorphosed with them. The massive granite, some of the 

pegmatite, and the dia.base are later than the metamorphism which formed the schists and 

are of course older than the planation of the region, which probably took place in Tertiary 

time. As has been stated, Paleozoic granite is not known in the South, and the granite and 

pegmatite are therefore probably pre-Cambrian. It has been shown on page 20 that 

the granite intrusion probably marked the end of the metamorphism; and this furnishes 

another evidence in favor ot the belief that the great movements resulting in metamorphism 

took place in pre-Cambrian time. The porphyries and volcanic tuffs are likewise considered 

to be of pre-Cambrian age; appearing probably near the close of the metamorphism. 

The diabase dikes are certainly the youngest of the igneous rocks, and have certainly 

escaped regional metamorphism,.but_more definite evidence as to their age was not obtained 

in this area. The writer is informed by the State geologist of South Carolina, Ron. Earle 

Sloan, that the diabase cuts Juratrias sediments and is probably of that age. 

SEDIMENTARY ROCKS. 

The comparatively small amount of 'induration, alteration, and contortion of the sediments occurring in the vicinity of Monroe, N.C., has already been described. It is difficult 

to believe that these soft rocks could have been present when metamorphism of the schists 

took place. On the other hand, they are older than the Triassic deposits of the" Newark" 

ystem. Fossils have not yet been found -in the "Monroe" beds and their age remains a 

atter of uncertainty. The· sands of the Coastal Plain formation which are included in this 

rea are regarded by Doctor Sloan as probably belonging to the Columbia group of the 

uaternary. 

ECONOMIC GEOLOGY. 

In the number of its mineral species North Carolina is said to excel any other State in the 

nion, and a great variety of minerals has been found in South Carolina. These minerals 

ave long been prominent among the resources of the Carolinas, and the particular area 

escribed in this report has been one of the important localities in this respect. 

Mining in this general region dates back before the time of the settling of America, and 

arly Spanish and English accounts of the discovery and recovery of metals are numerous.b 

be principal mineral resource of this Carolina area is gold. Iron has been mined to a coniclerable extent, and 'within recent years the monazite industry has attained some ir.P-porance. Tin is now creating considerable excitement. Besides these materials, copper, lead, 

anganese, pyrite,· mica·, barite, corundum, clay, limestone, and granite are. or have been 

und and worked to a greater or less extent. 

TIN. 

The use of tin is steadily increasing and the demand for it is constantly growing. While 

ew localities are being discovered from time to time, and while certain of the district~ 

lr·eady known are increasing their output, some of the jmportant tin-producing regions g.f 

e ':orld are on the decline and others do not give promise of long maintaining their present 

a Wilhams, G. H., Jour. Geol., vol. 2, 1894, pp. 28 et. seq. Becker, G. F., Gold fields of the Southern 

ppalachians: Sixteenth Ann. Rept. U.S. Geol. Survey, pt. 3, 1895, p. 260. · bCf. Becker, G. F.,-Gold fields 0f the Southern Appalachians: Sixteenth _Ann. Rept. U. S. Geol. c:rvey, pt. 3, 1895, pp. 253-257. - - '· · 
32 GOLD AND TIN DEPOSITS OF SOUTHERN APPALACHIANS. 

production. The reserve stocks held in various parts of the world are accordingly being 

greatly depleted and the price of tin is gradually rising. · 

For these reasons the discovery of a new tin locality is of much interest to mining men, 

and to many who are more or less directly connected with the metal industry, as well as to 

investors. The fact that the United States consumes over 40 per cent of the world's output 

while contributing an inappreciable amount makes of especial interest any information . 

regarding a tin locality within the borders of this country which gives the least proruise of 

becoming economically important. Previous waves of excitement have arisen on several 

occasions, only to wane and finally die out because of the failure to demonstrate the presence 

of valuable .tin deposits'. South Dakota, Missouri, California, Virginia, and Alabama afford 

notable instances of this and the Carolina tin belt itself has once risen to prominence and 

then almost passed from memory. Within the past couple of years interest has been 

revived in this region and it is now attracting a g~od share of attention from the outside, 

while within the tin-bearing territory considerable excitement prevails. 

It· was mainly with the idea of studying these tin deposits and satisfying a demand for 

information concerning them that the reconnaissance of this region was undertaken. For 

this reason chiefly the description of the tin deposits is placed before that of the intrinsically 

more important product of the area, gold. 

HISTORY OF TIN MINING IN THE CAROLINAS. 

Tin was first mentioned in this region in 1875 by Kerr,a who stated that it occurred in 

a micaceous slate in Gaston County, associated with garnet and columnar topaz (pycnite). 

The first authentic discovery of the metal was made some years later at the village of 

Kings Mountain, Gaston County, N.C. Mr. Robert T. Claywell, of Morganton, N.C., who 

is by all accredited with th~ first collection of specimens from this locality, communicated 

with the writer on this subject and the substance of his statements is here repeated. 

While a student at the Kings Mountain high school in 1881, Mr. Claywell found in a street 

of the town a number of pieces of a dark-colored mineral of noticeable specific gravity. 

Although he was an amateur student of mineralogy at that time, he was unable to identify 

this mineral. It appear~ that this mineral was added to a collection which he was making 

and remained unidentified for some time. In 1883, at the request ()f Col. S. McD. Tate, 

who was making a collection of North Carolina minerals for the American Exposition at 

Boston, this mineral collection, including the cassiterite, was sent to Boston. It is said 

by Mr. Claywell that this specimen before being sent was marked by Colonel Tate" Tin(?)." 

So far as is known, the first published statement, aside from the one by Kerr~ noted before, 

Tegardipg tin in North Carolina, is said to have appeared jn the Commercial Bulletin o 

Boston, October 13, 1883. In .the list of minerals from North Carolina given in that issu 

occurred the following paragraph: 

"Cassiterite, pure tin oxide. Found massive and semicrystallized in the western part o 

North Carolina. Sp. grav., 6.8; hardness, 7; 70 per cent tin."b 

Mr. Hidden claims the credit of the identification of this mineral, and states that h 

labeled it;c the foregoing paragraph was obviously a copy of the label. 

In an article dated February 14, 1884, Dr. C. W. Dabney, jr.,d stated that a specimen col 

lected by Mr. Claywell was sent to him by Colonel Tate marked" No.-, tin?," but he doe 

not tell when it was sent. He says, however, that he received other specimens in July 

1883, w.hich also doubtless came indirectly from Mr. Claywell, and he visited Kings Mountair 

and instituted some explorations for the mineral. This is evidently the first signed artie) 

dealing with the discovery of the mineral. In a recent letter Doctor Dabney states tha 

so far as he knows·he was the first to identify Mr. ~laywell's mineral as cassiterite. 

a Geology of North Carolina, 1875, p. 291. b Hidden, W. E., Jour. Elisha Mitchell Sci. Soc., 1889, pt. 2,,p. 66. The writer regrets that he has bee 

unable' to obtain this number of the Commercial Bulletin . . c Loc .. cit. and personal letter to the writer. a: science, vol. 3, February 22, 1884, p. 217; also Jour. Elisha Mitchell Sci. Soc., vol.1, 1883-84, pp. 79-8 
HISTORY OF TIN MINING IN THE CAROLINAS. 33 

The writer has endeavored to give here a plain statement of such facts as are available 

and to abstain from passing judgment on the question. 

The news of the discovery of tin soon spread in Kings Mountain and throughout the country. Everyone in the town, men, women, and children, began to hunt for tin. All over 

the eastern part of the town they found crystals of cassiterite, which they sold as curios at 

5 or 10 cents each. Early in 1885 a development company was formed by several prominent men of Kings Mountain and prospecting was begun. They read that tourmaline 

commonly accompanies tin, so they directed their attention to masses .of tourmaline and 

black hornblende, which they encountered near the place where the float tin was found. 

Several pits were sunk and a 100-foot tunnel was driven south of the town, but no tin was 

found in place. The company disbanded and excitement subsided; but cassiterite crystals were still found in the streets of Kings Mountain. 

In 1886 John H. Furman, a miner from Georgia, came to Kings Mountain to prospect for 

gold. He found bands of rock which he called "greisen," containing a black mineral supposed to be cassiterite. He took specimens of the material to Dr. A. R. Ledoux, of New 

York, who verified this supposition. Returning later under the direction of Ledoux, and 

with the assurance that the tin-bearing rock had at last been located, Furman began quietly 

to bond all the land which he considered promising. Prospecting was renewed on a broader 

scale; pits, trenches, shafts, and tunnels were started, and a considerable amount of ore 

was taken out for testing. At first sm~lllots were sent to Ledoux's laboratories in New 

York, but it was found that samples of this kind were· unreliable. Ledoux and Dr. James 

Douglass then came to the tin region, presumably in the interest of Phelps, Dodge & Co., 

of New York City. A stamp-mill test of 100 tons and returns from two carload lots of 

hand-picked ore shipped to England were fairly ~ncouraging. In 1890 Furman ~ailed for 

England with specimens of ore _and options on a large acreage in the hope of interesting 

capital there. The result of this mission is not known, but it was probably unsuccessful. 

An effort was next made by the Ledoux pa:wty to ascertain the extent of the ore bodies. 

The shafts were deepened and considerable diamond drilling was done. By these operations 

it was learned that the tin-bearing rocks were very irregular in extent and in their content 

of cassiterite, but the results were considered to justify the erection of a plant for treating 

the ore on the spot. A 10-stamp mill was erected about a mile ~nd a half south of Kings 

Mountain station. After crushing, the ore passed through slatted sluices over burlap. 

Several tons of ore were tested at this plant, but the results were not gratifying, and work 

was stopped in the early nineties. It is said that clogging of the stamp mortars by the 

abund.ant mica of the tin-bearing rock and excessive loss of fine tin had more to do with the 

cessation of operations than a conclusive demonstration that the deposits were too small 

r of too low a grade to be profitable. 

The work of this company had been directed mainly to the territory just south of the 

own of Kings Mountain. In the meantime other parties had been prospecting north of 

he town. Pits and shafts had been sunk and some machinery installed, but little or no 

·uccess attended these efforts. By 1892 interest had abated, and very ~ittle work was being 

one. 

About 1894 another company was formed, called the Kings Mountain Mineral and Develpment Company (Incorporated). The sum of $5,000was raised by subscription and work 

as begun on Chestnut Ridge, a short distance northeast of the village of Kings Mounain. It was the intention to sink a shaft 150feet deep and thus reach below the zone of decomosition. At a depth of 40 feet a crosscut from this shaft showed a decomposed "vein," 

olding considerable cassiterite, but it received no attention, since fresh rock only was 

.eing sought. Water was encountered in considerable amount, and the cost of pumping 

apidly depleted the available funds, so that at a depth of 130 feet the capital was-exhausted 

nd work was stopped. 

After this new failure an interval of several years witnessed only casual prospecting by 

. M. Carpenter and A. R. Rudisill, of Kings Mountain, who had been connected with the 

Bull. 293-06-3 
34 GOLD .AND TIN DEPOSI'l'S OF SOUTHERN .APP .AL.ACHI.ANS. 

enterprise almost since its beginning and who had purchased or leased considerable land 

along the tin belt. . . 

Interest was revived early in 1902, when Capt. S. S. Ross, of Gaffney, S.C., found cassiterite float on his farm 1~ miles northeast of Gaffney, considerably farther southwest than 

tin had been known befor~. The tin-bearing formation was located and found to contain 

a promising amount of the metal. The actual shipment of a carload of concentratee to 

England in 1903 brought the Ross mine into prominence and served to stimulate prospecting in other parts of the region. Carpenter and Rudisill again took up prospecting and 

soon sold what is now the Jones mine, near Bessemer City, to the Carolinas Tin and Development Company, of Gaffney, S.C. Early in 1904 this property was again sold to the present 

owners, the Carolina Tin Company, of Charlottesville, Va. In June, 1904, prospecting 

was undertaken by agents of the American Sheet and Tin Plate Company, who obtained 

options on about 5,000 acres for a sum reported to have been very large. Their attention 

was directed chiefly to Chestnut Ridge, northeast of Kings Mountain, and the Faires mine, 

just southwest of the village; but their operations appear not to have been sufficiently 

thorough or extensive to prove very much, and after several weeks they forfeited their 

options. During the late summer of 1904 the Jones, Ross, and Faires mines were being 

worked and active prospecting was going on in the northern part of Gaston County and in 

Lincoln County. In the fall the Faires mine was closed. 

At the present time the Ross mine is in operation and Messrs. Carpenter and Rudisill 

are engaged in proving up their properties in the northern part of the area. 

The history thus shows that tin mining in the Carolinas has been marked by a succession 

of failures ever since the discovery of cassiterite in 1881. It is hoped, however, that some 

of the operations at present under way will open a new page in this history upon which 

success shall be written. · 

GEOLOGY OF THE TIN BELT. 

LOCATION. 

The Carolina tin belt, as at present explored, extends from near Gaffney, Cherokee 

County, S.C., across parts of Cleveland and Gaston counties, N.C., to a point about 4 miles 

east of Lineolnton, Lincoln Oounty, N.C., a distance of about 35 miles. In a general way 

it follows the Kings Mountain Range throughout that distance. 

TIN-BEARING ROCKS. 

From the discovery of tin-bearing rocks by Furman in 1886 until the present day cassiterite has been found in situ in: this region only in dikes of pegmatite. The "greisen" of 

Furman a and Pratt,b the "feldspathie shale" of Sloan, c and the clay or kaolin in which 

the cassiterite occurs at the Ross mine are all in reality pegmatite. It is probable, also, 

that the term "feldspathic beds" of the writers before the' existence of tin was known was 

applied to these peg~atite dikes. 

DISTRIBUTION. 

The position of the tin belt and the distribution and structure of the tin-bearing rocks 

are intimat('ly connected with and dependent on the general geology of the area.. In a 

preceding section (pp. 26-28) it has been shown that the country along the Kings Mountain 

Range is a belt of ancient metamorphic rocks folded into an anticline, invaded later by 

igneous rocks such as granite, pegmatite, and diabase, and then greatly eroded. It has 

also been shown that the pronounced structure of the metamorphic rocks exerted a marked 

influence on the distribution and structure of these later intrusives. The result of thiS 

influence has been that the inva.ding rocks occur as sh~et or dike-like hodies, whose upturned 

a Trans. N.Y. Acad. Sci., vol.. 8, 1888--89, p. 137. b Mineral Resources U. S. for 1903, U.S. Geol. Survey, 1904 p. 340, or p.lO of the extract entitled'' The 

Production of Tin." c The State, Columbia, S. C., August 22,· 1904, p. 2. 
GEOLOGY OF . THE TIN BELT. 35 

edges furnish elongated outcrops, generally, though not everywhere, conforming in dip and 

strike with the surrounding schists. 

Fig. 3. indicates the distribution of pegmatite, the tin-bearing rock. Passing through 

the northwestern part of Gaffney, S. C., the tin belt strikes about N. 60° E. to the vicinity 

of Kings Mountain station, N. C., thence turns more to the north (about N. 25° E.), and 

continues across Gaston County and into Lincoln County, about 4 miles east of Lincolnton, 

N. C. It thus corresponds clos!;ly with the axis of t e Blacksburg fold; but the correspondence is not exact, for at Gaffney the pegmatite d kes occur on the southeast side of 

the axis and hence dip to tlie southeast, ·while from 1acksburg northward they occur 

where the rocks dip to the northwest, indicating that t e belt crosses the axis of the fold 

at some inter,'ening point. The relation of pegmatite t the structure of the metamorphic 

Scale 

~;c:~;==c::E3:5==='::Eo====~·s miles 

. Pegmatite ~ ~.:;:.:;::'i:"/1 

Tin 

FIG. 3.-Sketch map showing distribution of pegmatite and tin in the Carolina belt. 

rocks in the northern part of the area is not so readily discerned. The pegmatite belt is 

known to continue to the southwest beyond Gaffney·and to the northeast beyond the center 

of Lincoln County, but authenticated discoveries of cassiterite have not been made outside 

of the limits mentioned. The width of this belt va.ries considerably; it comprises in some 

places a few narrow, closely spaced dikes, in others many dikes distributed over a belt as 

much as 2 miles wide. This maximum width is reached in the northern part of Gaston 

ounty. STRUCTURE. 

The . masses of pegmatite range from numerous small streaks a few millimeters wide 

njected into the country rock, and collectively forp:1ing what may be considered a single 
36 GOLD .AND TIN DEPOSITS O.B' SOUTHERN APP .ALACHI.ANS. 

body; to bands probably · 30 or more feet wide. One of the wider bodies occurs about a 

mile southeast of Kings Mountain village. 

While conveniently designated as dikes, these masses are in many cases much more 

irregular than the form commonly implied by that name. In strike, dip, width, and extent 

individual bodies exhibit · great variations. Forking or branching is rather common. 

Many of the dikes pinch out completely, in some places being succeeded by other lenses 

farther along in the sa~e plane or in a near-by, parallel plane, while in others no continuation 

is found. These variations take place both horizontally and vertically. For instance, a 

dike which has a considerable continuous extent on the surface may pinch out at a comparatively small depth, perhaps to be found again directly below or at one side, or not at 

all. Conversely, a dike which is short horizontally may extend downward for a long distance without interruption. On the other hand, a few dikes appear to be fairly regular 

and persistent so far as explored, but some of these will probably exhibit irregularities at 

greater distance or depth . 

.A few exceptions to the general rule of conformity of the pegmatite dikes to the structure 

of the inclosing schists are worthy of notice. Exploration has not been sufficient to admit 

of very extended generalizations concerning most of the features of these tin deposits, and 

especially is this true in regard to structure, on which conclusions can be reached in no 

other way than by a large amount of development. Such observations as have already 

been made, however, point to the conclusion that those comparatively few dikes which 

fail to correspond in strike and dip with the surrounding rocks, but instead cut across the 

structure of the schists, are fairly persistent and regular. 

An explanation of the irregularities of those dikes which conform with the foliation of 

the country rock might be found in the supposition that faulting or shearing had divided 

originally continuous bodies into a number of irregular masses and lenses. But the field 

evidence is against such a supposition. Slight faulting since the introduction of the pegmatite 

has occurred in some places, and some of the pegmatite shows that it has been subjected 

to very moderate crushing, but no great amount of movement can have taken place. Mor~ 

over, .any faulting which would affect those dikes which parallel the schistosity would also 

affect the cross dikes; but the cross dikes are fairly regular and can not have suffered much 

dislocation. · 

One is therefore forced to the conclusion that these pegmatite masses owe their present 

form to the nature of the original cavities which they filled, or at least to that of the planes 

along which they forced their way and ascended. It will thus be necessary to consider the 

character and origin of these planes in arriving at an explanation of the forms which the 

pegmatite bodies possess ~ · 

We have here a region of rock beds of heterogeneous compositionso folded that the form 

of any single bed/ may be likened to that of a piece of corrugated iron. This folding was 

produced by an enormous compressive stress acting during a long interval approximately 

at right angles to the axes of the corrugations or folds which were produced. The fold, 

however, is only the end product. of a complicated process. To accomplish it there had to 

be movement among the beds and portions of the beds. This movement was a slipping or 

gliding, generally parallel to the bedding planes, and is evidenced to-day by the schistosity 

or foliation of the rocks. That these pla-nes along which cohesion was overcome so that 

movement could take place are planes of weakness is proved by the cleavability of the rock 

along planes parallel to the schistosity. But, as may be seen from an examination of a 

specimen of these schists, the planes of weakness are not uniform; some are more prominent 

than others, and even the most prominent ones ar~ irregular a:o.d not continuous, but instead 

give way to others which then themselves become prominent as such planes of weakness. 

It thus appears that the directions or the loci of greatest weakiiess-those places which 

would determine the position and the form of intrusion-are not simple planes, but are 

instead comprised of series of parallel planes of irregular extent, arranged more or less stepwise, in some places branching, in others overlapping, and in still others almost separated by 
G}~OLOGY OF THR Tl.N BELT. 37 

the intervention of localities where the rock is stronger; i. e., of greater cohesion between 

the two walls of the plane of movement. 

Material forced by hydrostatic pressure from a reservoir below would follow these directions of weakness, force the walls apart', and occupy the space which it thus created for 

itself. Where cohesion had been entirely overcome by the original movement, the expansive 

force would be most effective, the intrusive material would have the greatest thickness, and 

the dike formed on solidification would have the greatest width. (See fig. 6, p. 50.) 

The explanation of the irregular form of the pegmatite masses which conform to the 

schistosity of the inclosing rocks lies, therefore, in the fact that the planes along which 

intrusion or injection took place were themselves.of irregular extent and their walls offered 

varying resistance t.o being forced apart by the invading material. 

The explanation of the for~ of those dikes which cross the structure of the surrounding 

rocks is somewhat different, just as their form is different. ' After the rocks of this region 

had been folded to their present structure and the forces which caused this folding had 

nearly or quite subsided new forces more or less transverse to the first became active. 

These new forces tended to produce folds transverse to those already existing. But the 

resistance of this folded belt to eontortion across the strike was too great to be overcome, 

just as corrugated iron is rigid to deformation at right angles to the corrugations. Since 

the stress induced by these later forces could not be relieved by folding, fracture at right 

angles to the direction of force took place. This fracturing was sufficient to relieve the ' 

stress and little faulting or other movement followed. 

Later, when the material of the pegmatite dikes began to exert pressure o.a the walls of 

its reservoir, it found, besides those irregular places of weakness parallel to the foliation of 

the rocks already described, definite, sharp fractures or cracks, offering a fairly uniform 

resistance to the passage of a fluid and hence capable of being expanded and filled fairly 

evenly throughout their extent. These cross dikes are in consequence regular and persistent. In some instances relatively small branches or offshoots from the main cross dike are 

injeded into the wall rock parallel to its schistosity. This adds to the evidence that 

although the cross dikes· occupy fissures of later formation than those filled by the interfoliated dikes, the two classes of dikes are contemporaneous. (Compare fig. 5,'p. 47, and 

fig. 6, p. 50.) 

From these considerations the conclusion may be deduced that in the exploitation of a 

dike which crosses the foliation of the inclosing rock the prospector, while proceeding by 

those cautious methods which should always attend the early development of a mining 

region, may reasonably expect to find the dike continuous and possessing a fair degree of 

regularity. In the case of the dike parallel to the structure of the country rock, however, 

he must be prepared to meet great and sudden variations in its form and position; but if 

he explores beyond the limits of one lens he may often be rewarded by the discovery of 

another. · 

So far as known at present, faulting has not been sufficient to affect in any important 

degree the position or extent of these dikes. 

DESCRIPTION AND MINERALOGY. 

The tin-bearing rocks embrace two of the varieties of pegmatite described on pages 20-22. 

As was there stated, these two varieties, the third and fourth, may be simply different 

facies of the same ro~k. At any rate, it is highly probable that they do not differ greatly 

in composition. The general petrographic descriptions of these rocks have already been 

given. It will here be appropriate to consider them more in detail and in the light of 

ore-bearing form~tions. 

The third or microcline variety of pegmatite was at first thought not to contain cassiterite,a but recent developments at the Ross mine below the zone of extreme decomposition 

have shown that this rock is the one which carries the cassiterite. In several places in 

a Bull. U. S. Geol. Survey No. 260, 1905, p. 191. 
38 GOLD AND TIN DEPOSITS OF SOUTHERN APPALACHIANS. 

that mine the pegmatite is very much like granite in appearance, and there the cassiterite 

is in small grains and less abundant than where the rock is coarser. Mica is not an abundant constituent, but is present locally, probably representing a transition to the fourth 

variety, which is in general characterized by much muscovite and little feldspar. A little 

hornblende has been found. On weathering this microcline pegmatite becomes very soft 

and clay-like, owing to the change of the feldspar into kaolin. 

The fourth variety of pegmatite is much more interesting mineralogically. While consisting generally of abundant quartz and large flakes of muscovite mica, with a small 

amount of orthoclase, microcline, and albite or oligoclase-albite, some of it varies decidedly 

from such a mineralogical composition. In places it contains little mica and much feldspar. 

The muscovite has been called a fluoric mica,a but an analysis by Mr. W. T. Schaller of 

typical muscovite from the Jones mine gave only 0.15 per cent fluorine, which is rather 

below the average amount for muscovite. It is generally colorless, but yellowish or lightgreen colors are not unusual. Some of the flakes are several centimeters across. In some 

of the dikes which contain other lithium minerals the muscovite is bordered by an extremely 

narrow zone of lepidolite or lithia mica. In no other case has lepidolite been found. 

Spodumene, the lithium-aluminum silicate, is not uncommonly present, and in some dikes, 

particularly those rich in feldspar, constitutes a considerable proportion of the rock. It 

occurs in large and small individuals devoid of crystal outline but having well-developed 

cleavages intersecting at 93°. It is colorless to white and in some i~dividuals has a silky 

luster. Under the microscope the mineral is perfectly clear and colorless. The index of 

refraction is rather high. The double refraction is probably not over 0.020. Extinction 

is inclined to the traces of cleavage in some sections and the maximum extinction angle 

observed was :c : c=24°. The mineral is biaxial and positive. Before the blowpipe it 

fuses and gives a strong flame test for lithium. 

A yellowish-brown mineral occurring at the Faires mine contains lithium, manganese, 

phosphoric acid, and probably iron, and is undoubtedly lithiophilite. Where it has been 

subjected to decomposition near the surface-that is, to hydration and oxidation_:__it is 

converted into a black or brownish-black material of pitchy luster and conchoidal fracture, 

which contains iron, manganese, phosphoric acid, and water, and is probably a definite 

mineral. In close association with the lithiophilite, occupying lenses and veinlets and in 

one specimen, occurring between the lithiophilite and its black oxidation product, is a 

purple mineral which has been found to be a new species and has been named purpurite.b 

The occurrence ·of this mineral indicates that it is a decomposition produ,ct of lithiophilite, 

and its chemical composition confirms this view. It is a hydrous manganic ferric phosphate of the formula 2 [(Mn"', Fe"') P04] H 20, and is the only known case of a manganic 

phosphate. 

The mineral is probably orthorhombic, but crystal outline has in no case been observed. 

Two cleavages, presumably at right angles and pinacoidal, are of unequal perfection. The 

cleavage surfaces are in many grains somewhat curved, as if adjacent particles of the mineral 

did not possess exactly the same orientation. It ha.S an uneven fracture and is rather 

brittle. Its hardness is 4-4.5 and specific gravity about 3.15. In color the mineral is a 

rich deep red or reddish purple, and the powder and streak have a decided purple or deep 

rose color. 

Although purpurite is transparent in exceedingly thin pieces, giving beautiful red colors 

the ordinary thin section of the mineral allows the passage of very little light. Parallel t 

the cleavage the color is a deep scarlet, inclining to rose-red, while across the cleavage th 

absorption is greater and the col9r becomes a rich purple. Extinction is generally parallel 

an inclination up to 3° or 4° which has been observed in a few instances has probably bee 

due to the orientation of the sections examined. It may be, however, that the mineral i 

monocli:p.ic, with a very small extinction angle. It was impossible to obtain an interferenc 

a Pratt, J. H., and Sterrett, D. B., Bull. North Carolina Geol. Survey No. 19, 1904, p. 48. b Graton, L. C., and Schaller, W. T., Am. Jour. Sci., 4th ser., vol. 20, 1905, pp. 140-151. 
G EO LOGY Ol!, THE TIN BELT. 39 

figure on the material available. If the mineral is biaxial, as is probably the case, the 

intersection of the cl~avages is parallel to a. This is also the direction of least absorption. 

The refractive index is probably between 1.60 and 1.65. The double refraction is high, 

probably in the neighborhood of 0.060. Analyses by W. T. Schaller gave the following 

average composition for purpurite: 

Average analysis of purpurite. 

Fe20a ... . .. . ............... . ....... . ....................................... . ... , . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15.89 

Mn203 . . _-_ ...... :. ... , ............. . ................ _. ____ . . _............... . ....... . . .. . . . . . . . . . 29.25 

P20o .... .. ....... ... .................. : . . ........... _ . .. _ ....... . . ... _ . . ...... . .. __ .. .. . . . . . . . 47.30 

H20 at 100° ........ _ .......... . ........... _. _ ..... . ............... _ .... _. .................... .. . . 3. 31 

H20 above 100° .. . ............. . ..... _ ......................... . ............. _ .......... ,....... 1. 95 

CaO .. . ................. .-. _ ... · ........... _ .............. __ .. _ .. _ . _ .............. _ . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1. 48 

N a20 ............. . ......... ______ .... _ .............. . ....... . ............ _ . _ ......... ·_ . . . . . . . . . . 84 

LbO ..................... __ .. _ ...................... _ ... . .. . ...................... ___ . _ . . . . . . . . . Trace. 

Insoluble .... . ............. _ ......................... . ... . ......... ·,·.......... . . . . . ....... .. ... . 52 

100.54 

It is probable that the soda and lime exist as impurities, or inclusions of foreign material, -

in the mineral. The lithia is doubtless a remnant of that of the lithiophilite. 

Black manganese oxide; probably also derived from the decomposition of lithiophilite, is 

present in many places as thin botryoidal coatings on the other minerals . . Some apatite 

occurs in narrow vein-like masses of bluish color and was at first thought to be fluorite. 

In isolated crystals of small size it has a bright-green color. 

The cassiterite, the constituent of these rocks which is important from the economic 

standpoint, may better be described under the head of the ores (pp. 41-42). I~ thin section 

under the microscope it is found to include, besides tiny flakes of hematite, numerous 

minute dark grains which resemble black iron ore. The fact that a carefully panned sample 

.of tin concentrates gave Doctor Hillebrand decided reactions for iron and titanium inditCates that this material is ilmenite. Wolframite has been reported as accompanying the 

(cassiterite, but careful search has failed to reveal its presence. It ought readily to be 

. disti~guished in the pan by its dark color, even in fine powder, its good cleavage, and its 

specific gravity, which is greater th~n that of cassiterite. It seems probable that the 

tungstic oxide reported in early analysesa of Carolina cassiterite may have been confused 

with the rarer elements columbium or tantalum, which have been found recently, although 

it may be that tungsten does in some cases exist as wolframite, but included within the 

grains of cassiterite, as is the ilmenite. . 

Chalcopyrite band arsenopyrite, cor mispickel, have also been reported from the pegmatites, but it is doubtful if they occur as original constituents of these rocks. 

CONTACT METAMORPHISM. 

A general idea of the changes induced in the surrounding rocks by the intrusion of pegmatite has already been given. A study of this metamorphism is, of course, futile in the 

zone of surficial decomposition. Unfortunately, at the only place along the belt where 

development has extended into the unaltered rock (the Jones mine), a dike of granite or 

aplite is in close connection with the pegmatite. The granite is probably older than the 

- pegmatite and the changes at its contact have certainly been more intense. Its effect has 

therefore partly forestalled and partly overshadowed that of the pegmatite, The development of clear brown biotite and less commonly of garnet and pyrite in the amphibolit~ can 

in some places, however, be seen to result from the action of the pegmatite. 

Quartz veins closely associated with dikes of both granite and pegmatite exhibit very 

remarkable metasomatic alteration in the adjoining rocks. These_ veins vary in width from 

a Cf. Dabney, C. W , jr., Jour. Elisha Mitchell Sci. Soc., 1883-84, p. 81. b Furman, J. H., Trans. New York Acad. Sci., vol. 8, 1889, p. 144. 

cLedoux, A. R., Eng. and Min. Jour., vol. 48, 1889, p. 521. 
40 

I 

GOLD AND TIN DEPOSITS OF SOUTHER~ .APP .AL.ACHIANS. 

the merest stringers to several feet, and the metamorphic action of even the smallest is 

intense. The quartz of the veins is rather finely granular and under the microscope the 

grains are found to interlock in the manner characteristic of the granitic texture of igneous 

rocks. Small, many-sided p;isms of deep-brown tourmaline occur scattered and in bunches 

through the quartz. In thin section the zonal structure of these crystals is readily seen. 

The interior is usually pleochroic in blue and violet colors, while the exterior is brown. 

Flattened individuals of ilmenite are in some places abundant. Sulphides, of which pyrite 

is most common, but including also pyrrhotite and chalcopyrite and perhaps a .little arsenopyrite, are common though not abundant constituents in certain of the veins. In many 

instances the various sulphides are intergrown. Careful assays have shown that some of 

these veins carry gold. Further reference to this subject is made on pages 69-70. 

The metasomatic processes which these veins have induced in their walls resemble as 

closely those of igneous masses as they do those of fissure veins. The formation in the 

country rock of garnet, brown biotite, and probably some magnetite might be attributed 

to contact metamorphism, while the impregnation with sulphides and quartz is more closely 

related to vein action. Tourmaline is common to both. 

These veins are later' than either the aplitic or the pegmatite dikes, and induce in them 

changes which are somewhat similar to those · caused in amphibolite. In the granite or 

aplite the tourmaline has so nicely replaced feldspar a that it might easily be mistaken for 

an original constituent of the rock. 

The texture and mineral constituents of these veins and their effect on their walls indicate that they were formed at great depth, and their intimate association with the granite 

and pegmatite shows almost beyond question that they are genetically related to those 

rocks. 

TIN DEPOSITS. 

It may be well to state at this point that the tin deposits of the Carolinas can ;n no way 

be considered veins. They are, instead, dikes of an igneous rock-pegmatite-which have 

solidified from an originally molten state. Placer deposits of comparatively little importance 

have been derived from the breaking down of these dikes. • · 

DISTRIBUTION OF CASSITERITE IN THE DIKES. 

The tin-bearing mineral is an exceedingly variable constituent of the pegmatite: Probably 

in the majority of cases where pegmatite has been found no cassitertite can be seen in it, 

and while it is possible that the miner~l is generally disseminated in minute grains throughout the rock, such is probably not the case. 

On the other hand, certain bodies or portions 

of bodies of pegmatite contain a very large proportion of cassiterite, and some masses weighing several hundred pounds are made up 

almost wholly of 'cassiterite. There are all 

gr~dations between these limits. Whib the 

distribution . of the tin mineral is thus very 

irregular, there is in most cases a certain sys 

FIG. 4.-Sketch of narrow pegmatite dike, h Th · · ll 

showing d,istribution of cassiterite. Natu- tern in t is irregularity. 7 tm IS usua y con 

ral size. centrated along certain lines or zones, which 

thus constitute ore shoots. These ore shoot 

also are irregular, something after the manner of the dikes themselves. They pinch an 

·swell, branch, die out, and reappear in an erratic way. Nevertheless, the determinatio 

of the presence and direction of an ore shoot is a great aid to development. "Pockets' 

a Cf. Lindgren, W ., Genesis of Ore Deposits, New York, 1904, p. 533. 
TIN DJ;jPOSI'l'S. 41 

of tin ore are usually found to be simply lens-like portions of an ore shoot that are of especial 

width or richness. Development has not yet been sufficiently extensive to show whether 

or not there is any regularity in the position of these shoots in the dikes. They have as 

a rule a much elongated form, measuring only· a few feet along the dike at a right angle 

to their greatest dimension. Some of the ore bodies, however, have a considerable extent 

in two directions and a few of them persist as far as present explorations have gone. 

In general they pitch steeply, though the angle of pitch may vary in the same shoot. In 

some places there seems to be a tendency for the shoot to occupy the full width of the 

dike, while in others it is confined to one side or the other or to the middle of the dike. 

Fig. 4 illustrates concentration near the middle M a narrow dike. 

THE ORES. 

-The principal tin-bearing mineral in nearly all the tin-producing regions of the world is 

cassiterite, the dioxide Sn02. "This is the only tin mineral known to occur in the Carolina 

region. It is present in the pegmatite dikes in sizes ranging from tiny grains, barely visible to the unaided eye, to individuals weighing as much as 2 pounds. The mineral is 

crystalline, but only rarely possesses crystallographic outline. Where . crystal f~ces are 

developed they are uniformly those of the low unit pyramid. Twinning is rather common, 

as shown both by the form of the crystals and by the behavior of sections under the microscope. An imperfect cleavage parallel to the prism face is often observed. Owing both 

to this cleavage and to some peculiarity of crystal development, many individuals of cassiterite are flattened. The fracture is uneven. The mineral is extremely brittle and friable, 

particularly where ·occurring near the surface, and on this account seems in many cases 

much lower in the scale of hardness than its actual value of 6-7. On account of its relatively high specific gravity, 6.8 to 7.1, it is rather easily separated by panning or other 

means of gravity concentration from most or all of the minerals which ordinarily accompany it. The color of the Carolina cassiterite is in most cases very dark, ranging from 

deep brown to black. Lighter colored or even colorless varieties have been reported, but 

one have been seen by the writer. The brown specimens have a resinous appearance; 

he blacker ones show a metallic luster. The streak and the powder range in color, depend-

·ng on the intensity of color of the specimen, from nearly white to chocolate brown, and 

re in no case black. This fact serves to distinguish cassiterite from many minerals of 

imilar appearance which occur in and about the tin region. Owing to the pres~nce of 

ncluded impurities which can not be mechanically separated, the Carolina cassiterit~ falls 

omewhat below the theoretical content of 78.6 per cent metallic tin. Probably 74 to 75 

er cent would be an average for the carefully selected material. 

In thin section the cassiterite generally gives evidence of _ imperfect crystal form, and 

n some specimens the effect of twinning is shown in the outline. Twinning is parallel to 

he pyramidal face (1, 1, 1) and is in some individuals repeated polysynthetically. Prisatic cleavage is readily discernable in some instances, and indication of a second cleavage 

ar.allel to _ the pyramid has been seen. The mineral is usually deeply colored, but the 

istribution of the color i~ uneven, giving a flaky or patchy appearance. The color is 

roqably due to the solution, in the cassiterite, of a small amount of an iron mineral, possibly 

ematite, since the deeper-colored varities carry most iron. Dichroism is decided. The 

ommon absorptions are c=deep red or red-brown, m=light yellowish brown to nearly 

olorless. Sometimes c= coffee brown, GD= bluish green. The refractive index and the 

ouble refraction are characteristically high. Some minute included flakes of hematite 

nd grains of ilmenite are visible. P3;rtial analyses a of specimens of cassiterite from Kings 

ountain made in 1883 indicated the presence of about 1 per cent of tungstic oxide. A 

ualitative analysis of concentrates from the northern part of the tin belt, made by Dr . 

. F. Hillebrand, fails to show the presence of tungsten, but reveals an appreciable amount 

a Dabney, C. W., jr., Jour. Elisha Mitchell Sci. Soc., 1883-84, p. 81. 
42 GOLD AND 'l'IN DEPOSITS 01!' SOUTHERN APPALACHIAN~. 

of columbium, with possibly some tantalum. It is probable that these rare elements wer 

confused with tungsten in the early analyses. 

The material which is mined as tin .ore consists of the pegmatite rock, with its content 

·cassiterite. Within the limits of the ore shoots this mineral is in general fairly evenl 

distributed through the rock. Pl. III, A, reproduces a photograph of a specimen from th 

Henry Carpenter property near Long Shoals, Lincoln County, and gives a good idea o 

the common appearance of the ore. The black spots are the cassiterite. This particula 

specimen is r:ather rich, containing probably 10 per cent of cassiterite, which correspond 

to about 7 per cent of metallic tin. Pl. III, B, is a photomicrograph of this ore. In 

small dike in the Faires mine near the village of Kings Mountain the cassiterite is distribute 

as shown in fig. 4. The dark portion is cassiterite and the larger light areas are muscovit 

the remainder -being a finely granular mixture of quartz, muscovite, and a little feldspa 

In the quartz-muscovite variety of pegmatite, cassiterite seems to be more c~mmon in th 

mica-rich rocks than in those which contain more feldspar. Very little tin has been foun 

in the spodumene-bearing dikes. 

Much of the ore from depths to which superficial alteration has barely extended is coate 

along cracks and seams with black manganese oxide, probably pyrolusite, which h 

doubtless resulted from the decomposition of lithiophilite. This manganese mineral is i 

many places deposited on and between the foils of the muscovite. It is scattered in patch 

over the surface of the ore, and when viewed at some distance is easily mistaken for ca 

siterite. The quartz-mica pegmatite is stained somewhat brown on weathering and becom 

more friable. The microcline pegmatite readily decomposes into a white, soft kaol;n, co 

taining small gritty grains of quartz. In this soft matrix the cassiterite remains practicall 

unchanged and can easily be picked out with the fingers. Some crystals thus obtain 

have a roughened surface, as if they had been slightly etched. Whether this is actual 

the explanation or not is unknown. 

GENESIS OF THE DEPOSITS. 

From the standpoint of the geologist the point which is perhaps of greatest interest co 

, cerning the ore deposits of a region is their origin. To the miner as well this subject should 

of interest, since it is of great importance. An understanding of the manner in whi 

the ore was formed and reached its present position is almost certain to throw light on i 

probable richness in unexplored places, the probability of its continuing with depth, a 

other vital questions which confront the mining man in the development of a new region 

Throughout the world the most common occurrence of lode tin, that is, tin ore mined fro 

the rock in place, is in veins, which usually cut granitic rocks. These veins generally have 

gangue of quartz and are characterized by the presence of fluorine, boron, tungsten, lithiu 

and arsenic minerals associated with the cassiterite. Prominent among these illinerals a 

topaz, fluorite, tourmaline, wolframite, scheelite, lepidolite, zinnwaldite, and arsenopyrit 

These materials are regarded as representing the final emanations from the granitic magm 

It is supposed that these comparatively rare elements are more and more segregated a 

concentrated as the solidification of the granite goes on, and at last, when fissures form, th 

are carried up in the form of vapors and solutions at high temperature and are deposited wi 

quartz in the veins. Although these are usually veins of filling, occupying fissures 

crevices, alteration and metasomatic replacement of the wall rock has in nearly all cases be 

considerable. The quartz of the granite has been little affected, but the feldspar and mi 

have baen attacked, being partially converted into a mica which is usually lithia bearin 

either ·lepidolite or zimiwaldite, and partially replaced by one or more of the foregoi 

minerals and by cassiterite. The resulting rock, composed largely of quartz and mica, 

designated greisen. This term can never be applied to any but an altered rock, a product 

this particular kind of vein metamorphism. 

In contrast with this usual occurrence of tin in veins is the occurrence of cassiterite a 

primary or original mineral of igneous rocks, usually pegmatite. Tin has thus been fou 

in pegmatite in the Vegetable Creek district of New South Wales and in the Black Hills 
U. S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY 

BULLETIN NO. 293 PL. Ill 

A. SPECIMEN OF TIN-BEARING PEGMATITE. 

B. PHOTOMICROGRAPrl OF TIN ORE FROM THE JONES MINE. 

Showing the dark cassiterite as a constituent of the quartz-mica pegmatite. Magnified 20 diameters. 

TIN DEPOSITS. 43 

South Dakota. Because ofthe unusualness of this mode of occurrence, tin deposits of this 

type have not been so thoroughly studied as the vein deposits. At many places the pegma~ 

tite dikes carry, besides the tin mineral, compounds of lithium and of phosphorus, such as 

spodumeiie, lepidolite, apatite, triphylite, and autunite. In these cases the cassiterite has 

crystallized along with or a little earlier than most of the other constituents. The "pegmatite, being a product of solidification of molten material, is sharply defined from its walls, 

and in no case does the cassiterite replace portions of the country rock. On the -other hand, 

the pegmatite produces at its contact metamorphism of the same kind as that produced by 

granite. Garnet is a · rather common product in the wall rock; locally tourmaline is intrOduced and a chestnut-brown mica is developed in many places. . 

As in the case of the tin-bearing veins, these pegmatite dikes likewise are regarded as one 

of the final products from the granite magma, being succeeded only by vein formation. Like 

the veins, the dikes repre~Sent a concentration of those rare elements and the water which 

has b~en gradually excluded by the crystallization of. the main body of the rock. In 

many respects, therefore, these two modes of occurrence are closely related. 

Turning now to a consideration of the Carolina tin deposits, we find it evident at once that 

they belong to the second class, with cassiterite as an original constituent of pegmatite. In 

a preceding section (p. 22) it has been shown that the pegmatite dikes of this region are 

almost unquestionably related in origin to the granite and granitic gneiss which occur with 

some interruption all along the tin belt. Below the zone of surfac~ decomposition these 

masses of tin-bearing. rock exist in the same condition in which they originally solidified 

rom the magma; they have suffered no alteration; they are not greisen. The effect of these 

dikes on the surrounding rock is characteristic not of veins but of igneous intrusions. Careul search for cassiterite in the wall rock has been made both by crushing and panning and 

y microscopic examination of thin sections, and in no case has tin been found, nor has it 

ver been reported as occurring outside of the dike proper. The absence of tourmaline, 

opaz, and wolframite and the extremely small amount of lithia mica in the tin-bearing rock, 

hile, on the other hand, spodumene, lithiophilite, and apatite are present, go far in support 

f the view that the tin is of igneous origin. In one case a crystal of cassiterite was found 

djoining a large crystal of orthoclase that is perfectly unaltered except for a slight amount 

f weathering. Such an occurrence would be extremely unlikely if the cassiterite had been, 

eposited by replacement from solutions. · 

The unequal distribution of the cassiterite in the dikes is a subject difficult of explanation. 

orne combination of conditions or some process of differentiation as yet unknown has doubt- · 

ess caused the segregation of tin in the ore shoots. A process of probably a s'imilar nature 

ms resulted in the formation of relatively large masses of quartz and of feldspar in the dikes, 

uch as are seen in the Faires mine. 

The complete cycle, beginning with granitic intrusion, followed by pegmatite intrusion, 

nd brought to a close by vein formation, has been followed out in the Carolina region. The 

eins are closely associated with the pegmatites and in some cases with dikes of granite or 

plite. They are quartz veins carrying pyrite, ilmenite, and in many places abundant 

ourmaline. Some of them, at least, carry gold. (See pp. 69-70.) Their walls also are in 

any places impregnated with tourmaline. They are usually parallel with and a short disance away from the pegmatite. In no place have they been found actually cutting the pegatite, but at the Ross mine some of the pegmatite contains secondary 'tourmaline which 

as probably derived from one of these veins. . 

As has been previously stated (p. 40) these veins give evidence of having been formed at 

reat depth and high temperature. It is probable that if the pegmatite had not been 

pelled from the magma reservoir, or had not carried all the tin with it, these veins would 

ave received the tin of the magma, forming tin veins like those of 1IlOSt other tin deposits. 

To summarize the origin of these tin deposits, pegmatite dikes genetically related to bodies 

granite contain cassiterite as an original constituent unevenly distributed throughout 

eir mass. The cassiterite was formed at practically the same time as the quartz, mica, 

ldspar, and other minerals of the dikes by crystallizing from the molten pegmatite magma. 
44 GOLD AND TIN DEPOSITS OF SOUTHERN .APP .AL.ACHLA.NS. 

In former descriptions of the Carolina tin deposits reference has often been made to th 

fact that the strike of the tin-belt, if prolonged, would just about pass through the ti 

locality of Rockbridge County, Va., and from this single fact some have gone as far as to stat 

that the two deposits are probably related. Largely with the idea of testing the correctneE 

of this view, the writer visited the Virginia locality. Owing to lack of time and the fact th 

no work has been done at this place for a number of years, a thoroughly satisfactory idea 

th~ deposits at the Cash mine was not obtained. But this much may be said. Cassiteri 

occurs there in quartz veins cutting a coarse granite. The veins are well banded and cor 

tain, besides c~ssiterite, bands of pyrite and arsenopyrite. The granite walls are converte 

into greisen, being composed of quartz, fine scaly muscovite, and a small amo~nt of ca. 

siterite. 

From the standpoint of mode of occurrence and genesis, therefore, the Virginia and Car 

lina deposits have almost nothing in common. Moreover, the geologic instead of geometr 

continuation of the Carolina tin belt passes fa.r to the east of the Virginia deposits . 

.A.GE OF THE DEPOSITS. 

Since the granite and pegmatite are'considered to be of pre-Cambrian age, the tin deposi 

are likewise pre-Cambrian. They have therefore been subjected to the various agencies 

disintegration and decomposition through an enormous length of time. 

PLACERS. 

The first cassiterite discovered in the Carolina region occurred as loose pieces unattach 

to any rock in place, and during the first five years that the existence of tin was kno 

nothing but this float tin was found. Since the discovery of cassiterite in the rock in pla 

nearly all prospecting and primary development work has been guided by the occurren 

of pieces of float. In a few places, as at the Ross mine and the Jones mine, the amount 

cassiterite scattered through the soil has been suffir..ient to encourage efforts for its recove 

and a comparatively small return has been obtained. A little panning has been done 

the beds and flood plains of some of the streams, but the results have not been promisi 

All this float or plact r tin is directly traceable to the original deposits in dihs . . As t 

• rocks are decomposed and disintegrated, the cassiterite of the dikes, being very rebist 

to alteration, is freed from the rock and on removal of the other materials is left behi 

because of i~s high specific. gravity, being in this way gradually eon~entrated. 

It is known that since the formation of the tin deposits this region has been subjected 

extreme degradation. All the phenomena of intrusion, contact metamorphism, and v 

formation which have here been obsei·ved point to the fact that these porcesses went 

under great pressure and therefore far below what was then the surface. The physiograp 

evidence in the planation of this much-folded region is in the -same direction. It t 

appears that extensive portions of the tin-bearing dikes have been removed. M 

cassiterite must thus have been liberated from the rock and remained close to the origi 

ore bodies as placer deposits. It is probable that more thorough prospecting of stre 

gravels along the tin belt will result in the discovery of small amounts of the mineral; 1 

such search as has been conducted leads one not to expect the presence of extensive plac 

The question then arises as to what has become of the large amount of tin which must h< 

resulted from the disintegration and degradation of the tin-bearing rocks. It is belie 

that the answer to this question lies mainly in the fact that the cassiterite has been 

solved and thus carried away. 

While from the customary standpoint of the laboratory chemist cassiterite is pronoun 

insoluble, it nevertheless does dissolve very slowly, even in pure water.a The oft-ci 

case of pseudomorphic replacement by cassiterite of the material of deer horns b sh 

that in a comparatively short interval of geologic time marked solution will take place. 

a Doelter, C., Tschermaks Min. u. petrogr. Mittheilungen, vol. 11, p. 325. b Collins, J. H., Trans. Roy. Geog. Soc. Cornwall, vol. 10, pp. 98-100. 
TIN MINING DEVELOPMENTS. 45 

eems probable that, subjected to the action of solutions during long geologic ages, the 

assiterite may have been in great part dissolved and carried away in the streams. It is 

ot unlikely that the peculiar conditions existing when the country was reduced almost to 

ase-level had much to do with this result. The streams, then being sluggish, could dislve greater amounts of chemical substances and thus become more powerful reagents 

an under ordinary conditions, and it is easily conceivable that under these circumstances 

e _cassiterite was dissolv_ed at a comparatively rapid rate. 1 

It has been sought to t~st this-hypothesis by examination of. individuals of cassiterite 

1 the upper part of deeply decomposed dikes to see if they have suffered any etching or 

lution. The almost complete absence of smooth crystal faces and the uneven but not 

ry rough surfaces of the grains have made it impossible to decide this question with 

rtaint:y, but it seems probable that some solution has taken place.a The increased friality of the mineral near the surface may be some indication of solution along cleavages 

minute cracks. Furthermore, this very friabil)' may have aided in the removal of the 

, both by exposing greater surfaces and in this way hastening solution and by subjecting 

e larger grains to comminution under moderate impact and thus allowing stream transrtation of the fine particles. 

According to this explanation the float tin which has been found must be of comparatively 

cent derivation. Such seems certainly to be the case. No cassiterite is known at any 

eat distance from deposits in place, and that which has been found is usually rough and 

gular, often found adhering to pieces of the pegmatite rock, indicating that it has been 

nsported only a short distance, and that little decomposition has taken place. 

In spite of these conclusions, more systematic and extended search for stream tin is 

voyated. Prospecting by means of the pan is so easily and cheaply accomplished, and 

nning of tin from placer deposits is so much less expensive than from veins, that a moderexpenditure in search of such deposits seems to be worth the risk. 

<:m~·cLUSIONS. 

rom the foregoing remarks on the placers and the genesis of the ore, it is possible to 

w certain conclusions which may be of interest and value to those engaged in the exploiion of these deposits. It has been shown that the present surface is, relative to 'the rocks, 

below the surface existing when the pegmatite intrusions occurred and hence exposes 

tions of the ore bodies which were formed only at great depth. In other words, the 

osition of' the ore now found is in no way related to the present surface and probably -

s only remotely connected with the original surface. No solution of the tin from upper 

ts of the deposits and redeposition in lower parts-the phenomenon known as sec~ndary 

ichm~nt-has taken place. The igneous origin of the ore and the fact that the deposits 

known were themselves deep seated unite with the foregoing facts to establish the 

diction -that the deposits will probably maintain their present characters and richness 

ond the depth to which economic mining is now possible. 

MINING DEVELOPMENTS. 

LOCALITIES. 

condensed account of early development operations in the Carolina tin belt has been 

n in the section devoted to history (pp. 32-34). Time was not available for a careful 

mination throughout the tin belt and attention was directed chiefly to those places 

re a considerable amount of development work has been done. For the sake of comeness, however, a list of properties on which tin is known to have beenfound is given 

: A more extended account of some of these occurrences is given in Pratt and Ster-

's bulletin on the Carolina tin deposits. b Prospecting has been rewarded by the discovery 

assiterite float at the localities or on the properties of the persons named in the following 

aCf. p. 42. 

b Bull. North Carolina Geol. Survey No. 19, 1904, pp. 22-30. 
46 GOLD .AND TIN DEPOSITS OF SOUTHERN APPALACHIANS. 

list, beginning at the 'southwest: Capt. S. S. Ross, B. 0. Jenkins, R. Patterson, Eph. 

Jackson, John Kester, V. Hambright, George Patterson, Dr. J. G. Horde, J. M. Smith, W. 0. 

Ware, E. C. Faires, I. B. Falls, Mrs. Lizzie Falls, the streets and lots of Kings Mountain, 

Carpenter and Rudisill, J. J. Ormond, Arrowwood Brothers, R. A. White, M. V. Hovis, 

Ramseur Mill tract, John E. Jones, Mr. Weaver, Charles Byers, A. J. Rayfield, Sylvanus 

Beam, William Broom, William Carpenter, Sam Gardner, Katherine v ickers, Philip and 

Christy Jenkins, Norah Rayfield, John Carpenter, Eli Mosteller, Henry Carpenter, Monroe 

Reep, and Eph. Carpenter. A break in the gener.al continuity of known localities occur 

between the Ross property near Gaffney and the B. 0. Jenkins place, about 1~ miles north 

east of Grover, a distance of about 12 miles, although, as reported, a fragment of cassi 

erite has been found in pegmatite on the place of William Martin, about 3~ miles northwest o 

Blacksburg, near the State line. Another break about 3 mil~s long occurs just south o 

Little Catawba River in the northern part of Gaston County. Pegmatite is found all alon 

these intervals, however, and further search may reveal the presence of cassiterite. 

DESCRIPTION OF MINES AND PROSPECTS. 

Recent operations of any~hing more than a preliminary character have been carried on a 

only three places. These are the Jones, Faires, and Ross mines. Considerable prospectin 

in the way of trenches and pits has been done by Messrs. Carpenter and Rudisill in th 

northern part of the belt.a 

JONES MINE. 

The property kriown as the Jones mine, which was a part of the John E. Jones plant 

tion, is situated about 7 miles north-northeast of Kings Mountain a!ld about 3 miles nort 

west of Bessemer City, stations on the Southern Railway. The mine is owned and opm 

ated by the Carolina Tin Company, of Charlottesville, Va. Some work was done at thi 

place before the recent activity in tin mining, and several shallow workings have bee 

encountered, which probably date back to 1892 or 1893. In 1903 development was begu 

by the Carolinas Tin and Pevelopment Company, which held the property under optio 

Early in 1904 it was sold to the present owners, who have done the greater part of the wor 

About a carload of concentrates has been obtained from the ore thus far mined and mille 

and one small trial shipment has been made. 

The surface developments include a shaft house, boiler, and hoist. A mill for the extra 

tion of the cassiterite from the ore has aiso been erected. The workings consist of a vert 

cal shaft 175 feet deep, with levels at depths of 50, 100, and 150 feet, aggregating, perhap 

500 feet of underground development. The 50-foot level connects with the bottom of 

shaft a short distance to the east of the main shaft. A few hundred feet to the south a 

a shallow pit and short drift. 

The country rock of this mine is the typical amphibolite of the region and has a roliati 

which strikes about N. 30° E. and dips about 50° to 60° NW. Cutting this amphiboli is a dike of granite or aplite 2 or 3 feet wide and irregular, like the interfoliated bodies 

pegmatite. Two dikes of pegmatite are also intruded into the amphibolite. One, para 

to the foliation, lies near and southeast of the granite dike. The other, which has be 

traced on the surface for 1,000 feet: cuts across the structure of the country, striking 

78° W. and dipping very steeply to the south. It is not yet definitely known wheth 

these two dikes unite or whether one cuts the other, but there is reason to believe that th 

are of the same age and do unite. While the evidence is not wholly satisfactory, the cr 

dike of pegmatite appears to cut the granite dike. This aplite or granite produces me 

morphism at it~ contact like that described in detail on pages 24 and 25. The pegmat' 

also alters the adjoining amphibolite. Close to the aplite a narrow veinlet of quartz, whi 

carries a small amount of gold, impregnates the surrounding rocks with tourmaline, garn 

a The writer has recently been informed that active work, attended with gratifying results, is be· 

carried on in this northern part of the district; and that considerable development work is be· 

done by a new company just north of the village of Kings Mountain. 
DESCRIPTIONS OF TIN MINES. 47 

magnetite. There are present, then, 1n thiS rome representatives of the three stages 

the intrusion of granite. On this account, as well as for the reason that the workings 

ve reached below the zone of superficial alteration, the Jones mine is the most interesting 

instructive place in the entire belt for the study of the tin deposits. 

pegmatite of the Jones mine is the quartz-muscovite variety, in general coarse 

.-nu.ue«.I, but in certain places rather finely granular. The mica is usually a prominent conBoth dikes contain cassiterite. A shallow pit and short drift on the interfoliated 

incHned dike exposes a narrow shoot of ore pitching not very steeply to the northeast, 

that it passes below the drift. 

The principal workings are on the cross dike. The main shaft begins on the dike, but 

some depth the dike bends to the south and the dike passes into the foot . wall. It is 

· ted that the bottom of the shaft is at least 20 feet distant from the dike. 

Although varying in width from a few inches to 4 feet, and having a strike and dip which 

not exactly constant, this dike is regular as compared with the majority of pegmatite 

of the region. Fig. 5 gives an indication of the structure of this dike. Little naroffshoots are injected into the cou:Q.try ~ock parallel to its foliation. Slickensides are 

in plac~s along the walls. An ore shoot was encountered on the surface and was prosby means of a 40-foot shaft. The ore body was found to pitch to the west, so a 

4 5 

5.-Diagra=atic plan showing structure of cross dike of pegmatite, Jones mine, 50-foot level 

was run westward from the bottom of the shaft. The main shaft was then begun 

From a point about 50 feet below the surface and perhaps 50 feet east 

the main shaft a stope has been made slanting upward and eastward to the surface. 

horizontal extent of this stope along the strike of the level varies from 20 to over 50 

It is probably somewhat greater in this dimension than the ore body on which it 

driven. A sublevel at a depth of 60 feet and the main 100-foot level disclose the dike, 

the ore shoot still pitching westward. At the 100-foot level the dike is about 8 feet 

of the shaft. A drift westward from the shaft is 45 feet long and is in the ore shoot, 

~estern limit has probably not yet been reach£d. On this level the cassiterite is 

in smaller grains than usual, and more care is required in following the ore body 

where the large dark "crystals" show plainly by candlelight. At the 150-foot level 

crosscut to the south finds the dike muyh broken up. It appears here almost as if 

has been cut is not the cross dike, but the interfoliated dike, which has been opened 

surface to the south. There seem to ~e irregular, lens-like bodies of pegmatite in 

schist, and these carry some cassiterite. ! Some more crosscutting failed to find the 

dike as followed in the workings abqve, and, since very soft, caving ground was 

, work was suspended in the bottom. It has been learned since the writer's 

that on the 60-foot level, 50 feet west ~ the shaft, a northeast dike, doubtless corre-

. to the northeast dike known on the iurface, was struck. The same dike was cut 
48 GOLD AND TIN DEPOSITS OF SOUTHERN APPALACHIANS. 

again on the 100-foot level, 75 feet west of the shaft, indicating a dip- to the northwest, 

which also corresponds with the interfoliated dike. Here at the 100-foot level it would 

seem from the descriptions that the two dikes of pegmatite unite. · It is ·not known how 

much cassiterite was present in the pegmatite encountered in this last work. Operations 

at the mine were stopped in the summer of 1905. Water was first encountered at 45 feet 

and has necessitated vigorous pumping since the shaft reached the depth of 65 feet. 

The cassiterite occurs in the decomposed kaolin, mixed with mica near the surface, but 

at greater depth the ore becomes hard and fresh. Some of the fresh ore is comparatively 

rich, carrying, probably, over 10 per cent of metallic tin. The average of all the pegmatite 

broken in the mine is said to have been about 0.7 per cent metal. In joints in the fresh 

amphibolite little scales of yellowish sulphide with radial structure were found. It ha 

been suggest~d that this might be a tin-bearing sulphide, but it proved to be simply pyrite. 

It may be that there is some connection between the ore shoot and the intersection or june 

tion of the two pegmatite dikes. No relation was observed, except that the pitch of th 

two seems to be the same. . The junction of the two dikes is apparently west of the ore shoot 

A little placer tin has been obtained in and near the small stream just east of the min 

FAIRES MINE. 

The Faires mine is located on the property of Mr. E. C. Faires, about 1 mile southwest o 

Kings Mountain station. The Carolinas Tin and Development Company, of Gaffney, S.C. 

holds an option on it. Some work was done during the summer of 1904, but operatio 

were suspended in the autumn. Besides numerous pits, the workings consist of a shaft 4 

feet deep and about 200 feet of drifts and crosscuts at its bottom. Hoisting is done b 

means of a, windlass and bucket. 

The country rock here is a dark-colored schist, which is probably amphibolite, althoug 

decomposition has been so great· that a fina:l decision can not be reached. A few hundre 

feet east of the shaft is a prominent outcrop of quartzite. These rocks strike N. 20° to 30 

E., and dip steeply to the northwest. Interfoliated with or cutting at low angles across th 

schist are several dikes of pegmatite. One of the largest dikes seen in the region occu 

not far west of the shaft, where it outcrops conspicuously and can be traced for a considerabl 

distance. Its actual width is not shown, but may be 20 or 30 feet. The step-like outcro 

of this dike affords a good illustration of the irregularity of these deposits. Faulting · 

suggested, but the true explanation is probably found in the presence of several near-b 

overlapping or en echelon lenses. A short distance east of the shaft are the croppings of 

quartz-tourmaline vein. 

The pegmatite of the Faires mine is the quartz-mica variety, but in most places contai 

more feldspar than that of the Jones mine. The large dike above mentioned contains cor 

siderable spodumene and small green apatite crystals along with albite, quartz, and musc1 

vite. The smaller dikes contain no spoduniene so far as known, but rather more feldspa 

Muscovite mica is l1bundant in nearly all the dikes. A collsiderable quantity of float tin h 

been found upon the surface in the vicinity of one of the narrower dikes. A rather perfe 

double pyramid, weighing about three-fourths of a pound, was found in 1904, and a lum 

part of a single individual, without crystal faces, was later found near by. It weighs abm 

1~ pounds. · 

A pit where the float was most abundant exposed a dike of pegmatite about 3 feet wi 

This dike strikes about N. 30° E. and dips steeply northwestward, being consequently near 

or quite parallel to the foliation of the schist. The dike appears not to be continuous, but 

be made up of narrow sections which pitch steeply to the northeast, and are separated b 

thin mass of foreign matter, presumably decomposed schist. This division into strips m 

be due to the faulting which in the underground workings is seen to have taken place. 0 

of these sections exposed by the pit contains a promising proportion of cassiterite, es 

mated at 10 per cent. 

The shaft was started just east of the outcrops of this dike, At its bottom, 40 feet bel 

the surface, a crosscut about 40 feet north-northwest cuts what is probably the same di 
DESCRIPTIONS OF TIN MINES. 

Along this crosscut are seen several unimportant faults, probably of small throw. As the dike 

is approached the schist contains many narrow white streaks, a few millimeters wide, which 

prove to be decomposed dikelets·of pegmatite injected paraJlel to the foliation of the schist. 

At the crosscut the dike is about 3 feet wide, but broadens along the drift to the northeast, 

and soon reaches a width of 13 feet. This is known as the west dike. A crosscut 21 feet 

east from the bottom of the shaft discloses another dike of pegmatite, 3 feet wide, nearly 

vertical, and striking about N. 5° E. This is called the east dike. A drift which follows it 

northward for about 55 feet shows that it widens to about 12 feet. At the north end of the . 

drift the dike appears to be pinching out and pitching downward toward the north. At 

this poin a crosscut from the east to the west dike shows that they are 33 feet apart. A 

continuation of the northeast drift on the west dike discloses what appears to be the junction 

of the two dikes, but work was abandoned before this poiat was settled. 

All the pegmatite seen underground is much decomposed. The feldspar and mica 

apparently both alter to kaolin and silica, causing the dikes to be soft and easily worked. 

The east djke contai;ns several large masses of this mixture of kaolin and silica which represents feldspar . . Remains of the feldspar cleavage are preserved in many places and show 

that some of the individuals were large, reaching a breadth of•several c~ntimeters. These 

masses were probably segregations of feldspar. They are balanced by lense-like masses of 

quartz, many of which are more than a foot in length and some of which reach a foot in 

width. This was apparently a very coarse-grained portion of the dike. The west dike 

contains many small black particles readily mistaken for cassiterite, but they are soft and 

can be easily crushed to a dark-brown powder. They are undoubtedly the alteration · 

product of lithiophilite. Purpurite (see p. 38) is associated with the black ma,terial in 

some places. 

Cassiterite present in grains of small size sparingly scattered through portions of the 

we8t dike. Larger and more abundant particles of the mineral were found near the northeast end of the drift on the west dike. This richer portion appears to be a shoot pitching not 

very steeply to the northeast. It is probable that this is the continuation of the shoot 

xposed on the surface near the shaft. The percentage of cassiterite, even in the shoot, 

owever, was not considered sufficient to warrant further expenditure, so operations were 

uspended. Water was never encountered in this mine. 

To the south and southwest of the shaft several pits have .reached pegmatite dikes. 

orne of these contain Such a percentage of tin as to appear worthy of further development. 

ROSS MINE. 

'This mine, located on the property 0f Capt. S. S. Ross, is about 1~ miles northeast of 

affney, S. C. It is at present being worked ~y the owner. Fragments of cassiterite were 

iscovered in the soil early in 1902. Search showed a considerable quantity present on the 

lope toward a small stream which ~rosses the property. Considerable of the soil on this 

lope was sluiced and much of the cassiterite saved. As progre;s was made southward up 

he slope tin ore was found in place in compact reddish clay, which changed to white a 

hort distance below the surface. This clay proved to be the decomposed outcrop of a tinearing pegmatite dike and attention was then directed to the deposit. A trench !'>howed the 

ourse of the dike to beN. 48° E. and its dip 60° to 65° SE. An incline pitching at a low 

ngle was run southward for 135 feet. About 25 feet south of the projection of th,e bottom 

f this incline a vertical shaft was sunk on the hanging-wall side of the dike. This shaft 

uts the dike at about 100 feet below the surface. At a depth of 75 feet a crosscut west 

om the shaft reaches the dike in 30 feet, and drifts about 30 feet long have been run along 

e dike in each direction. Sinking of the shaft is now being continued. The surface 

evelopments include a shaft house, two large boilers, and a steam hoist recently installed. 

near-by stream has been dammed to furnish a sufficient quantity of water for washing and 

uicing the ore. 

Bull. 293-06-4 
50 GOLD AND TIN DEPOSITS OF SOUTHERN APP .ALACHI.ANS. 

The country rock of this mine is amphibolite. Decomposition has extended below the 

present workings, but the true character of the rock can readily be discerned .from the 

freshest rock in the bottom of the shaft. In the bed of the stream to the north also fairly 

fresh amphibolite is exposed. A number of interfoliated pegmatite dikes are seen at the 

creek. They are narrow, usually not over a foot in width, and suggest simultaneous injection along planes of greatest weakness. This pegmatite is of the quartz-niicrocline variety, 

with only scattered small masses of compact muscovite. Near the bottom of the shaft the 

pegmatite becomes granitic in appearance. 

So far as known the dike.<; contain no tin where exposed at the creek. ·It is not even certain that they are the continuation of the dike on which the workings are situated, but such 

is probably the case. The incline followed a southwestward-pitching ore shoot until the 

ground became so soft that the 'vorkings could not be maintained. Much of this ore was 

very rich, consisting of soft kaolin and a little qu z surrounding large and small masses of 

cassiterite. Groups of imperfect crystals and large iy;regubr masses, some of which weighed 

5feet 

Pegmatite 

-----~ 

• Amphibolite 

· as much as 100 pounds, were encountered. The drift from the 75-foot level 

of the shaft is on the extension of this 

ore shoot. Here the percentage of tin 

is probably less, but the distribution is 

more even, rich -pockets giving way to 

disseminated grains from the size of a 

walnut down. Near the end of the 

drift to the southwest the shoot passes 

below the floor of the level. The dike 

where cut by the shaf~ at about ]00 

feet, consists of a series of 1Lpparently 

disconnected lenses, many of them 

overlapping, which contain a little cassiterite in small grains. (See fig. 6.) 

It is the intention to sink the shaft 

somewhat farther and then to turn a 

level southward in the hope of picking 

up the continuation of the ore shoot 

encountered in the workings above. 

It is almost certain that the float 

tin found in the soil on the slope below the shaft was derived from the 

upper continuation of this ore shoot 

above the present surface. Its lo 

FIG. 6.-Diagram of pegmati~ dike of the interfoliated angle of pitch would on degradatio t ype, Ross mine, 75-foot level, showing extreme irregula rity of structurt . allow the liberated fragments of cassi 

terite to cover a considerable horizonta 

strip with but little lateral transportation. It is doubtful if the quantity of float tin foun 

will be very great. · In fact, it seems probable that the greater part has already been removed 

It is difficult to estimate the percentage of tin in the ore because of the variable conten 

of cassiterite in different parts of the-dike and the ore shoot. A 100-pound sample acros 

the dike at the ore shoot on the 75-foot level W!iLS washed and gave 9 pounds of cassiterite, m 

about 6.5 per cent metallic tin. This is probably somewhat better than the ore shoot wil 

average. Outside of the ore shoot the quantity of cassiterite in the dike is very small. 

Water has been a troublesome factor in the sinking of the shaft and pumping is con 

tinued day and night. 

One carload of nearly 20 tons of ctmcentrates was shipped to England from the Ros. 

mine in 1903. Another carload, bringing the total shipment to about 75,000 pounds, wa 

sent out in 1904. Several thousand pounds are now on hand ready for shipment. Th 

average content of these concentrates was about 66 per cent metallic tin. 
DESCRIPTIONS OF TIN MINES. 51 

OTHER PORTIONS OF THE BELT. 

Considerable prospecting was done in the northern part of the area by Messrs. Carpenter 

and Rudisill in 1904. This work consisted. in the e~cavation of trenches and shallow pits 

where the presence of float gave promise of tin in place. The results have been particularly successful, for in nearly every case they have located a dike carrying tin. On the 

place of William Carpenter, about 11 miles N. 20° E. of the town of Kings Mountain, the 

relation of the pegmatite to the gneissic granite is well shown. Her"e, particularly, spodumene is a prominent constituent of the dikes. A shallow pit on a dike just beyond the 

limit of the granite shows the pegmatite to contain more mica and cassiterite where it 

cuts the schist, probably amphibolite, than where it cuts the granite. A dike composed 

almost. wholly of quartz and feldspar cuts the granite at this place. Its interesting internal 

structure is shown in fig. 7. 

On property owned by Henry Carpenter, about 11 miles northeast of Long Shoals, a pit 

exposes an irregular dike of pegmatite about 6 feet wide, striking N. 25° E. The normal 

~ Quartz 

Scale of inches 0 6 12 IE3E3E?3 I 

IG. 7.-Sketch of pegmatite dike, showing internal structure. On property of William Carpenter, 

- Gaston County. 

artz-mica pegmatite with some feldspar occurs on both side; and in the cent~r is a band 

quartz-feldspar rock of coarse grain. It is probably an illustration of the aqueo-igneous 

veinlike character of pegmatite. The outer portions of this dike carry abundant cas-

'terite, probably 10 per cent or more. The specimen illustrated in Pl. III, A, p. 42, is 

om this locality. 

About a Inile farther northeast a number of pits have been put down on property belongg to Ephraim Carpenter. Together with natural exposures by streams, these workings 

ow the existence of what is probably a single continuous dike for nearly half a mile. The 

neral course of the dike is N. 20° E. and the dip is about 80° W . . The slight curvature 

the line of outcrop is probably no more than is accounted for by the inclination of the dike 

d the co;;_tour of the surface. The dike is 5 to 8 feet wide, and in all the pit~ shows an 

ount of tin which ought to make working profitable. Whether this is an indication that 

e whole dike carries considerable cassiterite or whether the pits, located where the float 

richest, struck an ore shoot in ea.ch case is impossible to decide without further developnt. The possibility that the dike coU:tains an ore shoot conforming with the surfae~ is so 
52 GOLD AND TIN· DEPOSITS OF SOUTHERN APPALACHIANS. 

slight as hardly to deserve mention. The exposure at one of the streams, which is of course 

a fairer test than the pits, seems to show the dikes with less cassiterite and hence to indicate 

the unequal distribution of tin in the dike. In any event, this is one of the most promising 

prospects in the whole belt. 

Numerous other less prominent prospects have been opened in the northern part of the 

tin region. The Piedmont Tin Mining Company, ·of Kings Mountain, N. C., has recently 

been incorporated to develop the promising properties in Lincoln County. 

PLACERS. 

AB may be inferred, the importance. of placer deposits in this region is very slight. Some 

little tin has been won from the soil immediately adjoining and surrounding the tin-bearing 

dikes at the Ross and the Jones mines, and a small quantity was obtained in the early days 

in the vicinity of Kings Mountain, but with these exceptions nothing of value has been 

foun~ and little may be expected from this source. 

METHODS OF MINING AND EXTRACTION. 

MINING. 

Where the rocks ·have withstood decomposition and are hard, the method of mining is 

similar to that employed in nearly all kinds of mining where the body to be extracted is 

. narrow, inclined, and more or less tabular. Drilling is, up to the present time, done by 

hand. Such stoping as has been done has been mostly overhand stoping. Of the several 

shafts in the district, one is a very flat incline and the others are vertical. Little timbering 

is needed below ·the zo.ne of surface decomposition. Near the surface the rocks are usually 

so decomposed that much timbering and constant attention are required to keep the ground 

in shape. Where water is plentiful, the walls run in like quicksand. Above the water level 

drifts can usually be run along the dikes by means of the pick, with only occasional blasting~ 

Since the present surface is in no way related to the origin of these deposits, a horizontal 

section of the dike is practically of as great instructive value as a vertical section. In other 

words, a surface trench 100 feet long reveals about as much as a shaft 100 feet deep. The 

trench has the advantages of being more expeditious and of much lower cost and of affording 

greater certainty in following the ore-bearing formation. In general, surface exploration 

in the way of pits and trenches should first be undertaken. If promising results are thus 

obtained-to be specific, if an ore shoot is thus exposed-a pit should be sunk upon it so 

that an idea of its extent, pitch, and richness may be obtained. Then, if the indications 

warrant, a shaft may be sunk to intercept the ore shoot at a desirable depth, it being born 

in mind, however, that the dike and the ore shoot are liable to change direction or-to pine: 

out before such a point is reached. In many respects an inclined shaft following the or 

shoot would be the most effective means of development; but the possibility of change i 

direction of the ore shoot-necessitating either that the shaft be crooked, which is undesira 

ble and uneconomical, or that the ore shoot be left, in which case an incline is less desirabl 

than a vertical shaft~is so great that the risk is probably not justified. 

By whatever method the mine is opened, the essential feature of development should b 

the following of the ore shoots. 

TESTS FOR CASSITERITE. 

Because of the dark color and metallic luster of the cassiterite from this region, numerou 

dark heavy minerals found along or near the tin belt have been mistaken for it. Of thes 

the iron ores ilmenite and magnetite are most common. It may therefore be of use to not 

here one or two simple tests for cassiterite. 

Magnetite can, of course, be identified by its attraction to a common magnet. Som 

ilmenite is also feebly magnetic and can be detected in the same way. If the material is no 

magnetic, the following test is in many cases of great service. The color of powdered ca 

siterite ranges from white to brown, but is never black. If a small piece of the mineral i· 
METHODS- OF TIN MINING •. 53 

questio~ is ground to a very fine powder between two clean pieces of steel (the face of a hammer and a shovel will serve), it may generally be safely rejected as not containing tin if the 

powder is black. If brown or still lighter i~ color,-recourse may be had to the blowpipe test, 

which is applied as follows: So much of the finely ground material as can be piled on a.n area 

one-fourth inch square is added to twice its bulk of powdered charcoal and to three times its 

bulk of pulverized sodium carbonate, or ordinary washing sod~t. These three substances are 

thoroughly mixed and then transferred to a little depression in a stick of charcoal, where they 

are moistened to a thick paste. The flame of an alcohol lamp is then directed upon them 

with a blowpipe, care being taken to envelop in the flame as much of the material as possible 

and at the same time to produce an intense heat. If the operation is properly carried out, 

t~ presence of tin will be indicated by the appearance of small globules, which seem darker 

or less highly heated than the surrounding material. By continued heating numbers of 

these particles can be made to coalesce into a bead of appreciable size. · The formation of 

such metallic beads or globules is not, however, a proof of tin, but may be due to the presence of any one of a group of metals of which tin is a member. On being removed from the 

flame the globules often become oxidized on the surface and covered with a white layer 

which masks their inetallic character; but if the melted mass is crushed after cooling the 

flattened pieces of metal may readUy be observed. If a white insoluble residue results when 

the metallic beads are treated with concentrated nitric acid, it may be considered that tin 'is 

present. 

EXTRACTION. 

The typical tin ore of this region-that is, the unaltered pegmatite containing tin-must 

be crushed to obtain the tin mineral. Ledoux tried stamping, and erected a 10-stamp mill 

for his operations. He was met by two difficulties, however. The large foils of mica, being 

tough and elastic, resisted comminution and gave trouble by clogging up the screens and the 

mortars, and the heavy impact of the stamps served to crush the brittle cassiterite. so fine 

that much of it could not be saved in the subsequent concentration operations. Since that 

time stamping has not been attempted. _ 

The equipment of the Jones mill is supposed tb be sufficient to-handle 100 tons of ordinary 

material per day. Besides boiler and engine, the machinery consists of a ja":' crusher, roHs, 

elevators, screens, a pair of mechanical two-compartment jigs, and a Bartlett table. The 

arrangement appears well adapted for economical handling. 

Coming from the mine the ore passes through the crusher and goes to a revolving screen, 

where it is divided into eighth-inch and half-inch sizes. The smaller size goes to the conceb.'-

trating table and the larger goes to the jigs, whil~ the oversize goes to the rolls and then again 

through the screen. Considerable tro]Jble h'as been experienced with the Ciushing machinery. The mica binds the rock together and makes it tough and springy, so that the crusher 

is continually being choked. When a stream of water is directed into the crusher the difficulty is slightly lessened, but clogging can be prevented only by frequent prodding with a 

bar. It is pi·obable that the harder ore iiow being reached in the lower part of the mine will 

· less annoyance. The rolls are also subject to the same difficulties, but by the use of an 

abundance of water they can be kept ahead of the crusher. It is thought by Mr. Seamon, 

president and general manager of the company, that sluicing bf the ore as it comes from the 

will remove a large amount of the mica and thus increase the capacity of the crushing 

mll•Chln€lry. This can be demonstrated only by experiment. It is believed that the best 

would be the substitution of a rotary crusher for the jaw crusher now being_ used. 

jigs make a very good product, although it is probable that an appreciable amount is 

by attrition, as the grains removed from the upper compartment are in all cases worn 

rounded. It may be found advantageous to take some steps to save the fine material 

carried away. Possibly a trap in the broad launder which carries off the tailings would 

accomplil;;h this end. 

To produce a clean conce:Qtrate it is necessary to run the material twice over the table. It · 

intended to reduce the size of the smaller scre~n and thus give the table a narrower range 
54 GOLD .AND TIN DEPOSITS OF SOUTHERN .APP .AL.ACHI.ANS. 

of sizes to handle. It is expected that in this way better results will be obtained and that the 

capacity of the table will be increased, while the jigs are relied on to handle with ease the 

increased amount of larger size. .As the plant is operated at present, it is doubtful if the 

finest tin is being saved. · If the tailings from the Bartlett table were carefully sized and the . 

fines run over a Frue vanner, it is probable that an additional amount could be obtained, but 

whether the saving thus effected would compensate for the extra cost is not known. 

At the Ross mine very little hard ore has been mined, most of the cassiterite thus far taken 

aut being contained in the soft, putty-like kaolin which constitutes a large part of the upper 

decomposed portion of the dike. Sluicing does not succeed in removing this sticky material 

from the ca.ssiterite. Some concentration in hand jigs has been done, but the process which 

seems most simple a.nd effective is washing through a coarse screen and sluicing the material 

which passes through. Constant turning, with the shovel, of the material on the screen 

serves to remove the kaolin from the cassiterite. By shoveling over and over the material in 

the first box or sluice a very good concentrate is produced. This process is the sam~ as that 

used for the concentration of monazite. Much of the float or placer tin has been r~covered 

in this way, because scarcity of water and the small extent of the deposits have made ground 

sluicing impracticable. 

PRODUCTION. 

The only production from the Carolina tin belt of which there is accumte record is that 

from the Ross mjne. This amounted to 38,471 pounds of cassiterite concentrates in 1903 

and 35,925 pounds in 1904, a tot~l of 74,396 pounds of concentrates. The actual total content of metallic tin is not known to the writer. The 1903 shipment is said to have run 

about 70 per cent tin and, according to assays by Ledoux & Co., the 1904 shipment averaged about 66 per cent. On t,he assumption that the entire output to date has averaged 

66 per cent tin, tht; total amount of metallic tin shipped from the Ross mine has been 

about '50,000 pounds, or 25 tons. A few thousand pounds of conce~trates are now ready 

for shipment at this mine and nearly a carload has been produced at the Jones mine. 

FroD;J. these two sources perhaps at most 20 _tons of metal may be obtained. Two carloads 

of ore sent to England by Ledoux in the early days of activity in tin mining are said to 

have averaged about 2 per cent metallic tin; the total amount could not have been over 1 

ton of_ metal. If•to this is added the amount of cassiterite that has been carried away as 

curios, specimens, and samples for assay, it is found that the total production of metallic 

tin from the Carolinas is probably not over 50 short tons. A considerable portion of this 

amount, probably over half, was derived from lodes, or at least from deposits in place. 

ECONOMIC IMPORTANCE OF THE TIN DEPOSITS. 

To the mining man and the investor the topic of moment is the prospective economic 

value of these deposits. Discussio~ as to geologic occurrence, origin, etc., may enable 

them to arrive at conclusions which can be reached in no other way, but what they most 

desire to know is, Will the deposit pay; and if so, how well ~ 

A number of important factors, of which several are more or less interdependent, enter 

into the consideration of this question. The price of tin, the richness of the ore, the size 

of the ore bodies and their relation to depth, and the cost of mining1 milling, and transportation-all these poin'ts demand consideration before final conclusions as to the com 

mercial value of these deposits can be reached. . -

In a report of this scope, covering a region where so little development has been accom 

plished and where the production has been so scanty, several of these points can not b 

discussed satisfactorily. Certain facts which have a bearing on the question have, how 

ever, been learned and may be presented._ 

VALUE OF THE ORE. 

Three ore bodies in the district have be~n prospected by underground workings. Result 

at the Faires mine were unsatisfactory. It is doubtful if the average content of the whol 

ore shoot at the Jones mine will reach 5 per cent of concentrates. At the Ross mine th 
iMPORTANCE OF TIN DEPOSITS. 55 

percentage of cassiterite in the ore shoot rriay have been somewhat greater, but at the present level of working it is probably under• 5 per cent. There is no reason to beli(lve that the 

average richness of the ore in the deposits, considered collectively, will change with depth. 

On the other hand, decided fluctuations may "take place in individual bodies. · 

The metallic content of the concentrates can only be inferred from one case. While 

small selected samples of cassiterite may reach 75 per cent metallic tin, the general run of 

the concentrates will fall considerably below that figure. Of the second shipment from 

the Ross mine, 1,860 pounds averaged 72.53 per cent tin, 29,376 pounds averaged 70.31 

per cent, and 4,689 potinds averaged 36.50 per cent-in other words, about seven-eighths 

averaged over 70 per cent and the remainder about 35 per cent, the average metallic content of the whole shipment being about 66 per cent, which is a very good grade for lode 

tin. It is known that considerable care was exercised in the preparation of these concentrates, so it may be that this figure is rather above the average for the region. The almost 

entire absence of other heavy minerals in the pegmatite and the purity of th(l cassiterite 

itself, however, make it fairly certain that careful concentration will give a clean product 

of good grade. If the figure for the Ross shipment is the average for the region, it means 

that every 3 pounds of concentrates contain 2 pounds of metallic tin. 

While subject to considerable_ fluctuations, the price of tin is slowly rising. The average price of metallic tin in the New York market during 1904 was practically 28 cents per 

pound. A ton of ore containing 1 per cent of concentrates, of which 66 per cent is tin, 

contains, therefore, about $3.70 worth of tin at the above price. A ma~imum of the average gross value of the ore from the shoots thus far developed in the Carolina belt is $18.50 

per ton. If abundant spodumene is ever found in close association with tin ore of good 

grade .it may add to the total value of the ore, provided it can be separated and saved. 

SIZE AND EXTENT OF THE DEPOSITS. 

The width of the or·e bodies is limited to that of the dikes in which they · occur and is 

in many cases narrower. The average width of those ore shoots which have been explored 

is probably not over 3 feet and more iikely even less. The-breadth of the shoots-that is, 

the dimension in the plane of the dike at a right angle to the pitch, or greatest dimension 

of the shoot-is less easily determined by a small amount of development. Twenty-five 

feet is probably a maximum for those already known. The pitch length-the greatest 

dimension of the shoots-is thus far unknown; but indications are that the concentration 

of· tin in certain parts of the dikes is controlled by factors which are variable and rather 

easily influenced by surrounding conditions, so that the ore bodies may be expected to be 

of irregular extent longitudinally. · 

The fact that the ore bodies represent magmatic segregations from an igneous rock 

argues, on the other hand, strongly in favor of the probability that there is just as much 

cassiljrite at a depth of 100 or 500 feet as at th'e present surface. It is not,_ however, certain, nor even likely, that the majority of ore bodies known at the surface will continue 

without interruption to great depth. Maintenance of a fixed output as depth is attained 

will therefore mean increasing cost of exploration, aside from the commonly increasing 

costs of hoisting, pumping, and other operations with d~pth. 

FUTURE PRODUCTION. 

An estimate of the total _amount of ore which a m~ning region will produce must be· 

based on long and 'careful study and is at best exceedingly uncertain. For a region where 

so little development has been effected as in the Carolina belt any prediction of this kind 

would be idle. ·Certain facts bearing on the probable output of the district may, however, 

be stated. 

The prospecting that has been done during the twenty-five years since the discovery of 

tin in this region should furnish some idea of the extent and number of the ore deposits. 

While it is highly probable that some additional deposits will be. found, there is no reason 
56 GOLD AND TIN DEPOSITS OF SOUTHERN APPALACHIANS. 

to expect ore bodies of much greater size or richness than those already known. If anything, the.probabilities are that the best ore has been already discovered. Furthermore, 

it is reasonable to suppose .that the ore shoots already explored are as good as, or-since 

mining usually. begins at the most promising points-better than those whose existence is 

known but which have not been developed. In short, it seems justifiable to assume that 

5 per cent of the total rock broken along an ore shoot is a generous figure for the average 

amount of cassiterite to be recovered. Finally, while the ore shoots will usually be found 

extensive in one dimension, in the other t~o they will probably be small, and the irregularity 

of their position and extent will make mining expensive and uncertain. 

Glowing predictions .that these deposits will soon supply the domestic demand for tin 

have of course been circulated, and while it is doubtful if they have made an impression on 

the minds ?f those acquainted with the region it is well to correct any false idea which such 

statements may give to others. A little consideration of the meaning of these statements 

will show "their extravagance. The consumption of metallic tin in the United States, 

which is annually increasing, was 43,120 short tons in 1904. This is equivalent to about 

65,000 tons of concentrates containing 66 per cent tin, or a productio of nearly 200 tons 

of concentrates per day. If the ore contains 5 per cent cassiterite, 4,000 tons of ore would 

have to be raised each day in the Carolina tin belt. When it is remembered that the total 

production from the region has been about 50 tons of metal the absurdity of such a 

proposition is apparent. 

COSTS OF PRODUCTION .a 

Cost of mining.-The cost of mining is intimately connected with the position, shape, and 

size of the ore shoots. As work continues in this region, it is believed that attention will 

be directed more and more to following .these shoots. Their small dimensions in two .directions, their usually inclined and ~ariable pitch, and their uncertainty of extent conspire 

to make their exploration costly. 

At the Faires mine the material of the dikes was so decomposed that most of it could be 

broken down with a pick, and blasting was only occasionally required. Drifting in ground 

of this description, with a short underground tram and a hoist of 40 feet by win.dlass, is said 

to have cost $1 to $1.50 per foot. Sinking would cost more. At the Jones mine, according 

to reports, work in the hard rock is easier and cheaper than in the decomposed material. 

At the Ross mine, also, where the rock for the first 80 feet is so decomposed that it is 

extremely soft, the increased ease of "breaking" it is much more than offset by the care 

and the timber required to hold the ground. Shaft sinking below the water level under 

these conditions is exceedingly slow. and expensive, work. A contract for sinking the twocompartment shaft 50 feet from the 80-foot level, through ground which is rapidly becoming hard, has recently been given fo.r $25 per foot, the company furnishing the machinery. 

Up to date the tin taken from the deposit in place has cost a little more than twice what it 

cost to extract the cassiterite from the surface gravels by placer methods. • 

If these deposits are to be extensively developed, the greater part of the mining will of 

course be in hard, undecomposed rock, such as is now being broken at the Jones mine. 

While the water problem may never be a very serious drawback to mining operations in the 

Carolina tin belt, the topography, geologic structure, and heavy rainfall of the region make 

it aimost certain that the expense of continuous pumping, steadily increasing with depth, 

must be added to other items to make the total cost of mining. 

Owing to the character and extent of the ore bodies, it is to be expected that the cost of 

exploration, development~ and mining will increase with depth at a higher rate than the 

simple increase in cost of hoisting, pumping, etc. 

Oak and pine wood for fuel cost $1.50 to $2 per cord delivered. Material for timbering 

is also cheap, and the price of lumber is reasonable. · Good negro labor can be had for 75 

cents to $i.25 per day. A team and wagon, with man, can be hired for $2 to $2.50 per day. 

Most other expenses are proportionately low, and the long open season is an advantage. 

a The writer is greatly indebted to Capt. S. S. Ross for most of the figures relating to costs. 
.CONCLUSIONS RESPECTING THE TIN INDUSTRY. 57 

Difficulty is experienced, however, in obtaining skilled miners, and inexperienced hands 

of' course make mining much more expensive. · 

Cost of extraction and smelting.-The cost of extraction of the cassiterite from the surrounding rock, as now practiced at the Jones mine, is probably high. It is to be expected 

that longer experience will result in a considerable reduction of this cost. 

At the present time there are no tin ~eduction works in operation in this country. A 

plant erecte9. at Bayonne, N.J., a few years ago was never put into active operation. All 

the tin produced has accordingly been shipped to England. The cost of smelting per ton 

of ~oncentrates is $24.75, or about $37 per ton of metal. This agrees closely with the 

statement that in 1895 the cost and profit of smelting all the tin ore produced in Great 

Britain was about $35 per ton of metal, or l i cents per pound.a The freedom of the Carolina concentrates from such objectionable impurities as sulphur, arsenic, and tungsten 

ought to reduce somewhat the charges for smelting. 

Transportation and miscellaneous costs.-The cost of transportation from the mines to 

New York is approximately $5 per ton of concentrates, or about 0.38 cent per pound of 

metal. The freight charges from New York to Haile, Cornwall, England, amount to $2 

per ton of concentrat!3s, or about 0.15 cent per pound of metal. To these figures must be · 

added a small amount per pound to cover handling of the ore, sampling and assaying, 

commissions, etc. 

CONCLUSIONS. 

The foregoing considerations indicate that the future of the tin industry in the Carolinas 

is not·yet assured. It is believed, however, that in the case of some of the deposits conservative, careful, and systematic mining will be attended with profit. There are a number of 

prospects of sufficient promi"se to warrant further development by cautious methods. 

The profits made at the Ross mine, which were probably large compared with the expenditure, are not to be taken as a criterion; for a large part of the product of that mine required 

only washing, and most of the remainder has been derived from soft ground which required 

no blasting nor crushing. 

SUMMARY. 

Tin occurs along a narrow belt extending northeastward from the center of Cherokee 

County, S.C., across Cleveland and Gaston counties to the center of Lincoln County, N.C. 

This belt represents the distribution of pegmatite dikes and in its position is dependent 

on the general geologic structure of the region. The pegmatite is closely related genetically 

to the granite and granitic gneiss which occur along this belt and which are sometimes cut 

by the dikes of pegmatite. Most of the pegmatite bodies are very irregular in extent. Tin 

is present as the mineral cassiterite, which occurs only as an original or primary constituent 

of the pegmatite. This mineral is not evenly distributed through the dikes, but is generally 

segregated or concentrated along certain lines. The ore bodies or shoots thus formed generally pitch at a considerable angle and are of small cross section, but extend indefinitely 

along the pitch.- They are probably irregular in extent, somewhat after the fashion of 

the dikes in which they occur. The percentage of cassiterite in the ore shoots may b~ 

high in places, but the average value will probably be under 5 per cent. This ore may be 

reduced to a concentrate of good quality. The cost of production of the metallic tin ought 

not to be excessive, but will certainly increase with depth. Placer deposits are unimportant. The necessity of shipping the concentrates to England for reduction is a serious 

handicap and may prohibit operations which would otherwise be successful. The production 

of the Carolina tin belt will probably always be very small as compared with the amount 

of tin consumed in the United States. 

While the outlook, from the commercial standpoint, is somewhat questionable, it is -

believed that profit may be realized fron:i a number of the deposits by careful methods of 

working. 

c Louis, H., Min. Ind., vol. 5, 1896, p. 573. 
58 GOJ,D AND TI~ DEPOSITS Ol!i SOUTHEJlN APPALACHIANS. 

GOLD. 

INTRODUCTION. 

HISTORY AND PRODU.CTION. 

When the early Spanish explorers came to America they were shown by the Indians 

rich nuggets and ornaments of gold which came from the Southern Appalachian region. 

Some of this gold is supposed to have come from the area with which this report deals.a 

The Spaniards mined for gold in Georgia in the seventeenth century. During the eighteenth century very little attention was given to mining anywhere in the Appalachians, 

althougli it is supposed by some that gold was found in tpis section (Brewer mine) before 

the Revolutionary war.b Just at the close of that century placer gold was discovered in 

Cabarrus County, N. C., and from that time forward prospecting was carried o~ with considerable vigor. About 1825 vein gold was discovered in Montgomery County, and soon 

afterwards in Mecklenburg Coun~y, N. C. 

The first recorded production from the particular area here described was $3,500 in 1829, 

and came from Lancaster and Chesterfield counties, S.C. In 1830 work was being done 

in many places and with profit. From that time until the civil war mining was an important 

industry of the region, and although the rich fields of California lured many from these 

deposits of lower grade; the indirect result of the California excitement was a stimulation 

of mining activity in the East. During the war, and fer several years after, little mining 

was done in this area, but in the seventies, eighties, and nineties the condition of the industry 

improved. At the present time gold mining in this central portion of the Carolinas· is not 

in a very flourishing state. On later pages the endeavor is mado to show the causes for 

the lack of general success in this region. 

Unfortunately·, no reliable statistics of production from this area are available. The 

best records to be obtained are those from the United States assay office at Charlotte, N.C., 

but these, given by States and counties, have been carefully kept for but comparatively 

few years and hence are of little value. To judge from all available data, it seems probable 

that the total gold production of this region has been in the neighborhood of $10,000,000. 

A considerable but unknown proportion of this amount has been derived from placer 

deposits, but much the larger part has been won by hard-rock mining. 

IMPORTANCE. 

This area constitutes the southern part of the Carolina belt, one of the three principal 

divisions established by Becker in his excellent description of the Southern Appalachian 

gold fields. c The mines of this area are among the most important gold producers in 

the Carolina belt and, in fact, east of the Black Hills. Such mines as the Haile, Brewer, 

Colossus (formerly Howie), and Kings Mountain have been work-ed for years and have furnished a la;ge part of the total output of the area. 

Placer mining, which could be carried on at little expense, has undoubtedly been exceed.;. 

ingly profitable in many instances and has probably only rarely been conducted at a loss. 

With lode mining, which is at present by far the more important industry, the case i 

different. Although numerous rich strikes, with large profits, have been made, lode minin 

in this region has been on the whole unsuccessful. More has probably been put into th 

mines, considered collectively, than has ever been taken out. In those mines which are th 

exception to this rule. profit has been realized in general only by constant and diligen 

care in the exploitation of the ore bodies and in the reduction of expenses.· 

aCf. Becker, G. F., Gold fields of the Southern Appalachians: Sixteenth Ann. Rept. U.S. Geol 

Survey, pt. 3, 1895, p. 255. b Geology of North Carolina, vol. 2, 1888, p. 234. c Sixteenth Ann. Rept. U. S. Geol. Survey, pt. 3, 1895, pp. 251-331. 
GOLD. 59 

GOLD DEPOSITS. 

One great 'cause of the "lack of success which has attended gold mining in this region lies 

in the fact that instead of one recognized and well-defined type of gold deposit, as is the 

case in most mining districts, there are various types exhibiting a very wide range in character; and individual mines present more and greater differences than similarities. Such 

conditions, whether they are appreciated or not, mean expensive mining. Advantage can 

not be taken of past experience to reduce the cost of exploitation. If methods which have 

proved successful in one mine are employed in another the -chance is that they will be 

unsuccessful because they are not adapted to the dissimilar conditions of the second mine. 

Accordibgly the owner is loath to apply to a new mine methods which have proved successful elsewhere, and is inclined instead to try new methods which may miss the mark as 

widely as those already in use. . 

Because of this absence of a single type of deposit the study of this gold region has been 

not wholly satisfactory. In most mining districts the geologist sees more and more clearly 

into the character of the deposits as a whole as his work progresses, nearly every mine 

adding evidence to aid in the explanation of the type of deposit .. In this region, however, 

the student of the ore deposits is confronted on all sides by new and perplexing features, 

which, instead of uniting to explain the main problem of the region, result simply in a mass 

of uncorrelated and distracting facts .. Especial and unusual attention has therefore been 

given to the mine descriptions, since nearly every mine possesses distinctive features and 

has an importance of its own. 

OCCURRENCE AND STRUCTURE. 

In spite of the apparently general dissimilarity in character of the Carolina gold deposits, 

there exist among them all certain close relations which indicate that the differences are the 

result of extraneous conditions-such as the structure and character of the surrounding 

rock-and that all the deposits have the same origin. 

On the basis of the outward and readily perceived characters these deposits m~y be 

divided into two broad types-fissure veins and replacement deposits. These two are 

joined together by deposits which partake in part of the nature of each. Placer deposits 

will be considered later. 

FISSURE VEINS. 

The fissure veins which are essentially quartz veins with more or less pyrite are exceedingly 

abundant. They are present in nearly all parts of the area, conspicuously appearing 

because of their resistance to decomposition, where~er the soil is exposed. Many of the 

larger veins outcrop strongly. The veins occur principally in dense metamorphic rocks 

and seem to be most common in amphibolite or in the gabbro, closely related to it. They 

ha~e been formed by the filling of fracture spaces and probably have in many cases pushed 

their walls apart both by the pressure from below, transmitted by the solutions and by the 

force of crystallization. In size they range from the merest stringe~s, a small fraction of an 

inch in width, to large, solid veins 20 feet or more wide. Most of the veins dip at steep 

angles. In the majority of case~ they conform somewhat closely in strike and dip with the 

foliation of the inciosing metamorphic rocks, but here and there they cut across the schistosity of the country rock. The interfoliated veins are in general exceedingly irregular. 

They swell and pinch, turn and jog, split and unite in a most aggravating manner. It has 

repeatedly happened that a vein of good size and apparent persistency was found suddenly 

to break up into a mass of small stringers which could not be profitably worked. · Conversely 

it is probable that sinking on groups of these narrow veinlets, which are too poor or too 

small or too scattered to be profitable, would show that in many instances they unite to 

form a single large vein or lens which may hold pay ore. (See fig. 13, p. IOL) Cross 

veins are much less numerous, but from what can .be learned they are decidedly more regular and persistent than the conformable veins. 
60 GOLD AND TIN DEPOSITS OF SOUTHERN APPALACHIANS. 

It will at once be noticed that there is a striking similarity in structure between these 

quartz veins and the pegmatite dikes of the tin belt. (Comp!1re figs. 6, p. 50, and 14, 

p. 102.) It .is believed that this similarity is due to the fact that, although the materials 

are different, the receptacle is the same. In other words, the form and position of both the 

quartz veins and the pegmatite dikes are almost wholly dependent' on the structure of the 

surrounding rocks. The explanation of the structure of the quartz veins is therefore the 

same as that for the pegmatite, which has already been given at some length (pp. 35-37) 

and need only IJp, summarized here. It is believed that the veins occur along planes which 

represented places of weakness in the rocks. The interfoliated veins, or those conformable 

with the sorrounding rocks, are irregular because these places of weakness, the planes of 

schistosity, were uneven, discontinuous, and irregular. The material from which the veins 

were deposited, because of 'its probably greater fluidity than that from which the dikes 

solidified, sought out even more irregularities, and consequently the veins are less regular 

than the dikes. In short, it is believed that the bodies of quartz which now exist did 

not solidify in open spaces of corresponding dimensions which were ready to receive the 

solutions; but that the solutions, pushing their way along what may in many cases have 

been the merest fractures, actually forced the walls apart and made the receptacles in 

which their load was deposited. The force of crystallization a may have aided somewhat 

in this expanding of the openings, but it is believed that the principal factor was the pressure 

under which the sQlutions reached this zone of deposition. This pressure, which must 

have exceeded that resulting from the weight of the overlying rocks, was transmitted 

from a greater depth, where the weight of the overlying rocks was greater than above. 

An idea of the structure of these interfoliated veins is given by figs. 12, p. 100, and 14, p. 

102._ The cross veins, though deposited at the same time as the others, are mor-e regular 

than the conformable veins, since they occupy later fissures which are definite cracks 

breaking across the schistosity. 

Faulting has not been important. Slight faults with throws of a few inches are sometimes 

seen. in those portions of interfoliated veins which consist of many irregular stringers, but 

. it is not certain in all these cases that the faulting has been later than the formation of the 

vien, for it is possible that the vein materials simply filled.fissures which in. places were 

faulted. In a few cases more important faults are known, but in general there is very little 

evidence of movement since the period of vein deposition. 

As regards internal structure of the veins, it may be said that the quartz is usually dense 

and massive, but in a few places possesses a granular texture which has led to the miners' 

term "sugary quartz." In general, the ore minerals occurring in the quartz gangue are 

irregularly disposed, although in certain deposits there is a more or: less decided tendency 

toward accumulation or concentration at or close to the walls. In a single vein only, the 

Little Wilson, has any indication of banding in the interior of the vein been seen, and even 

in this case the narrow streaks of pyrite parallel to the vein walls give little support to the 

idea of vein bandiri'g in the sense of successive deposition or crustification. Druses and comb 

structure of original formation have not been observed in a single instance in the mines of 

this region. • 

REPLACEMENT DEPOSITS. 

Large bodies of ore wholly different in outward aspect from the quartz veins occur in 

several places in the eastern part of the area. While the fissure veins are more numerous 

this type of deposit has been more productive. These deposits occur, with only one or tw 

exceptions, in volcanic rocks of the quartz-monzonite-porphyry group and are most com 

mon in the fragmental varieties or tuffs. The porous nature and easy alterability of thes 

volcanic rocks, particularly the tuffs, have allowed widespread penetration and replacemen 

by ore-bearing solutions. While. minute quartz veinlets .~:tre locally present, the great mas 

of the ore bodies has been formed by replacement of the countr!Y rock, chiefly by silica an 

pyrite; and it seems probable that many of the vein lets themselves are simply cases o 

extreme replacement and not deposits by filling. 

a Dunn, E. J ., Reports on the Bendigo Gold Fields, Victoria Department of Mines, 1896, p. 25. 
GOLD DEPOSITS • 61 

• 

These ore bodies are of generous proportions, ranging from 40 or 50 to hundreds of feet in 

length and from 20 to several hundred feet in width. Owing to insufficient .development 

up to the present time their depth has not yet been definitely ascertained. Some of the ore 

bodies persist belo'Y present workings, which are several hundred feet deep, while others 

appear to give out at a depth of 100 feet or more. These ore bodies are not tabular and of 

irregular extent, as might be expected from the form of the rock masses in which replacement has occurred; they are instead large, rudely lenticular or elliptical bodies, whose ionger 

dimensions correspond with the structure of the replaced rock. The reason for this peculiarity of form is not clear. The most plausible explanation seems to be that the deposition of 

ore was greatly influenced by the presence of cross fis~res which contained either ore 

solutions themselves or different solutions which, mingling with the ore-bearing solutions near 

the intersection of the two channels, caused a precipitation of the ore.· . Cross fissures which 

may have accomplished such a result are known in some places-for instance, at the Haile 

and Colossus mines. At the Hail~ they are commonly supposed to have had an effect on 

the deposition of the ore, but in reality it seems probable that these particular fractures are 

later than the or~. The question of the form and extent of these ore bodies is therefore not 

wholly settled. i 

DEPOSITS OF INTERMEDIATE CHARACTER. 

As has already been stated, all the gold deposits give evidence of a common origin. It 

would therefore be surprising tq find among these depqsits a sharp division into the two 

classes just described. As a matter of fact, the division is not sharp. The two types are 

in reality the end members of a series in which nearly all intermediate gradations are to 

be found. Few, if indeed any, of the quartz fissure veins fail to show some replacement 

of their wall rocks; and at the other extreme are the narrow quartz veinlets which represent the easiest channels for the passage of solutions and which gradually fade into the 

large siliceous replacement bodies. It is as unwise as it would be difficult to divide this 

series into a large number of types dependent on the amount of replacement along the 

veins. A few deposits, however, which seem to stand at about the middle of the series, 

are worthy of brief comment. The ore body of the Ferguson mine, in northwestern York 

Comity, is a good representative of this class. At that mine an interfoliated quartz vein 

penetrates a schistose volcanic tuff. Probably by the metamorphism and induration . 

which accompanied foliation, this rock was rendered more resistant to attack by ore-bearing solutions than in m.ost localities, but some alteration along the walls of the vein has 

taken place and has resulted in the production of a considerable zone of low-grade ore on 

each side of the richer quartz vein. The Blackmon, Kings Mountain, . and Thompson 

deposits also appear to resemble in some respects both ex~reme types. 

MINERALOGICAL CHARACTER. 

The mineralogy of these gold ores is, on the whole, comparatively simple, but in some 

nstances minerals rare in this association are present in considerable number: • Owing to 

he different conditions under which they were deposited in the fissure veins and in the 

eplacement bodies, the ores from these two sources exhibit certain mineralogical differnces. But since the veins in nearly all cases exhibit some metamorphic influence on the 

djoining rock, and since the two types of deposits are in a broad way closely related, it 

ould be unwise to attempt to make a fine distinction between the vein minerals and the 

eplacement minerals. 

LIST OF MINER·ALS. 

A list of the minerals known in this area which constitute or accompany the gold deposits 

s here given, together with the name of the mine where they are found and a statement as 

o whether they are original constituents of the fissure filling or products of replacement 

the surrounding rocks. N anies printed in italic indicate decomposition products. 

hose original components of the wall rocks which seem to. have been unaffected by ~he 

re-hearing solutions, such as feldspar, amphibole, etc., are not included here. 
62 GOLD AND TIN DEPOSITS OF SOUTHERN APPALACHIANS • 

• 

List of minerals constituting or accompanying the gold deposits. a 

Name. Locality. Occurrence. 

GANGUE MlliERALS. 

Quartz ........... .... .. .. ... All the mines. _______________ ... Fissure filling and replacement. 

Calcite ... __ ............ ______ Kings Mountain. ___________ ___ . Replacement. 

Schlegelmilch. __ . .. _._ ...... ___ . Do. 

Sericite __ .. _ .. -__ .-._ .. __ ... ___ IIaile ___ _. __ .. ___________ . _ _ _ _ _ _ _ Do. 

Colossus ___ .... _ .. _ . __ ..... .. _ . _ Do . 

. Brewer ___ .... __ .. __ . _ .. . .. _ .. _ _ Do. 

Blackmon. __ .. __ ----------- --- - Do. 

Brown._-----·--------·-·--··-·- Do. 

Schlegelmilch._ .. _. ___ ._________ Do. 

Ferguson ____ ... .. . __ ... __ . __ . _ .

1 

Fissure filling ( ?) and replacement. 

Kings Mountain. ____ .. _________ Replacement. 

Biotite. ___ ..... _. __ ·----- __ _ Colossus ___ . _ .. _ .. _ . __ . ___ ~ _ . __ . Do. 

!::~~~~-------~~::::: :::: ::::::::: ! ~~: . Schlegelmilch ... __ . .... _____ . __ . ! Do. 

Chlorite .. _._· -- --·--· ... ___ . Haile. ______ -------------------· Do. 

Schlegelmilch. __________ . __ . __ .. : Do. 

Apatite ... . . _ ...... : ... .. _ ... IIaile. ____________ _-_______ . __ __ _ Do. 

Ferguson. ____ . __ .. __ . __ . __ . __ .. : Do. 

Rutile. __ ....... __ __ _ ... ..... Haile. ___ . . _--- ---·-- ··-· -·· --·-: Do. 

Fluorite .. __ ............... __ Kings Mountain. ___ . _____ .. __ ._ ! Replacement(?). 

Schlegelmilch ... __ .... _ . _ .. __ ... ! Fissure filling. 

Epidote ... ______ ._ .. __ ..... _ Kings Mountain. _____ ... ___ .. _.: Probably secondary. 

Schlegelmilch ...... _ ... _ .... __ ._ i Replacement ( ?) .. 

Graphite._ .. _____ ... ___ .. _ .. Kings Mountain. ___ ._. ___ ._ .... ! (b) 

·Garnet ( ?) ___ . __ . •. ___ ... __ . Jones tin mine a .•.. __ . _. __ . _ ... ! Replacement. 

'l'ournialine ( ?) _ .. _ .. __ . _ . _ ... _ . _ . do. ____ . ___ ..... __ . _ ...... _ . j Do. 

. Faires tin mine b • .. _ . __ .. _ ...... : Fissure filling and replacement. 

Pyrophyllite. _ . __ . ___ . __ . _ _ _ Brewer. ___ . ~ ____ . __ . __ . _._. __ ._· I Secondary (?). 

. ORE MINERALS. . . I . . Gol~-- _ .... __ . _ ..... __ . __ . __ . All them. 1nes ... ___________ __ --- ~ Fissure fillmg and replacement. 

Pynte. _ .... ___ ... ___ . ___ .... ____ .do ... ___ ._. __ . __ . __ . __ _ .. ___ Do. · 

Galena ......... __ . _ .. __ .... _ Kings Mountain .. ____ ....... _ .. i Fissure filling. 

Sphalerite. ___ .. __ .. ____ ... __ .-- .. do.-------------------------~ Do. 

Pyrrhotite ... __________ .. __ . _._ .. do._ .. ___ .. _·_. ____ .. __ . __ . __ Fissure filling and replacement. 

• Asbury_. ____ ·------------------- Do. 

Colossus ____ . _. _ . __ . __ . __ . _ .. _. . Replacement. 

Haile. __ . __ ------------------·-· Do. 

Jones tin mine c. _ ... _ . _ .. ___ .. _ Do. 

Chalcopyrite ..... __ ........ _ Kings Mountain __ ..... ___ . __ .. _ Fissure filling and replacement. 

Ferguson_ . __ . __ .. _ . __ . _ .. __ . __ . Do. 

Mary ... ___ .. ___ .. _ . ___ __ . __ .. _ . . Do. 

Big Wilson. __ ·--------------·-- Do. 

Colossus. ____ .. __ . __ . __ . __ . __ . _ _ Replacement. 

Jones tin mined ____________ . __ . Do. 

Covellite. ____ ... _ .. _ .. _ .. _. __ Brewer. ______ ._ .. _____ .. __ __ .... Secondary. 

Chalcanthite __ ... __ .... _ ..... _ . ___ do_ .... ___ ... __ . ____ . __ . __ . _ Do .. 

Kings Mountain. __ ------------- Do. 

Enargite __ . __ .. _ ... _____ . __ . Brewer. ____ .. __ .. __ . __ .. _ ..... _ Replacement. 

a This list is based very largdy on a similar list iri Doctor Becker's report. b Probably an original constituent of the wall rock. 

cVein is auriferous, but of very low grade. d Vein said to be auriferous. 
GOLD DEPOSITf::l. 63 

List of minerals constituting or accompanying the gold deposits-Continued . 

. Name. Locality. Occurrence. 

ORE MINERALS- continued. 

Arsenopyrite .... . .......... . Kings Mountain . . _ .. . . __ . . ..... I Fissure filling. 

Asbury. ________ _______________ _ ; Do. 

Leucopyri te . . ..... __ .... , __ . __ . __ do ..... _____ ________________ ! Do. 

Tetrahedr1f-e_. __ . _ _ __ __ __ __ __ Kings Mountain . _____ . ________ _ J ( ?) . 

Bismuth __ . ________________ . Brewer. ________________________ ' ( ?) 

Bismutite.................. . Asbury ~ . . .. ____________________ : Fissure filling. 

Bismite .... .. ...... ________ . . Kings Mo nt in .. ______________ i Seconda ry. 

Asbury ........ _ ... . _ ... _____ . _ -I Do. 

Brewer ..... _. ______ __ __ __ __ . __ .j Do. 

Tetradymi~~----_-_ -_ ~: ::::: ::: ~;~;:~~~~-t~i~.---::::: : : : ::~ : :i Fi s~~~ filling . 

. . .. . . . .. . . . . _·_ ....... . . do .. . . : ... .. .... .. . __ .... . .. \ Do. 

Ml1•lvt)cl~n te ........ . . . ______ Haile._ .... _- ---- - ___ ·---- ---- __ I Replacement. 

Ferguson ...... . __ _____ . __ ._____ Fissure filling and replacement (?). 

Other qua rtz veins a __ __ _ . ____ .. _ Do. 

Brown ( ?) ____________ .- __ __ __ __ _ Replacement. 

Schlegelmilch(?)........ . ...... Do, 

Quartz veins a_ .... . . _ ... ___ : . . _ Fissure filling. 

Jones tin mine b • •••• • • • ••• _. _ • • Replacement. 

Brewer ......... _. . . . . . . . . ... . .. Do. 

a Deposit not known to be auriferous. b Vein is auriferous, but of very low grade. 

DESCRIPTION OF THE GANGUE MINERALS. 

Quartz is of course the predominant gangue mineral. In the veins it is generally milky 

'te, but in some cases is so clear that in large masses it appears dark. It is crowded 

fluid inclusions, some of which. also contain gas and a solid. The mineral shows 

fibrous structure nor crystalline faces. It occurs in irregular interlocking grains, 

a texture similar to that of granite. For this reason the quartz of many of the 

ns appears granular or "sugary," as if crushed. All the evidence points toward deep 

ted deposition of the quartz. 

a replacement mineral the quartz exhibits much ~he same characteristics as in the 

It is more apt to be bluish and appears to hold fewer fluid inclusions. The grains 

usually polygonal, presenting a mosaic appearance.[ In the wall rocks of veins . the 

appears most commonly as very small lenses, while in the large replacement bodies 

composes the greater part of the altered rock. I 

Sericite is probably next in importance. At the Hai[e, Colossus, and Ferguson mines 

occurs as minute needles and scales, especially along certain planes. It is probably 

from the original feldspar of the rock, and where $ilicification is extreme is replaced 

quartz. At the Brown and Schlegelmilch mines it ~ scattered through the wall rock. 

t;he Brewer mine it appears to be forming from the nknown mineral already referred 

(p. 22). Sericite forms the great mass of the ore body at the Blackmon mine. 

Biotite is nearly as abundant as sericite. It is absent at the Haile and Brewer mines, but 

the Colossus and Ferguson mines is sparingly present i* minute scales of irregular shape. 

1-he other mines where it has been found it occurs as irl egular flakes and clusters derived 

the uralite of the amphibolite. In all cases the biotrte possesses the clear brown color 

1

arlli.Ct,erJtstJ.IC of contact-metamorphic biotite. Minute shreds of a mineral corresponding 

clinochlore are plentiful in specimens from the Haile ofe pody. The.mineral appears to 

been the result of vein action, but may possibly hav resulted from the decomposition 
/ 

64 GOLD AND TIN DEPOSITS OF SOUTHERN APP .ALACHI.ANS. 

of biotite. Tiny fragments, a few of which show prismatic outline, are found in the replacement bodies at the Haile and Ferguson mines. This material is probably apatite and 

affords an interesting connection with the Dahlonega mines, where it occurs in the same 

habit in the midst of• the veins. Rutile is found in minute yellow prisms in ore from the 

Haile mine. Fluorite in narrow veinlets cuts the quartz at the Schlegelmilch mine and 

appears to be of later formation than the gold vein. Its mode of occurrence at the Kings 

Mountain mine is not known to the writer. The association of fluorite with gold-particularly with tellurides such as occur at the Kings Mountain mine-is now well established 

by the deposits at Cripple Creek, Colo. 

The concentrates from the Blackmon mine contain a 11 black sand" which proves to be a 

dark garnet. Whether it has any close relation to the gold is. not known. Garnet has also 

been found at the Jones tin mine, where it occurs with biotite, tourmaline, and magnetite 

in amphibolite close to the quartz vein which carries a small amount of gold. The resemblance in this case to the occurrence of garnet at the Lockhart mine in Dahlonega is marked. 

It is reported that the tourmaline-bearing quartz veins at the Faires tin mine carry gold. 

DESCRIPTION OF THE ORE MINERALS. 

Gold occurs in all the deposits, both free in the quartz and inclosed in pyrite. At the 

Haile mine it also occurs closely associated with molybdenite in heavily pyritized bands, 

and at the Haile and Colossus mines as thin flakes on joint planes, probably from secondary 

deposition. Crystalline faces have not been seen. Grains of large size are not now abundant, but the size of nuggets which have been found in the placers indicates that they have 

been present in portions of the deposits now eroded away. 

Pyrite is the most abundant of the ore minerals. It occurs .as large and small masses, 

both well crystallized and of irregular form. It is about equally important in the quartz 

veins and in the altered wall rock; in some places it constitutes a considerable proportion 

of each. When crystallized it occurs most commonly as cubes; pyritohedrons are frequently seen, and in many cases minute. octahedrons are abundant. I:imonite is a common 

decomposition product of the pyrite, and a yellowish-green powder which results in some 

cases may be ferric sulphate. In a few places the pyrite on decomposition leaves cavitie 

partly filled with crystalline native sulphur.a Mr. Buddell, foreman of the Brown mine 

informed the writer that he has broken open large solid ma~ses of unstained quartz an 

found cubical cavities containing nothing but sulphur. These always came from abov 

the water level. Below the water level many of the cavities contained ·a yellow liqui 

(ferric salt ~) and a small amount of bright pyrite in fine grains, but no sulphur. The con 

ditions under which these processes of oxidation took place were apparently unusual. A 

the Colossus mine much of the pyrite is decomposed below water level, presumably b 

ferric solutions or by sulphuric acid, and not by direct oxidation. 

Pyrrhotite is not plentiful. 1t occurs both in the vein filling ~,tnd in the replacemen 

]Jodies, much of it intergrown with pyrite and chalcopyrite. Chalcopyrite is likewi 

rather uncommon, and occurs in the veins and in the wall rocks. At the Mary mine it i 

fully as abundant as pyrite. Covellite and chalcanthite are decomposition products o 

the chalcopyrite, and at the Mary mine red coatings, which are probably cuprite, resul 

where the sulphide is partially decomposed. Enargite, present in small crystals in th 

ore of the Brewer mine, also decomposes to chalcanthite. 

Galena, sphalerite, and arsenopyrite are not unusual associates of gold. The arseni 

antimony, bismuth, and tellurium compounds found with gold at the Asbury and Kin 

Mountain mines, howe~er, are interesting and uncommon in such relations. MoJybdeni 

in close association with gold is now commonly recognized. Ilmenite occurs in tiny striate 

laths in the vein quartz of the Ferguson mine. Large flattened crystals of this mineral a1 

rather common in quartz veins, not known to contain gold, in the vicinity of Home, Cher 

kee County, S.C. Irregular grains of ilmenite found in the wall rock of the Brown an 

a Cobb, Collier, Sulphur from pyrite in nature's laboratory: Jour. Elisha Mitchell Sci. Soc., vol.ll, p 1, pp. 30-31. Tuomey, M., Geology of South Carolina, 1848, pp. 89, 93. Lieber, op. cit., vol. 1, p. 62. 
I 

GOLD DEPOSIT,. 6 5 

Schlegelmilch mines may in part be due to introductioF by the vein solutions. Hematite 

occurs plentifully in bands in quartz veins, which have not been shown to.contain gold. It 

is possible, however, that they are related to the gold feins. Magnetite oceurs in the wall 

rock of a quartz vein at the Jones tin mine and has unHoubtedly been formed by the vein 

solutions. This is another link between the Jones veiJ and the Dahlonega veins, in which 

magnetite crystallizes with the quartz. The occurren 1

e of cassiterite at the Brewer mine 

is noted on pa.ge 91. 

CONCLUSIONS. 

The character and association of many of these 9inerals are unusual and nearly all 

indicate that the deposits are of deep-seated origin, having been formed under great pressure and at high temperature. · 

DISTRIBUTION OF THE 

GENERAL FEATURES. 

The subject of the distribution of the gold in the vei s and in the replacement bodies is 

of the greatest practical importance. It is regretted ~hat information on this point is so 

meager. In many cases development has not been ufficient to furnish good evidence, 

and on the other hand deduction from the form, size, 1 and position of stopes is not satisfact~ry, for they indieate the distribution of only suet ore as could be profitably mined 

under conditions existing at the time they were made. 

It may be said, however, that the distributiJn of gol in the deposits is in general irregular. Some veins or ore bodies seem to be of fairly cons ant grade, but pockets, pay shoots, 

and relatively rich lenses within the main depo~its are the general rule. 

In the veins ore shoots, usually of rather small cross +ction and of steep pitch, afford the 

most profitable places for exploration. Where the veins are richest the surrounding altered 

rock likewise genernJly contains most gold, but ever.,khere less than the vein, so far as 

known. Rich ore is usually accompanied by muc pyrite, but there are nu{Ilerous 

exceptions to this rule. 

In the replacement deposits the bodies. of pay lore are ~arge lenticular or ellipsoidal masses, 

with gradually decreasing values toward the exterior. jin a few instances the change from 

profitable to barren ground is so abrupt that the deposit may be said to have a wall. Within 

these large bodies the value is not uniform. )l'he be t ore generally occurs where most 

silicification has taken place, and this also in many ctses corresponds with the degree of 

pyritization. At the Haile mine comparatively rich ore is generally found in those places, 

among others,. where molybdenite occurs with abundan~ pyrite. 

The cause of this concentration of gold in cer~ain plac:fs or along certain lines has not yet 

been ascertained. In some cases it is believed that th9 presence of cross fissures has been 

influential, but definite proof can not be brought forwa~d. In the case of the replacement 

deposits at the Haile ·and Colossus mines it has \generaqy been considered that the diabase 

dikes -Nhich cross the ora bodies have been the controlling factors in ore deposition. This 

subject is further considered under "Genesis of the de~osits" (p. 68), but it may here be 

stated that careful examination has failed to reveal afy genetic connection between the 

diabase and the gold. Moreover, the fissures through rvhich the diabase dikes were later · 

"ntruded seem probably to have had no connection with the original deposition of the gold. 

SECONDARY ENRICHMENT. 

All student~? of ore deposits recognize that several of lhe metals are dissolved by s1.uface 

aters and are reprecipitated in the upper portions of thf deposits by the process commonly 

nown as secondary enrichment.· It is the general opinion, however, that in the case of gold 

he solubility of the metal is so slight that this process isl of little consequence in enrichment 

Tom the commercial standpoint. The importance of secondary enrichment in certain gold 

Bull. 293-06-5 
66 GOLD ·AND TIN DEPOSITS OF SOUTHERN APPALA.CHIANS. 

deposits has recently been advocated . by Weed, a and the consideration of the subject .in 

this 'place seems to be justified. In the particular case of the Haile mine, moreover, certain facts appear to point rather strongly to such a possibility; and in anticipation of the 

detailed description of the mine these facts will be presented, so far as they bear on this subject. In view of the erosion which has certainly gone on since the formation of the diabase 

dikes it is unreasonable to suppose that any secondary enrichment of present importance 

took place before that event. Moreover, the facts that the diabase is known to be later 

than the deposition of the original ore, and that most of it is in a fresh condition, make it 

appear probable at first thought that secondary enrichment has not taken place to any 

important extent since the intrusion of the dikes. It is true, however, that the diabase is 

decidedly altered in its upper part, and that it has doubtless been protected from rapid 

decomposition at greater depth by the layer of clay-like, ·fairly impervious material produced by decomposition on the top. It is certain that, owing probably to the presence of 

many joints, which are absent in the diabase, decomposition and oxidation have gone on 

to a greater depth in the body of the siliceous ore than in the diabase. The absence of these 

joints may also account for the absence of gold of secondary deposition in the diabase. It 

should be borne in mind that the idea of secondary enrichment is now applied practically 

only to deposits of copper. The fairly distinct zones of different mineral co"mposition and 

strikingly different appe~rance occurring in enriched copper deposits have unquestionably 

aided greatly in the recognition of the presence of this phenomenon. But the much simpler 

mineralogy of gold affords no aid in this respect. 

Furthermore, the changes in the vertical distribution of values at the Haile mine are not 

so extreme or abrupt that they forcibly demand an explanation, as is the case with copper, 

for example. A little consideration will show. also that if secondary enrichment of gold 

should take place, the results as regards vertical distribution of values might differ markedly 

from those commonly ascribed to tlus process. For example, a copper deposit which ·has 

experienced secondary enrichment may be divided on the basis of richness into three more 

or less distinct zones-(1) an upper impoverished zone from which most or all of the copper 

has been leached; (2) an intermediate rich zone in which the copper originally above has 

been added to that already existing in the primary deposit; and (3) a relatively low grade 

zone, of indefinite downward extent, which in value stands intermediate between 1 and 2 

and which represents the character of the whole deposit originally. Owing to the extreme 

ease with which copper minerals are decomposed and the copper taken into solution, an 

instance is rarely found in which solution and reprecipitation at a lower level have not gone 

on to a marked extent, unless the gangue and the surrounding walls have been so impervious as to restrict decomposition to the uppermost portion of the deposit. In other words, 

where secondary enrichment of copper deppsits has taken place appreciably it has r_eached 

a rather decided degree. With gold, on the other hand, the case is different. The metal 

is so slightly soluble that currents of oxidizing surface waters may flow around it and reach 

and decompose minerals far below ·without appreciably changing the relative position of the 

gold. But some solution of the gold is undoubtedly taking place and, given sufficient time, 

during which the process continues, the gold near the surface must ultimately be dissolved 

and carried to a greater depth, where without any question it will be precipitated, most 

probably by sulphides or other reducing agents. The difference between the behavior of 

gold and copper, ~herefore, is largely one · of rate. Since the process in the case of gold 

requires a very much longer time to accomplish equal results, it is natural to expect that 

intermediate stages, showing less marked results, will be more commonly ~ncountered tha 

in the case of copper. The recognitio:n that gold is dissolved and redeposited to a sligh 

extent is a recognition of an early stage in this process. This action in the case of gold i~ 

so exceedingly slow, however, that it must be a comparatively rare combination of condi 

tions when degradation by erosion will proceed so slowly that concentration of gold fro 

higher levels may become an important determinant of the value of the ore. 

a Weed, W. H., The. enrichment of gold and silver veins: Trans. Am. Inst. Min. Eng., vol. 30, 1900 pp. 423-448. 
I 

GOLD DEPOSITS. 67 

At the Haile mine the ore values are distributed as Jollows: The uppermost portion of the 

deposits, which was worked as placer gr0und, was tich. Below this surface mantle the 

values have decreased, so f.ar as known, rather steadilf, although pockets of sulphide ore of 

better than average grade have been encountered, t: probably most commonly near the · 

boundary of general decomposition. The limit to Wl~ich economic mining can be carried 

appears to bear a pretty definite relation to distance from the surface, and that distance is 

not great and reaches not very far-usually less than 200 feet-below the limit of complete 

oxidation. Moreover, thin films and scales of pyrit~~ and of free gold have been found in 

joint cracks which give every appearance of having ~~een formed since the silicification of 

the rock and the attendant ore deposition. Thin fil~of free gold are commonly found on 

molybdenite associated with heavy pyrite bands. F' ally, it is certain that the comparatively plentiful gold which was found at the surface of these deposits and which was derived 

from higher portions of the deposits now eroded aw~y has remained in that place undisturbed for a long period-in fact, ever since the penep~anation of the region, which probably 

took place as early as Tertiary time. Erosion at theje places has been almost at a standstill and the process of secondary enrichment of the deposits, slow as it is, has had time to 

be effective. The writer does not undertake to say \that secondary enrichment has had 

much to do with the vertical distribution of the gold, but it certainly seems possible that 

it has. If such a process has gone on, the action has lliffered from that common in copper 

deposits, inasmuch as the copper is derived largely frob the upper portion of the deposit in 

situ, while the gold is supposed to have been dissolve~Inainly from gold which rested upon 

what was then the surface of the deposits and which }ad been previously concentrated by 

mechanical means virtually as placers. (See pp. 74-- 5.) . 

Whether or not secondary enrichment has taken place, the present ore bodies of the 

Haile mine certainly represent original loci of more 1lr

1

han usual concentration of t.he gold 

in the deposits. · · . 

VALUE OF THE ORES 

The value of the ores is of course dependent on e distribution of the gold. Gold js 

present in much greater quantity than the amount f workable ore would indicate. In 

the walls of the ,veins and as horses and outer zones! of the large replacement bodies, as 

well as within many veins, there is much material carrying gold from a trace up to the 

minimum amount for which niining can be profitably conducted. Of the pay ores the 

values vary greatly, depending as much on the cost ofl'wiuning the gGld as on the absolute 

richness of the ore. Some shoots or parts of shoots hai e been found which carry ore valued 

at sever~} hundred dollars per ton. The Kings Mountfl'in ~ne had some very ~ich ore and 

ore of h1gh grade has been taken from the Thompsbn rome. Small, very nch pockets 

have been found in numerous places. The ore mine~ from the fissure veins has on the 

whole been of considerably higher grade than that frfm the replacement deposits. . This 

is probably due both to the concentration along. narr9w zones of the gold which the solutions held, rather than dissemination through larger masses, and to the fact that owing 

to their small size and irregularity in form and richnesf veins can not be profitably worked 

when below a certain value; whil.e the large replacemlnt deposits, of more regular outline 

and certain value, can be made to yield a profit when ar below that value per ton. 

The ores of this region must on the whole be clas ed as of rather low grade. While 

some few mines may always have raised ores of good .J.alue, the vein mines have probably , I . 

produced ore running on the average not better than $? to $12 and the replacement bodies 

have averaged from $2 to $12 or $15, the value of t~e ore in the second case depending 

rather on the extent to which mining was carried intol the outlying leaner portions of .the 

deposits than on the actual amount of gold present. ~ 

The values occur both as free gold and in pyrite. It is certain that original, native 

gold has been deposited from the vein solutions to SOiljle extent. At the Blackmon mine, 

for instance, below the general depth to which surficia1 alteration has reached, the greater 

portion of the gold occurs free. · At the Haile mine also some of the free gold associated 

with pyrite . and molybdenite was perhaps originally Heposited as such. In most cases, 
68 GOLD AND TIN DEPOSITS OF SOUTHERN .APP .AL.ACHI.ANS. 

however, it is likely that the gold which has been found in the metallic state, both in the 

deposits in situ and in the placers, has been liberated from pyrite by oxidation. Whatever the original condition of the gold may have been it is certain that nearly all the 

gold occurring in the oxidized portion of the deposits has been found in the metallic 

state, and that as the proportion of sulphides increased the amount of free gold has 

steadily lessened. To judge from statements of the value of these decomposed outcrops or gossans it appears that they were decidedly richer-in some cases several times 

richer-than the average grade of sulphide ore below. The solution and carrying away 

of portions of the - vein material, leaving the gold behind in consequently increased 

proportions by weight, have been responsible for much of this added value which the 

gossans show. It is probable, also, that gold from overlying portions of the vein has 

gradually been left behind as the other lighter constituents were eroded away, and has 

settled down with the degradation of the country. This last kind of concentration is considered more explicitly in connection with the placer deposits (pp. 74:-75). In spite of these 

two explanations of the greater richness of the upper portions than those found below, 

it is difficult to rid one's mind of the feeling that the upper portions were always richer. 

For this belief, however, there is little ground. Probably the greater proportion of the 

output of this area, exclusive of that from placers, has been from sulphides. 

The fineness of the gold averages about 0.900, but ranges from 0.700 to nearly 1.000. 

Silver is the chief ingredient to lower the fineness. 

Qomplaint has often been made that returns from shipments to southern smelters have 

not agreed with the actual value of the ore. The writer comments on this topic only to 

say that he heard of no case where careful, systematic sampling was done by the shipper 

and to point out how necessary it is that such sampling of the ore be done in order to 

determine its average worth and how nearly impossible it is even with absolute impartiality to choose from a lot of ore one or a few specimens which really represent the whole. 

GENESIS OF THE DEPOSITS. 

In the preceding sections it has been assumed that 'these gold ores have resulted from 

deposition by aqueous solutions. This assumption is so completely sustained by the vast 

array of facts available both here and in other gold regions that furtner consideration 

need not be given to this subject. Granted, then, that the ores have been deposited by 

solutions, the factors which enter into the consideration of the origin of the ores are the 

nature of the solutio~s, their source, and the manner of deposition of their dissolved materials. 

It is regretted that a thorough investigation of these deposits could not be made. The 

reconnaissance character of the examination on which this report is based has not justified the devotion of such detailed and thorough study in the office and laboratory as a complete survey would demand. Moreover, while the deposits deserve careful and complete 

investigation because of their complexity, for that very reason it is difficult to obtain a 

fundamental comprehension of their character. 

CHARACTER OF THE SOLUTION$. 

Without numerous analyses showing the changes effected by the solutions in wall rocks, 

much concerning the nature of these solutions is left to assumption. From the materials 

which constitute the fissure fillings, however, it is certain that silica was the most abundant of the dissolved substances. Metallic sulphides, chiefly pyrite, have also been important. The conversion of feldspar into sericite and of amphibole into biotite indicate that 

potassium has been taken from the vein solutions by the surrounding rocks and that sodium 

has been added to the solutions. The production of the micas and of chlorite may mean 

that the solutwns carried aluminum. A small amount of calcium may have been carried by 

thfl solutions to form the apatite, or the calcium may have been derived from the replaced 

rocks. The presence of such oxides as ilmenite and possibly hematite, magnetite, and 

cassiterite point to conditions rather unusual in the formation of gold deposits. Be~ides 
GOLD DEPOSITS. 69 

the commoner sulphides of iron and copper, small amounts of a rsenic, antimony, bismuth, 

and molybdenum sulphides and one or more tellurides were present in some cases. Fluor-:-

ine and probably boron were contained in some of the solu1;ions. A little phosphoric 

acid was present and allowed the formation of apatite. There is little or no evidence that 

carbon dioxide was present. 

The nature of these materials deposited from solution, as well as the general effect on the 

wall rocks, an effect resembling that produced by contact metamorphism, points to the conclusion that the ore-bearing solutions were concentrated and at high temperature. The/ 

almost entire absence of banding in the veins and the widespread effect of the solutions in 

the replacement deposits, as shown by the large size of these deposits, may be taken as additional evidences of concentration of the solutions. 

SOURCE OF THE MATERIALS. 

The character of the minerals deposited, the metasomatic action on the surrounding 

rocks, the structure of the·veins, and the amount of erosion which the region has undoubtedly suffered since the deposits were formed are grounds for the belief that the ore bodies 

now exposed were formed far below the surface of that time. The character of the solutions, moreover, points not only to deposition at high temperatures but to their derivation 

far below. The source of these materials was therefore at greater depth than their place 

of deposition, and the solutions were at even higher temperature at the beginning of their 

upward journey than when the dissolved materials were precipitated. 

Such extreme~ of depth and temperature suggest. at once a magmatic origin of the solutions. Such an origin can not be established with absolute certainty, but a number of facts 

appear to favor it. Granite is known in the vicinity of many of the mines. How large a 

body of granite exists below the present surface it is of course impossible to say, but it is 

probable that the areas exposed are small parts of a much larger mass. The absence of 

granite outcrops immediately around the mines does not, therefore, preclude the possibility 

that the veins or solution channels reach granite somewhere below. 

The intimate association of granitic or aplitic dikes with the quartz-tourmaline veins of 

the tin belt and the close resemblance in many respects of these veins to the gold-quartz 

veins make the relation of the gold deposits to the granite rather probable. This probability was so apparent" and the resemblance of some of these · tourmaline veins to the 

auriferous veins of th~ Lockhart mine in Dahlonega was so marked that it was decided to 

have specimens of 'Some of the tourmaline veins assayed for gold. Two samples were 

selected-one from the quartz vein, which occurs close to the aplitic dike at the Jones mine, 

the other from a quartz-tourmaline vein, reported to be auriferous, near the pegmatite dikes 

at the Faires mine. It should be stated here that the specimens tested were not collected 

in the field with the assay in view; otherwise more conclusive results might have been 

obtained. Very careful assays were made by Messrs. Ledoux & Co., of New York.a The 

results were as follows: 

No. 1. Quartz vein, with tourmaline, F aires mine, 0.0003 ounce per ton. 

No. 2. Quartz vein. with pyrite, Jones mine, 0.0111 ounce per ton. 

No. 1, from the Faires mine, is of course valueless, and the assay doubtless means that 

no gold was present in the sample submitted. The writer is inc:lined to believe, however, 

a The method used in these determinations is here quoted from a letter from Ledoux & Co. to the 

Director of the Survey: 

"To avoid possible contamination or salting the samples were ground to flour fineness in porcelain pebble mills, which had been cleaned by grinding clean quartz in them for several hours, followed by a charge of co= on salt. 

"The pulp from the pebble mills was divided into lots of 2 assay tons, each of which were run separately by crucible assay. In the case of · S. C. No .. 7' [No. 1) eight charges, making 16 assay tons, were made, and in the case of 'S. C. No. 42' [No. 2) nine charges, making 18 assay tons, were made. In each case all of the sample was used. · "The buttons from the crucible assays were united and scorified to a size suitable for cupellation. 

An excess of silver (20 mg.) was added to the scarifiers for the purpose of preventing cupellosses of the 

gold .... The silver beads obtained were parted and washed in the usual way, and the gold weighed on a balance sensitive to one four-hundredth mg: "Charges of flux equal in weight to those used on the ores were run thrpugh contemporaneously with 

them and treated in exactly the same way1 but no visible amount of gold was obtained in the blanks." 
70 GOLD AND TIN DEPOSITS OF SOUTHERN APPALACHIANS. 

that a specimen selected for that purpose would have proved more satisfactory. No. 2 

indicates that gold is certainly present in the quartz vein at the Jones mine. While 23 

cents per ton is of course very little, it must be remembered that it is not a negligible 

amount, since 50 to 60 cent ore has been mined in California and some of the ore now being 

milled at the Brewer mine is said to be not much above 50 cents. 

The fact, therefore, that some of these tourmaline-quartz veins, which are .almost 

undoubtedly of magmatic origin-derived from the granite magma-carry gold is a strong 

argument in favor of their being an intermediate stage in one complete cycle, and fairly well 

establishes the relation of the gold deposits of the region to the granite. It may be noted 

here that the gold deposits of Dahlonega are believed by Mr. Lindgren to have a genetic 

relation to a granite similar to, if not actually the same as, that occurring in this region. 

• In couclusion, it may be said that while the source of the solutions can not be definitely 

proved, the weight of evidence favors the view ,that the gold deposits represent the final 

products of the granite magma, the concentration of. certain elements from an immense 

body of rock. The full geologic sequence is therefore doubtless as follows: 

1. Intrusion of granite. 

2. Intrusion of granitic or aplitic dikes causing the development of biotite and amphibole 

in their wall rocks. · 

3. Intrusion of pegmatite dikes, some of which carry cassiteri~e, impregnate the surrounding rocks with tourmaline, and cause the development of biotite and other meta- · 

morphic minerals in their walls. 

4. Formation of quartz veins c·arrying tourmaline, ilmenite, sulphides, etc., and, in some 

cases, gold, causing in their wall rocks the development of tourmaline, magnetite, biotite, 

garnet, ilmenite, and sulphides. 

5. Formation of quartz veins (and replacement deposits) carrying ilmenite, sulphides, 

and gold, and causing in the surrounding rocks the development of fluorite, biotite, sericite, 

ilmenite, sulphides, and gold. 

It is necessary to consider more fully at this point a subject to which reference bas 

already been made-namely, the relation of some of the large replacement bodies to the 

diabase dikes which cut them. In former descriptions of the Haile mine it has repeatedly 

been stated that the ore bodies were caused by the dikes of diabase, which occur in their 

midst. The sami;. has be(m said of the Colossus mine, where simi1ar conditions exist, and 

as ·an explanation of the formation of ore at the Brewer mine it has been stated that a diabase dike occurs. close by. Particular attention was given to testing this hypothesis, 

especially at the Ha.ile mine. The statements that the ores at this mine are richer in the 

vicinity of the dikes are frequent and fairly consistent. It is often stated, on the other 

hand, that the richest ore is not immediately surrounding the dike, but at a distance of 

several feet. This richness in the neighborhood of the dikes may be accounted for in four 

ways: 

1. The ore may be the result of the intrusion of diabase, as commonly stated. 

2. The deposition of the ores from the vein solutions may_ have been influenced by solutions from a different source that were present in the fissure later occupied by the dike. 

3. Secondary enrichment, which was possibly a factor in the present distribution of the 

gold, may have been especially effective along the fissures at the sides of the dikes. 

4. The unequal distribution of the gold may be in no way related to the dike or to the 

fissure occupied by it. 

These possibilities will be considered in order. 

1. If the diabase and the ore are genetically related, they carne from the same sourc~ and 

through the same channel. \ 

Development work outside the main ore lenses indicates the presence of no more gold 

or other materials of the ore at the contact of or near the dike than is found away from it. 

Both in and outside of the ore bodies the only visible effect which the diabase has had on 

the surrounding rock is a slight induration extending an inch or two from the dike. W4ere 
GOLD DEPOSITS. 71 

decomposition through weathering has taken place along the sides of the dike, a zone of 

alteration is present and is charactcrize.d by the softness of the rock, formation of limonite, 

and development along joints of minute crystals of gypsum. But this has nothing to do 

with the dike itself. J<.joreover, the diabase, with the exception of atmospheric decomposition, is perfectly unaltered where it cuts either the' ore bodies ·o the barren rock. · Little 

or no pyrite is present and no evidence of the action of vein solutions is seen. Such conditions would be almost impossible if the diabase were as old or older than the ore. The 

distribution of the ore .bodies with respect to the dikes argues strongly against this hypothesis. Instead of being parallel to the dikes, as would be expected according to this supposition, they occur only at intervals, separated by lean or barren spaces, and have 'their long 

directions transverse to the dikes. The ore body at the Colossus mine is said to extend 

several hundred feet away from the dike on each side. In the Haile mine some of the best 

ore has been found at a considerable distance from the dikes. · The writer is not aware 

that the ore is richer near the dikes at the Colossus mine; and at the Brewer, mining has 

not been conducted along or on the dike, if indeed a dike is prese t. Finally, the ore body 

at the Colossus mine is said to be faulted along an unsheared diabase dike, showing that 

the dike Is later than the ore. There is' also evidence of a fault in the vein along a diabase 

dike at the Wallis mine in York County, S. C. 

At the Haile mine, furthermore, several narrow, decomposed diabase dikes, called by the 

miners "clay" dikes, are cut by and are consequently older than the large dikes which 

are commonly considered to have brought in the ore. It would be natural to expect, 

therefore, that these small older dikes would be converted into ore like the surrounding 

tuffs, or at least would show some effect of the ore-bearing solutions. But all the evidence 

obtainable indicates that these older dikes are themselves younger than the ore. Neither 

where most decomposed nor in the fresh cores, which can be found here and there, is more 

than a trace of pyrite present, and these traces are not ore-so far as the writer is aware 

they carry no gold whatever, even where in the midst of a large ore body. 

It is apparent, therefore, that all these diabase dikes are younger than the ore, and had · 

no connection with its formation. 

2. Several facts argue against the theory that increased deposition of ore was caused 

by different solutions contained in the fissures now occupied by the dikes, at their interwith the ore-bearing channels. Outside the ore bodies there is no evidence of the 

action of solutions along these dike fissures except the slight induration caused by the 

dikes and the later decomposition which has gone on in some places. The distribution 

the rich portions, as noted in (1), is likewise against this supposition. Moreover, if these 

fissures existed when the ore was formed, the ore would naturally extend along them 

at least a short distance beyond the general limits of the ore body, but such is not the 

, and the fissures now occupied by the ~ikes are probably of later formation than the 

Finally, it is an unwarranted assumption that a fracture existing in pre-Cambrian 

the probable date of vein formation, should still be a prominent plane of weakness 

the diabase was intruded, probably in Jura-Triassic time. 

Even if it is granted that there has been secondary enrichment of the deposits, the 

of the ores to the dike fissures is not decidedly marked and the tenor of the ore 

fairly constant for such distances away from these fissures that it seems improbable 

they have exerted much more influence in-the enrichment of the ore than have other 

1 crevices, and joints. 

it is true, as sometimes stated, that the ore within a few feet of the dikes is of lower 

than that a little farther away, it is possible that leaching of the gold has taken place 

the decomposed zones bordering the dikes and that secondary deposition has gone 

below. There is no satisfactory evidence of such phenomena, however. 

4. The only alternative remaining is that the ore deposition, preceding the form-ation 

the dike fissures, is in no way related to them. The only places where increased rich-

. in the vicinity of the dikes has been noted is where the dikes eut across about the midof the ore body. But that is just the place where a replacement deposit is apt to be 
7 2 GOLD AND TIN DEPOSITS OF SOUTHERN APPALACHIANS. 

richest. The fact that in some cases the ore bodies pitch away from and leave the dikes 

ought to be good proof that the ore deposition was independent of the dikes and dike 

fissures . . 

DEPOSITION OF THE ORES. 

In the consideration of this subject also the lack of analyses prevents the drawing gf 

accurate and valuable conclusions. It has been shown that the ore-bearing solutions were 

probably under greater pressure and at higher temperature near their source than at the 

place of deposition. A ready explanation of the eause of deposition would be that the 

decrease in pressure and temperature lowered the solubility of the materials carried in solution and thus resulted in their preeipitation. It has been pointed out by Mr. Lindgren,a 

however, that in general increasing temperature and pressure do not increase the solubility 

of ore minerals beyond certain maxima, and that consequently the effect of decreasing 

pressure and temperature on the deposition of ores has probably been overestimated. It 

is certain, on the other hand, that these changing conditions must· have had some effect on 

the deposition of the ores, but there is no evidence by which to measure it. 

It is believed by the writer that the deposition of the ores was brought about mainly by 

a change in composition of the relatively concentrated solutions. This change in composition would disturb the nice equilibrium which had been attained, and cause a decrease 

in solubility and consequent precipitation of some or all of the constituents. Such a 

change in composition of the solutions might be brought about in any or all of three ways: 

First, change in conditions of temperature and pressure. This would have some effect, 

probably not very great. Second, mingling with solutions from another source, such as 

atmospheric water_s along cross fissures or channels. The intersection of such channels 

with the ore-bearing fissures may have fixed the location of extraordinary deposition, the pay 

shoots. While the vein solutions were doubtless under greater pressure than that which 

would be due to hydrostatic head, it is conceivable that solutions from the surface, which 

would be under hydrostatic head only, might mingle with them in spite of this difference 

of pressure, through the agencies of friction, capillarity, and diffusion. Third, the mutual 

chemical reaction of the solutions and the surrounding rocks. The subtraction of silica, 

potash, and possibly alumina from the solutionf;l and the addition to them of soda and lime, 

which have taken place in nearly or quite all cases, would exert a very pronounced influence on the solubility of the remaining substances and cause their precipitation. It is 

believed that this third factor was the most important in the deposition of the ores. 

The go!d and sulphides in the veins have probably been precipitated in part mechanically with the quartz and in part chemically. These heavy metals have also been carried 

with the silica and lighter metallic elements into the wall rocks and there deposited, though 

less abundantly than in the fiEsures. 

It has been stated (p. 61) that the fissure veins and the replacement deposits probably 

had the same origin. The occurrence of si~ilar minerals in the two types of deposits 

and the presence of deposits of intermediate character sustain the conclusion that the 

nature of the solutions and the source of the materials were the same in each case. 

In the mode of deposition of these materials from the solutions must lie an explanation 

of the differences which exist between the two classes. Briefly stated, these differences are 

as follows: The fissure veins are narrow and relatively rich; they effect a very _marked 

change in their wall rocks for a short distance away from them; they occur in dense, usually 

basic rocks, already rendered resistant through profound regional metamorphism. The 

replacement deposits are large and irregular; they consist of altered country rock, and they 

occur in porous volcanic rocks of acidic character, easily susceptible to alteration. 

The ore-bearing solutions, ascending at a high degree of concentration and temperature, 

would, on confinement to a narrow fissure, be able to exert intense action on the immediately adjoining, not easily pervious wall rock. The same solutions, reaching a body of 

porous, easily alterable material, would immediately disseminate through it, distributing 

a Gold-quartz veins of Nevada City and Grass Valley districts, California: Seventeenth Ann. Rept. U.S. Geol. Survey, pt. 2, 1896, pp. 177-178, 183. 
GOLD D:EPOSITS. 73 

their heat and chemical energy through a large mass of rock. Such a dissipation of energy 

in the replacement bodies would account for the lower intensity of alteration in them than 

in the wall rocks of the fissure veins. The difference in chemical composition of the wall 

rocks in the two cases would explain the mineralogical differences in the two types of 

deposits. 

This hypothesis assumes that the rock invaded by the solutions was at a lower temperature than the solutions. The solutions from lower depths and probably from the vicinity 

of recent intrusions can hardly have failed to transfer heat to the places of ore deposition 

more rapidly than could be accomplished by conduction from the same source through 

the rocks. The possibility that secondary enrichment has modified the original deposition 

of the ores has already been referred to (pp. 65-66). 

~ONCLUSIONS. 

The gold deposits of this area are of two types-fissure veins and replacement depositswith transitional members between these two extremes of the series. Concentrated solutions containing gold, silica, potash, sulphides, and oxides of iron and titanium ascended 

from great depth at high pressure and temperature. In the denser rocks they forced their 

way along crevices, forming veins, at the same time exerting so marked metasomatic action 

o the walls of these fissures that the result .bears resemblance in many ways to the effect 

of contact metamorphism. Gold, pyrite, ilmenite, and other materials were deposited in 

the veins and in the wall rocks. In the more porous rocks the solutions permeated large 

masses and replaced the original rock fragments by quartz, sericite, gold, pyrite, apatite, 

etc. The mineralogical differences in these two types of deposits are due to the differences 

in chemical composition of the rocks invaded by the solutions and to the different degrees 

of concentration of action of the solutions. The sour~e of the ore materials was at great 

depth below the surface of that time, but of unknown distance below what is the present 

surface. It seems certain that the vein solutions are genetically connected with the granite intrusions, representing the final prod~ct of the granite magma and bearing close relation to the tourmaline-quartz veins and the pegmatite dikes carrying tin, which were formed 

immediately preceding the formation of the gold veins. The deposition of these materials 

was probably due partly to decrease of pressure and temperature attained by the passage 

to a higher level, but was doubtless caused mainly by a disturbance of the nice equilibrium 

of solubility and concentration by the accession of substances dissolved from the wall rock. 

These deposits differ markedly from the common western type of gold-quartz veins. 

From the amount of erosion which has taken place since their formation, as well as from 

the character of the <teposits themselves, it is certain that they represent the deeply buried 

stumps of quartz veins which originally extended much higher. Whether or not the upper 

portions of these veins, now eroded away, more closely resembled the typical gold-quartz 

vein it is impossible to say. 

The numerous nuggets of large size found in the placer deposits may be an indication. 

that the upper eroded portions of the veins were richer than those portions now known. 

The ore has become too lean to be profitable or has pinched out at depths not exceeding 

400 or 500 feet in so many cases that this may be considered the general occurrence. 

It may therefore be that an uneven zone not many hundred feet below the present surface represents the lower limit of the gold-namely, the place of beginning of deposition. 

It is extremely doubtful, however, if the difference of conditions in this distance of a few hundred feet-a very slight distance compared with the original vertical extent of the deposits-could have caused so great a result. It is possible instead that ore exists far below 

the present surface, but that the individual bodies of pay ore known at present give out 

at comparatively small depths, to be succeeded farther down by'other and still other ore 

bodies. Thus, while the ore may persist with depth, it is by no means certain that mining 

operations will succeed in finding the lower ore bodies. If secondary enrichment has had 

any lJ!arked influence on the value of the ore, the prospects for large bodies of workable 

ore occurring at depth are not bright 
7 4 GOLD AND TIN DEPOSITS OF SOUTHERN APPALACHIANS. 

AGE OF THE DEPOSITS. 

·Concerning the geologic age of the gold deposits little · direct evidence is obtainable. 

The deposits were formed after the greatest metamorphic movements· had ceased, but the 

crushing and slight faulting which some of them have experienced indicate that they did 

not escape all movement. It seems probable that movements which did affect them were 

the last agents of dynamic metamorphism. This supposition is supported by the one that 

the gold deposits closely followed the granite intrusions. The ore bodies are cut by the 

diabase dikes, which are probably of Jura-Triassic age. All available evidence points to 

pre-Cambrian as the probable age of the deposits. 

PLACERS. 

It is said that the gravels of nearly all the streams of this area yield" colors" of gold when 

panned. Where the gold is sufficiently ab~ndant these placer or "branch" deposits have 

been worked, often with profit. In the early days discrimination was not always made 

between the true placers and the loose, decomposed outcrops of deposits in place. 

While placers have been af importance in this portion of the South, most of the placer 

mining was done in the early days of the gold excitement, and information is not easily 

obta~ned at present. The location of only a few of these deposits is now known. 

A deposit from which much gold was tak~n was called the Martin or Enterprise mine, 

and is situated about 1 mile southwest of Smyrna station, in York County. The placer is 

said to have been discovered about 1836, and most "work was done before the war along a 

shallow stream which has been "washed" several times. · It is said that the workable 

graveis had an areal extent of 4 acres.a Much gold has also been picked up from the 

nearby fields after rams. It is reported that .a nugget worth $44 and numerous others of 

less valu~ have been found at this mine, and Lieber states that a piece of quartz containing 4,000 pennyweights of gold was found in the gravels.b One man took out $40,000 

before the war, according to report. It is stat'M that a gold-bearing vein occurs close 

to the creek, and pits have been sunk there, but at the time of the writer's visit no indication of a vein was seen. The last work here was done four or five years ago. 

Much work was done in the early days at the Brewer mine in what is known as the Tanyard pit. This was probably the first placer in the State. It is several hundred yards 

from the hard-rock workings and occupies a very slight depression below the surface of 

the peneplain, although a short distance away is a rather deep stream valley.c 

A little work. has recently been done a few miles south of Gaffney, S. C., but has not 

proved successful. Washing is being done on a small scale in a stream near the West 

mine. The Belk placer, .in Lancaster County, east of Lancaster, the Austin placer near 

Gaffney, and numerous others were being or had been operated at the time Lieber Wrote 

his reports.d Small nuggets have been picked up in the fields in many places, often not 

near any stream or depression nor in the neighborhood of any known deposit in place. 

Two features concerning these placer deposits are worthy of note. The first point is the 

richness of some of the placers when compared with the usual low grade of the hard-rock 

deposits. In the second place, deposits, some of them rich, of waterworn gold have not 

\ 

uncommonly been found on elevations and divides away from and above present streams 

or valleys. This fact was observed as early as 1825 by Professor Olmsted,e and it is stated 

by Lieber that these placer deposits commonly occur on the foot-wall side of the near-by 

vein or hard-rock deposit.! 

From these facts two conclusions may be drawn-namely, that the present streams have 

not been the only factor in the concentration of the gold and that much of the gold has been 

a Lieber, op. cit., vol. 1, pp. 75-76; vol. 3, pp. 154, 157. b Op. cit., vol. 1, p. 76. . · cCf. Lieber, op. cit., vol. 1, pp. 66-67; vol. 3, p. 157. · a Op. cit., vol. 1, pp. 76-77; vol. 2, p. 71. e Am. Jour. Sci., 1st ser., vol. 9, 1825, p.13. tOp. cit., vol. 1, pp; 157-158. ' 
GOLD MINING DEVELOPMENTS. 75 

derived from portions of .the veins r hich were once above the present peneplain level 

( cf. pp. 12-14) and owes part of its concentration to the old str~ams which accomplished this 

planation and are now extinct. 

In the discussion of the tin placers it was shown. that as the surface of the land was 

gradually lowered by erosion from pre-Cambrian time to the present the heavy resistant 

minerals were left behind in such depressions as existed, constituting placer deposits. In 

the case of cassiterite the friability and solubility of the mineral probably allowed most of 

this accumulation to be carried awdy when the rate of degradation pec~me very slow. 

With gold, on the other hand, its toughness, high specific gravity, and resistance to ordinary solvents allowed such amounts of it as had accumulated to remain. In other words, 

it seems probable that the placer depbsits of this region represent concentration of the vein 

gold from that vast amount of material which has been eroded away since the veins were 

formed. The finer particles of gold have probably been carried away mechanically and the 

eoarser grains have doubtless been slightly reduced in size by solution, but a large proportion 

of the content of the hard-rock depobits between the present and the original surfaces is 

probably now in the placers. This hypothesis would account for tho comparative richness ( 

of the placers. The redistribution of streams on the revival of drainage after base-leveling 

explains the independence of present topography which some_ of the deposits show. 

I 

MINING DEVELOPMENTS. 

GENERAL STATEMENT. 

EXTENT. 

Mining has been going on in this region for seventy-five years, and much work has 

been done.· The effort has been expended at many places,· however, and there are no 

extensive mines in the area. A few mines, nevertheless, by a comparatively small amount 

of development work, have opened up large ore bodies on which extensive open cuts or 

stopes have been made. The deepest· working in the area is at the Haile mine, where a 

winze extends 130 feet below the bottom or 350-foot level. The Kings Mountain mine is 

about 350 feet deep and the Colossus about 320 feet. Other mines having considerable 

workings are the Brewer and Blackmon, and it is said that there_has been a relatively large 

mount of underground development at the West mine. 

METHODS OF MINING. 

The methods employed to obtain the ore from the deposits are varied in character. 

he placers were worked by panning, rocking, and sluicing; so far as known hydmuicking has been practised in this area only at ·the old Tanyard placer at the Brewer 

nine. The sa~e methods were applied to the· decomposed upper portions of many 

f the deposits in place, sometimes in conjunction with crushing. When solid rockas encountered, development was carried on by means of shafts and levels. In general, 

he flat character of the country does not make . tunnels advantageous. One has been 

riven at the Brewer mine, however. Vertical shafts are much more common than inclines, 

lthough numerous inclines were sunk on the veins or on the ore shoots in the early days. 

he interval between levels is usually 13maB, but ranges froin 30 to over 100 feet. 

In the large replacement bodies the best ore was mined by stopes from underground 

orkings. In the best practice levels turned from the shaft were run along the ·hanging 

all of the ore body and at intervals raises were driven to the level above. The ore thus 

locked out was broken by overhead stoping, pillars and level floors and roofs being left to 

old the workings intact. When the evels were no longer needed, these pillars could be 

aken out. This method of mining was successfully employed for many years at the Haile 

· e by the manager, Capt. Adolph Thies. An ingenious means of driving the · raises 

onomically was put in practice at that mine and well deserves description. The steep 

'p of the ore body made it necessary either to drive steep raises or to drive them partly in 

arren ground. The latter was not feasible, and the former necessitated timbering for. the 
76 GOLD AND TIN DEPOSITS OF SOUTHERN APPALACHIANS. 

, support of workmen and drills. It was found that in a raise driv~n at an angle of about 45° 

the broken rock would just serve as a foundation from which to work. The raises were 

therefore started from the levels at the hanging-wall side of the ore body and driven upward 

at 45° diagonally across the deposit. When the foot wall was reached the raise was turned 

to the right or left, first along the foot wall, then toward the hanging wall, and finally back 

again toward the foot wall, always being pointed upward at 45°. A spiral raise was thus 

driven, all in ore and without the use of timber. The cost of increased length of the raise 

was more than balanced by the saving in timber. 

As the better grades of ore in these deposits were exhausted it became apparent that the 

shaft-level method of working when applied to the larger surrounding bodies of lowergrade ore would necessitate timbering and become too expensive. Since the workings 

were not very deep, it was found possible to extract the low-grade ore and take out the 

higher-grade pillars by means of open cuts. This method is now being used at the Haile 

and Brewer mines, has been used at the Blackmon mine, and it was announced as the intention of the management to put it in op8ration at the Colossus mine. No timber is 

required and the rock can be broken by quarrying methods. The result is that although 

in some cases considerable barren ground has to be broken, especially from the hanging 

wall, the cost of mining _is greatly reduced. At the Haile the ore is hoisted in skips 

running on inclined tracks laid on the foot wall. At the Brewer a tunnel connects with 

the bottom of the pit or open cut and the ore is trammed out through it. 

The depth to which open-cut mining can be carried with profit will of course depend on 

the strength and firmness of ths. walls, the size of the deposit, and whether it stands vertically or dips beneath the surrounding rock. 

METHODS OF EXTRACTION. 

The methods of extraction· of placer gold have already been mentioned under the 

head "Methods of Mining." The same applies to the gossans of many veins. Hard rock 

containing free gold, either original or derived froin oxidation · of sulphides, is generally 

stamped and amalgamated. Sulphide ores containing also native gold are in most 

cases stamped, amalgamated, and concentrated, the concentrates being either shipped 

for smelting or else chlorinated or cyanided on the spot. At the Ferguson mine amalgamation has been discarded and the stamp-mill pulp is concentrated, the headings saved for 

roasting, and1

the tailings cyanided. At the Colossus mine a 500-ton mill nearly completed 

will crush the ore in rolls to 30 mesh and then cyanide direct. Both weak and strong 

solutions will probably be used. At the Haile mine stamping of the ores is followed by 

amalgamation of the free gold, while the.concentrates are treated by the barrel-chlorination 

process, which was invented by Captain Thies, the former manager of the mine, and which is 

now in successful operation in the West, particularly on the ores of Cripple Creek, and also 

in Australia. The same methods have been employed a.t the Brewer mine. 

Throughout the area much difficulty has been experienced in extracting the gold fro 

sulphide ores by amalgamation, even when a considerable proportion of the values is fre 

gold. From what can be learned of these operations, it seems probable that much of this 

lack of success may be attributed to lack of experience in the stamp milling of ores. Jus 

the right combination of weight and drop of stamp, height of discharge, si<;e of screen; an 

amount of water seems in many cases to have been missed, and in consequence the tailin 

wererieh. 

It is doubtful if the ores of this area can be successfully treated without concentration 

roasting, and subsequent lixiviation of the sulphides. 

COSTS OF PRO UCTION. 

Little satisfactory inform~ttion could be obtained on the subject of costs, as the mmm 

companies are rather reticent about it. Labor and fuel are low in price and a.ll kinds o 

operations can be carried on during almost the whole year. Pumping has to be done i 

nearly all the mines, but the quantity of water is not excessive. 
HAILE GOLD MINE. 77 

At the Brewer mine, where loose, sandy ore is milled down into cars, trammed to the mill, 

:run through stamps to insure uniform fineness, and then amalgamated, it is said that the 

total cost is under 60 cents per tori. These operations, however, can be carried on only for 

a short time before ore of this character will be exhausted, so the above figures have little 

significance. At the Blackmon mine underground stoping of a large ore body is going on, 

the ore being stamped and amalgamated. It is said that $2 ore gives a fair profit. 

Accurate account is kept of all expenses at the Haile mine. Here large ore bodies, well 

developed, are mined by open cuts, the ore is stamped, amalgamated, and concentrated, and 

the concentrates are. roasted and chlorinated. Considerable development work, pa.rticularly with diamond and churn drills, is being done. For the last two years the total cost of 

these operations has been under $1.60 per ton of ore mined. This, it will be admitted, is 

exceedingly low. 

HAILE MINE. 

The Haile (formerly called Halea) mine is situated on Lynches Creek, 3~ miles northeast 

of Kershaw, in the southern part of Lancaster County, S.C. It is the property of the Haile 

Gold Mining Company, of New York City. · 

HISTORY AND PRODUCTION. 

This mine has been worked more or less continuously since about 1830 and during all that 

time has been one of the most important mines of the region. In early days leases were 

given on sections 50 feet square, and open cuts were made on these claims by slave labor. 

This was of course disastro.us to systematic, economic mining. The upper, oxidized portions 

of the ore bodies were rich and some of them yielded lumps of gold worth from $300 to $500. b 

Except during war time, open cutting was carried on until about 1880, when actual underground inin~ WRS begun and continued up to about four years ago. A return to the opencut system has been made, on a much larger scale than formerly . This mine, said to be the 

only steady dividend-paying gold mine in the Southern Appalachians, owes its success in 

recent years very largely to the intelligence and persistent efforts of Capt. Adolph Thies, 

who for nearly twenty years was its manager. Mr. E . A. Thies, his son and the present 

manager, is following the same policy. · 

Spilsburyc gives the production of the Haile mine up to 1883 as over $1,250,000, and it 

been said that the production since that time has been about $2,000,000, making the 

ted total production about $3,250,000~ As the company is a close organization, the 

of dividends paid is not known. 

DEVELOPMENT. 

The development of the Haile mine consists of a number of shafts, with drifts and crossand of three large open cuts. (Sec fig. 8.) The deepest shaft is the No.4 shaft of the 

workings, 350 feet deep, with levels at depths of 200, 270, and 3.50 feet. The bottom 

the No. 2 shaft connects at the 200-foot level. The drifting from these two shafts 

probably to 3,500 feet. A 130-foot winze has been sunk from the 350-foot level, 

of the No. 4 shaft. An old shaft at the Begue lin workings is about 180 feet deep and 

two levels aggregating about 1,200 feet. No. 5 shaft, to the west of No. 4, is 100 feet 

, with short levels at 60 and 100 feet. The Chase Hill shaft is also about 100 feet deep. 

is a 60-foot shaft on Red Hill, northeast of the Cross workings. 

The principal open cut is the Haile pit, about 250 feet long and 200 feet wide by 180 feet 

. A diabase dike crosses the middle of this cut and, being barren, has been left in 

to serve as a pillar. On the east side of this dike open cutting was carried down about 

00 feet and then the cut wa.s filled with waste. The west side, called the new Haile pit, is 

· worked at present at a depth of 180 feet, a chute connecting to a short intermediate 

at 185 feet, and thenee to the 200-foot level of the No.2 shaft, where the ore is hoisted. 

a Lieber, op. cit., vol. 1, p. 60. b Lieber. op. cit., vol. 1, p. 62. Lakes, A., Mines and Minerals, vol. 21, 1900, p. 56. cTrans. Am. Inst. Min. Eng., vol. 12, 1884, p. 102. 
78 GOLD AND TIN DEPOSITS OF SOUTHERN APPALACHIANS. 

The Bumalo cut, 300 feet long and 100 feet wide, lies just east of the Haile cut. It is about 

100 feet deep, but is connected and practically continuous with large underground stopes 

which reach below the 270-foot level. The Beguelin cut, 1,500 feet northwest of the Haile 

cut, consists essentially of two pits, about 120 feet deep, separated by a wide dike of diabase. 

The eastern pit is 200 feet long by about 125 feet wide; the west pit is about l 20 feet 

square. Considerable prospecting has been done by diamond drills and well-drilling 

machines, of which a fuller description is given on page 86. 

Among the surface developments may be mentioned a narrow-gage steam tramway connecting mines and mills, a 60-st amp amalgamation and concentration mill, and a barrelchlorination mill, in addition to shaft houses, office buildings, etc. 

N 

Diabase 

~Barren quartz vein Scale of' feet 

0 500 

FIG. 8.-Sketch map showing location of the principal ore bodies of the Haile mine. A, New Haile 

pft; B, Old Haile pit; C, Bumalo pit; D, Beguelin pit. 

GEOLOGY. 

The geology of the Haile mine has often been described, but seldom in detail. Becker 

and Nitze. b give the best descriptions. The country rock is a quartz-sericite schist and i 

described petrographically on pages 15-16. The microscope shows i~ to have been derive 

by foliation from a porphyry tuff, probably granite porphyry tuff or quartz-monzonit 

porphyry tuff. c These tuffs were well bedded and this structure is preserved in som 

places. About 300 feet northeast of the chlorination mill the tramway cut exposes the tu 

ve~-y plainly bedded in thin layers which on decomposition have assumed different colors 

causing the banding to appear prominently. At this particular spot the rock has suffere 

only slight foliation, so that although it possesses a recognizable fissility the banding ha 

been scarcely disturbed. Tiny cubical cavities lined with limonite indicate that pyrite wa 

30;_~~~d fields of the Southern Appalachians: Sixteenth Ann. Rept. U.S. Geol. Survey, pt. 3,1895, pp 

b Bull. North Carolina Geol. Survey No.IO, 1897, pp.l25-126. cCf. Becker, loc. cit. 
HAILE GOLD MINE. · 79 

once present. On the 60-foot level of the No.5 shaft the same rock is seen in an unoxidized 

state. It is light gray in color, fairly soft, and exceedingly well bedded, so that thin layers 

can be separated from it. Under the microscope. it is found to be somewhat silicified and 

pyritized. Remains of original bedding are easily recognizable in very siliceous ore from 

certain parts of the Haile and Beguelin cuts. 

This tuff is composed of fragments of almost microscopic size.· The assortment is nice, 

larger grains of quartz, feldspar, or mica being only rarely present, and it is in consequence 

natural to conclude that these are water-laid deposits. In-this place in the No. 5 shaft 

. some ma~ses have almost entirely escaped shearing and the banding is perfect. From this 

. extreme can be traced every gradation, through areas showing a slight disturbance of the 

bands and those in which remains of the banding is barely visible to dense rock with marked 

fissility or foliation and no indication of original bedding. In all places where bedding has 

been observed the foliation due to subsequent movement has been in general parallel to the 

. original bedding planes. Minor local exceptions occur, the schistosity being oblique to the 

bedding. In several such instances the rock has a decided foliation across the bedding and 

yet the movement which produced this foliation was of so slight an amplitude that it requires 

a second look to be sure that the beds are faulted at all. Foliation or fissility is as well preserved in some of the silicified ore as in the less altered schist, but in general the soft sericitic 

rocks possess much more decided schistosity than the dense siliceous ores. 

Of the few feldspar fragments which ran be identified with certainty, no further classification can be made. Alteration has in most cases changed the feldspar fragments into sericite. 

When the rock has been foliated thi ~ fibrous mica gives a silvery Juster to the cle~v:age ~urfaces and has led to the application of the name t alc schists to these rocks. ·'"'"'\s a matter of 

fact, these rocks do not contain talc, as has been pointed out by Nitze,a who cites the following analyses by Baskerv·ille: 

Analyses if quartz-sericite schist from the Haile mine. 

1. 2. 1. 2. 

-------------- -------T ---------- ------------------------1 ----------

8102 .. . ... . ... . ... .-.......... . . . 

AbOa .......... .. ....... . .... . ... . 

FeO ........................ . .... . 

CaO ......... ................... . • 

MgO . ..... . . . .. . . . . . . . ........ . .. . 

MnO .. . ....... .... . ..... . ..... . . . 

44.61 

31.57 

3. 55 

.20 

. 22 

.16 

61.02 

25.54 

4.46 

.60 

.14 

Na20 ......... ..... . ... . ........ . 6. 96 2.19 

K20 . . ..... .. ........ · .. . ......... . 6. 97 1. 81 

H20 ...................... . ...... . .'}.80 4.20 

100. 04 99. 96 

The difference in these two nalyses is probably not to be attributed to initial dissimilarity 

of the rocks, but rather to th fact that the fairly unaltered sericite-schist, represented by 

analysis No. 1, has been silici ed to the extent shown by No. 2. This silicification, which 

can be well represented by spkcimens and thus studied under the microscope, proves genera.lly to correspond in intensi t.Yil with the amount of foliation, although in the case of extreme 

li,.._,ti,.."h"n traces of former tructure have been quite destroyed and the rock is simply a 

assive, siliceous "hoi·nstone( Pyrite is a common constitwmt of all these phases of rock 

in a general way corresponds in amount with the degree of silicification. This concluis reached only after mic ·oscopic study, for in the soft, less silicPous schists the pyrite 

in crystals of a size rea ily detected hy the eye, while in the hal'd silicified rocks it is 

in abundance, but in uch exceedingly minute crystals that they appear small even 

a high power. These chists strike N. 40° to 60° E. and dip from 45° to 80° NW .. 

Pl. V.) 

Massive granite, similar to that in the tin belt farther west, is exposed about 2 miles 

east of the mine and m y occur, covered by soil and sands, at a considerably less 

a'Bull. Nor h Carolina Geol. Survey No. 3, 1896, p. 34. 
80 GOLD AND TIN DEPOSITS OF SOUTHERN APPALACHIANS. 

Several dikes of diabase close to the mine workings strike north-northwesterly across the 

foliation of the schist. (See map, fig. 8.) These are approximately vertical. A small 

decomposed diabase dike east of the Bumalo pit has a northerly strike and a steep dip to the 

east, and a narrow dike of diabase, also decomposed, exposed in the Beguelin cut, is parallel 

to the foliation of the surrounding rocks. (See Pl. VI.) In the description of the ore bodies, 

these dikes will be referred to and designated by their width, which is given on the map. In 

the Haile pit, as has been said, the ore bas been mined away from the 27-foot dike, leaving it 

standing up as a partition between the two sides of the pit. In the new pit a side fully 150 feet 

square is exposed (Pl. IV). Near the surface this exposure affords a good example of the formation of residual soil. In the lower portion the dike has an uneven wall, the surface being 

billowed and looking shriveled or folded, much like an elephant's skin. The larger irregularities are rudely parallel corrugations and indicate the dip of the inclosing schists. The appearance of the dike suggests that it was intruded when the surrounding rocks were in a plastic 

condition, which certainly was not the case. Along the walls of these diabase dikes the miners 

find a layer of soft, muddy material which they term a "binder," and which doubtless represents an outer zone of decomposition. This binder is removed at the same time as the ore. 

It may be that the varying thickness of this decomposed portion bas caused the irregularities 

in the surface of what remains, but if that is the case it is difficult to understand why these 

irregularities correspond with the dip of the schist. It seems more probable that the fracture through which the molten diabase came was influenced by the structure of the rocks in 

which it formed and hence did not develop along a perfect plane, but as an undulating crack. 

A petrographic description of the diabase of the region is given on page 23. 

Where crosscuts and drifts penetrate these dikes away from the ore bodies, there is little 

alteration of the quartz-sericite schist at the contact with the diabase. The schist is baked 

or hardened a. little for a few inches from the dike and shows a slight sheeting parallel with 

and dose to the dike. Surface waters have been able to follow the crevice between dike and 

schist and have oxidized both rocks to a small extent. The diabase has usually suffered 

most in this respect. Small crystals of gypsum occur in the joints of both rocks where this 

oxidation has been moderate. Where the dikes cut the silicified schist of the ore bodies, the 

changes which they cause are even less marked and are practically negligible. There is no 

noticeable difference in the character of the diabase where it cuts the barren, unsilicified 

schist and where it breaks through the silicified rock of the ore bodies. 

CHARACTER AND OCCURRENCE OF THE ORE. 

The ore bodies of the H~tile mine typify the class of replacement deposits previous} 

described. They consist of large lenses of altered tuff which has been subjected to certai 

changes in composition. This alteration is of comparatively simple nature, consistin 

mainly of a silicification and pyritization of the porous tuffs. In most cases these tw 

processes appear to have gone on simultaneously, so that although the pyrite is the minera 

which carries the greater portion of the gold, the degree of silicification usually correspond 

so closely to the degree of pyritization that it is commonly accepted as a rough measure o 

the richness of the ore. Soft. unsilicified schist is an unwelcome discovery, while rock s 

silicified that it will strike fire under the hammer is always looked on as a favorable indi 

cation. In general, the distribution of these replacing minerals is fairly uniform, producin 

a hard, bluish ore, usually with a lustrous fracture, due to the sericite, and containing dis 

seminated pyrite, of which much is too fine in grain to be readily seen. Under the micr 

scope this ore is seen to consist mainly of small polygonal grains of quartz with swarms c 

minute pyrite crystals, both cubes and octahedrons, scattered all through; sericite shred 

and occasional fragments of biotite and remnants of a feldspar individual occur betwee 

the quartz grains. The rock which has suffered most intense silicification is a fine-graine 

aggregate of quartz and pyrite, with sparing fibers of sericite. 

Here and there the replacement of the original rock has not gone on evenly. Ligh 

colored veinlets, occurring either singly or in numbers, closely spaced, probably represer 
SIDE OF DIABASE DIKE EXPOSED IN THE HAILE PIT. 

Major corrugations represent d1p of ore-bearing rock which has been mined away. Vertical streaks due to 

water stains. 

HAILE GOLD MINE. 81 

very narrow fractures which allowed an especially easy passage for the solutions and 

consequently the extreme silicification of the adjoining rock. In a few instances these 

crevices have been wide enough to allow the deposition of quartz filling in addition to the 

replacement which has occurred along the walls. A few of these quartz veins are (jutside 

the limits of the ore bodies and nearly all of them carry little or no values. It is possible 

that they were formed a little later than the general silicification which produced the ore 

bodies. A large, worthless vein of this sort outcrops strongly back of the stamp mill, and 

is shown in fig. 8. A smaller v~in or lens, practically barren, is encountered in the Bumalo 

cut. 

There are likewise places where the deposition of pyrite has been espeCially marked, 

producing masses which in some cases are nearly solid sulphide. These, too, are usually 

tabular in form, but can not be definitely referred to fractures, as can the quartz veins. 

Bodies of this kind, rich in . pyrite, associated with molybdenite (heretofore assumed to 

be graphite) and carrying good gold values, occur near the hanging wall of the Haile ·ore 

body in the new Haile pit. The molybdenite occurs especially along narrow parallel bands 

in the pyrite and shows the effect of sliding motion, or slickensides. Gold occurs free on 

these smooth surfaces of the molybdenite in excessively thin flakes, which seem to have 

been deposited before motion ceased. Pyrrhotite occurs sparingly in some of the Beguelin 

ore. An irregular bunch of pyrite, said to contain a considerable proportion of zinc, but 

only a small amount of gold, was found at the northeast end of the Beguelin pit, at a depth 

of about 75 feet. 

Gold occurs in three conditions in the Haile ores-native gold as originally deposited, 

free gold deriv_ed from the oxidation of inclosing ,pyrite, and gold in the pyrite. In either 

of the first two states the gold can usually be recovered by amalgamation,· although the 

gold freed by oxidation is sometimes "rusty, , . i. e., covered with a thin film of resistant 

material, perhaps iron oxide, which protects the gold from the mercury and thereby prevents amalgamation. In the unaltered pyrite only a small proportion of the gold is 

attacked by mercury and another process is required in order to save the values. 

There is possibly still another way in which the gold occurs. Some specimens from the 

Beguelin cut, now in the H::ile office, show thin flakes of gold in narrow cracks or joints in 

blue unoxidized rock. These specimens give the impression that the gold has been carried 

and deposited in these crevices. by solutions later than the original ore solutions-probably 

by surface waters which have obtained the gold by dissolving it from the original ore. 

Thin sheets of pyrite, many of them with a radial structure, occur similarly in narrow cracks 

likewise suggest secondary deposition. The free gold associated with molybdenite 

also have been deposited in this way. It has been impossible to determine whether 

not secondary enrichment, i. e., solution from upper portions and redeposition at a 

ower le'\Tel, has actually taken place; but the possibility that such has been the case seems 

ther strong and has already been considered on pages 65-67. . 

Broken pyritic ore lying exposed_ to the air very readily undergoes oxidation, with th~ 

uction of so much sulphuric acid that, to save the plates from injury, such ore is not 

arrtalJ~ainate<i, but sent to the concentrators direct. In this case a narrow string of the 

free gold leads the headings down the Wilfley . tables. Oxidation underground 

also proceeding rapidly, and in nearly every drift iron-laden waters are depositing layers 

limonite. The comparatively small amount of water which the mine makes is held at 

350-foot level by pumping. 

VALUE OF THE ORE. 

The Haile is essentiaily a low-grade mine. Although rich nuggets have been found in 

decomposed upper portions of the ore bodies, as already men:tioned, and these upper 

· as a whole doubtless held good values, the great bulk of the ore has been of so low 

that the utmost care has been demanded in the extraction of the gold to make the 

1pe1:at1ons profitable. 

Bull. 293-06-· -6 
82 GOLD .AND TIN DEPOSITS OF SOUTHERN A.PP.A.L.A.OHI.A.NS. 

In 1883 the average value of the ore, which had been mined down to a depth of 75 feet, 

was estimated at about $11 per ton.a In 1887 the values were said to average $5 to $10, 

with $6 as a fair mean.b By 1900 $4 was col,lSidered to be the average gold content. c At 

the present time it is probable that the average value of the ore that goes to the mill is 

little if any above $3 per" ton. 

This marked decrease in value may be attributed to several causes. In the first place, 

there can be little doubt that the actual richness of the deposit has steadily decreased from 

the surface down. Second, instead of mining along certain rich places or zones, as was 

done in the early days, with resulting irregular workings, the mining now takes everything 

as it comes, rich and low grade alike, down to a certain limit of value. Third, reduced 

costs have made it possibl~ to work at a profit ore which twenty or thirty years ago was 

worthless, and in consequence work is now deliberately carried into what would then have 

been considered the walls of the deposits. In some respects, therefore, the decrease in 

value of the ore is to the mine's credit, indicating that much more material is available for 

treatment than there could have been under the early conditions. The fact that the 

comparatively rich· ore has been exhausted and that mining operations have been forced 

toward the outer limits of the ore bodies, however, is of course a state of things which no 

company could desire. 

As for actual values of any given mass of ore at present, little information is to be had. 

Assays are not commonly made, and as a general rule the value of'the ore is mea~ured only 

by the recovery on the plates and by chlorination. As the ores from the several ore bodies 

are generally run through the mill promiscuously, it is difficult to determine the value of 

any one lot. When it is found that returns run below the line that separates profit from 

loss, steps are taken to determine which of the several localities where ore is then being 

mined is the cause of this decrease in value, and when this is known material from that 

place is not sent to the mill. 

It is not meant to imply here that these operations are conducted carelessly. The various 

processes-crushing, ~malgamating, concentrating, and chlorinating-have in the past 

been so carefully studied and so nicely perfected at this mine that it is believed that increase 

in percentage recovery would cost more than the value of the extra gold saved. With the 

total cost charged against the ore standing at about $1.60 per ton, it is doubtful if ore running much less than $2 is intentionally carried to the mill. In the Haile pit certain zones 

carrying heavy pyrite, considerable molybdenite, and some free gold carry $12 to $14 per 

ton, and at a depth of 200 feet, just below the bottom of the Haile pit, some $40 ore has 

been found. These values, $2 and $40, probably represent about the extremes at th 

present day. 

When mining was begun at the Haile practically all the gold was free, since ox·tdatwn 

was complete near the surface. As near as can be learned, the water level was at about 

feet. From that point downward sulphides have been increasingly important. In 

nineties a check on the value of the ore was kept by frequent p_anning, the amount of 

gold being approximately proportional to the total value of the ores. . As greater 

were reached the proportion of the total value occurring as free gold decreased still 

and is now about one-fourth; and much of the ore now worked profitably shows no 

in panning. Visible free gold in the coarse. ore is rare. It occurs most commonly as 

flakes on the molybdenite in the Haile pit. 

Pyrite ranging in amount from 1 or 2 up to 30 per cent of the ore is saved by the 

tables. The value of the tailrngs is not known to the writer, but the extreme fineness 

the pyrite grains makes it probable that an appreciable quantity of pyrite is lost. 

loss in concentration a few years ago was said to be 15 to 20 per cent,d and was uuuu"1"'''" 

attributable in large part to this small size of the pyrite grains. The ore is cm1centJ~at1e< 

a Spilsbury, E. G., Trans. Am. Inst. Min. Eng., vol. 12, 1884, p. 101. b Idem, vol. 15, 1887, pp. 77G-771. c Lakes, A., Mines and Minerals, vol. 21, 1901, p. 56. a Nitze, H. B. C., Bull. North Carolina Geol. Survey No. 10, 1897, p. 137. 


MINE. 83 

about 12 to 1 on the average, arid the e concentrates are very clea~, seldom containing over 

15 and often under 10 per cent of ro k. The pyritic portion of the concentrates is practically pure iron sulphide, with only a sl ght amount of copper and occasional traces of. arsenic. 

These concentrates range in value f om only a few dollars up to $40 and more per ton. 

Between 90 and 95 per cent of their alue is extracted by the Thies process of roasting and 

chlorination. It is probable that the otal extraction is a. little under 80 per cent of the assay 

value of the ore. · 

A point. to which the miners unani ously hold, but for which an adequate explanation 

has not yet been found, is the decided influence of jo!nts on the value of the ore. This feature seems to be best illustrated in the Haile ore bo.dy, but is said to apply also to the Bumalo 

and Beguelin deposits. There are th ee fairly well-defined systems of joints in the ore of 

the Haile pit. One system, approxi ately vertical and at a right angle to the strike, has 

little or no effect on the values excep at the southwest end of the body, where the joints 

appear to be the boundary of the payfre. Joints parallel to the foliation of the rocks likewise ha.ve little influence on the valu . Joints of the third system, running hom foot to 

hanging wall perpendicular to. the dip and called" floors," are said to have a decided effect 

on the values. For a few inches on e ch side of them, partie larly on the underside, the ore 

is said to be better than elsewhere, an there is also said to be a difference in value between 

any two. These floors are well sho in Pl. V. They have every appearance of being of 

later formation than the ore, and wh they ~hould so affect the valu~ is not known, unless 

secondary enrichment has taken plac along them; and that is probably not the case. 

ORE BODI ES. 

The-most remarkable feature of the Haile mine is its large ore bodies. Some idea of the 

size of these has already been given in the description of the developments. Roughly 

outlined on the surface by the presen e of float gold the principal ore bodies were at once 

recognized. Subsequent work has r ulted in the three large open cuts...::._the Haile, Bumalo, and Beguelin pits. As the gra e of ore which could be profitably treated progressed 

lower and lower, these workings have een extended into the outer portions of the deposits. 

All these principal ore bodies, which re lenticular in form, are influenced in their position 

by the structure of the ~ocks in whic they occur. In other words, their longest horizon-· 

tal dimension lies in a northeast-south est direction, and they dip to the northwest. 

The Haile ore body is an irregular le s of altered tuff whose foliation strikes about N. 40° 

E., and dips on the average 55° NW. This foliated structure is preserved in the ore, as well 

as in the unaltered tuff, and is well sh~wn in Pl. V, which is a view toward the hanging wall 

of the n~w Haile ~it near i~s bottom. : H the field of the photograph extended a l.it~e farther 

to the nght, the diabase dike shown Pl. IV could be seen. Pl. V also shows mCidentally 

the method of breaking the ore, whic practically amounts to quarrying. The ore body 

following this rock structure is about 200 feet long from northeast to southwest, and on the 

average 100 feet thick at a right angl to the walls. From a description of the old Haile 

pit, now filled in and inaccessible, an from what can be seen underground, the northeast 

end of the deposit seems to narrow up lens-like, tillfinally pay ore practically ceases: At 

the southwest, however, at least fcir t upper 200 feet, the boundary between pay ore and 

rock of too low grade to be worked i roughly a plane running approximately vertically 

across the deposit. There is in some ases even a joint or break at this place, on one side 

of which ore occurs and on the other ractically worthless rock. This suggests the possibility of faulting along a plane paralle to the 27 -foot dike, but there is no other evidence 

of such an occurrence. It is difficult, owever, to explain the sudden cutting off of the values and _of the alteration which produ1ed them. . . . 

About 100 feet below the surface, at he-southwest end of the pit, a small bunch of quartz 

v'"''u"'"'u holding some free gold. At 30 feet, about midway between ~he foot and hangng walls, at the same end of the pit, a h rse of well-foliated sericite schist, soft in comparison 

the surrounding silicified ore, jut into. the pit, and continues with the general dip as 

as work has gone. Just northwest 'f this, or toward the hanging wall, the ore is heavily 
84 GOLD AND TIN DEPOSITS OF SOUTHERN APPALACHIANS. 

impregnated with pyrite along a zone 2 or 3 feet wide. Narrow bands of molybdenite 

carrying free gold occur with the pyrite. This ore is said to run $12 to $15. Not far from 

the hanging wall is another similar streak. 

The foot wall, exposed for practically the full width of the new pit, has a smooth, distinct 

surfac~ with large horizontal waves or undulations. It is approximately parallel to the 

foliation of the rocks. Several crosscuts into the foot wall have demonstrated the absence 

of pay values beyond this surface. The line of demarcation between ore and waste is therefore rather sharp. Much of the hanging-wall rock 'has necessarily been broken .to prevent 

its caving in. The nature of the transition from ore to waste is therefore not so well exposed 

as on the foot-wall side of the deposit. Crosscuts from the ore into the hanging wall give 

some idea of this boundary of the ore body, and while the change from ore to unprofitable 

rock appear~ to be less abrupt than on the foot wall, nevertheless the values decrease rapidly away from the present stopes. These facts mean that no matter how much the processes 

of winning the gold are cheapened in the future, the limits of this ore body are already set, 

so far as lateral extent is concerned. Similar conditions exist in the Bumalo and Beguelin 

bodies. Less satisfactory evidence leads to the same conclusion regarding the longitudinal 

extension of future pay values. In depth, too, it is plain that the various ore bodies are 

not indefinite. In the Haile body some very good ore, running as high as $40 per ton, has 

been found at the 200-foot level, a little below the present bottom of the Haile"pit. Some 

stoping has been done between the 200-foot and 270-foot levels on the Haile ore body, 

and more ore from pillars and from the lower-grade periphery can probably be taken out 

profitably when the open cut reaches that depth. But below the 270-foot level the values 

are low, and unless relatively rich pockets or lenses are discovered the time must be expected 

when the ore will become so lean that with the increasing cost as depth is-attained it-will be 

impossible to mine with profit. A drift on the 350-foot level runs under the continuation of 

this ore body and encounters material carrying values that are appreciable, but too low to 

pay for mining. It appears, therefore, that the ore bodyhas a greater extent downward than 

horizontally, but it seems likely that the limit of workable ore includes much less ground. 

In the Bumalo ore body the principal differences from the Haile are those of dimensions. 

The main portion of the cut, about 250 feet longl is lagged over at a depth of about 100 feet, 

and thus separated from stopes which continue downward almost 200 feet farther. This 

ore body, striking about northeast and dipping to the northwest at a little lower angle 

than the Haile body, has a decided pitch north-northeast in the plane of foliation. It is 

narrower than the Haile deposit, averaging perhaps 40 feet perpendicular to the walls. A 

large quartz lens near the surface is inclosed in the ore body. It is practically barren, 

although the miners believe that the ore near it is a little richer than at a distance. At a 

depth of 45 feet a northeasterly drift was run from the end of the Bumalo cut. Low-grade 

ore was encountered as far as the 192-foot dike. The drift was continued through the dike, 

but no ore was found on the east side. A small diabase dike with northerly strike occurs 

just east of the main workings. It is much decomposed and does not carry values. A 

big stope on the 200-foot level is now inaccessible. On the 270-foot level uneven distribution 

of the values has resulted in irregular stopes, both steep and flat, separated by large and 

small pillars of lower-grade rock. Pay ore was found to stop about 25 feet below the 270-

foot level. The pitch of the deposit has carried it to the 192-foot dike on this level. The 

350-foot level explores the continuation of this ore body. Appreciable values are encountered where the ore would be expected, but nothing of workable grade has been found 

Just west of the 192-foot dike a 130-foot winze has been sunk, inclined northward at 75°, 

in the hope of striking a new pay shoot, but only low-grade values were found. The 3.50-foot 

level continues on through tbe 192-foot diabase dike, but fails to reach ore. The position 

of the narrow diabase dike on the east side of the 192-foot dike shows that little or no faul 

has taken place along the latter. 

In view of the recumbent position of this ore body, necessitating the removal of 

waste from the hanging wall, the extraction of the material re:maining below-the 
U. S. GEOLOGICAL. SURVEY BULLETIN NO. 293 PL. VI 

BEGUELIN ORE BODY, HAILE MINE. 

Showing dip and interfoliated d iabase dike now decomposed. Looking west. 

HAILE GOLD MINE. 85 

level as pillars and as low-grade boundaries will be increasingly expensive by continuation 

of the open cut. Fig. 9 shows the distribution of values in the Bumalo cut. 

The Beguelin ore body is in general character similar to the two already described. It 

is cut in two by the 130-foot dike without f!tulting. Ore e:xtends along the strike of the 

schists about N. 60° E. for nearly 300 feet on each side of the dike. Near the northeast 

end of the ore body the 27-foot dike, which has split, .crosses the ore. Just outside the ore 

body, in the hanging wall, a 3-foot dike of much decomposed diabase, called a "clay" dike, 

parallels the strike and dip of the ore. Pl. VI gives a view of this interfoliated dike as 

exposed at the southwest end of the pit. The average thickness of the Beguelin deposit is 

about 70 feet. In depth the ore reaches to about 170 feet, and there quickly drops off in 

value. Most of the richest ore was taken out to this depth by underground workings. 

Open cutting was then begun. The open cut east of the dike is 160 feet deep and has 

practically exhausted that end of the ore body. At the northeast end, perhaps 40 feet 

below the surface, were found the specimens showing free gold in the joints described on 

pages 63 and 64. About 50 feet northeast of this place and 35 feet deeper a small body of 

heavy pyrite, carrying so!lle zinc, was struck, and 100 tons were shipped for the manufacture 

Scale so 100 150 feet 

FIG. 9.-Longitudinal projection (·approximate) on -plane of deposit of the Bumalo ore body, Haile 

mine. 

of sulphuric acid. On the southwest side of the dike the open cut had been carried ,to a depth 

of 120 feet at the time of visit, and had almost reached the southwest~rn limit to ~hich 

underground mining had been carried. (See Pl. VII.) Still farther southwest of this 

point for over a hundred feet values are encountered, but they are so low that it is doubtful 

if mining can be extended there. The demarcation of this material from the surrounding 

rock, however, is such as to place it as part of the ore body, and it has so been shown in 

fig. 10. 

Silicified and pyritized tuff carrying gold values is known in several other places. Assays 

have been. obtained at several points northwest of the Beguelin pit, but up to the p~esent 

time no further prospecting has been done in that locality. On a small elevation known 

as Chase Hill, ·several hundred feet northeast of the Beguelin cut, some shallow open pits 

have been dug on siliceous rock, with numerous quartz-rich streaks. Pyrite, once plentiful; 

has been mostly oxidized and carried away, leaving the rock crumbling and stained. The 

strike of these pits is in dire~t line with that of the Beguelin., and it seems highly probable 

that the two ore bodies are connected by a band of lower-grade material somewhere underground if not at the surface. The Chase Hill deposits, although explored underground as 
86 GOLD AND TIN DEPOSITS OF SOUTHERN APPALACHIANS. 

well as by surface workings, have never been important producers and are not now being 

worked. On Red Hill, 500 or 600 feet northeast of the Bumalo pit, considerable ore was 

once mined from open cuts reaching down to the limit of complete oxidation-about 60 

feet. The body here, a lens which lines up well with the Haile deposit, has a maximum 

thickness of 100 feet. Considerable exploration in the way · of diamond drilling and well 

drilling has been carried on here recently to determine if lower portions of this deposit 

would constitute profitable ore, but the writer learns from Mr. Thies that the values encountered were not very high and exploitation has ceased. · It may be remarked h~re that 

6- to 10-inch wells drilled by machines of the Keystone type have been found at this mine 

to be decidedly cheaper for holes down to 500 or 600 feet than diamond drills, and that the 

bailed drillings give a much more satisfactory indication of the values passed through 

than do diamond-drill cores. 

About 150 feet northwest of the Haile pit the 185-foot level entered much jointed and 

fractured silicified rock which carried no yisible free gold but averaged $8 per ton on assay. 

This body, about 30 feet in diameter, extended about 40 feet above and 25 feet below the 

level. A raise to this. body from the 270-foot level passed through several streaks of $5 

ore. Thirty feet west of the northwest corner of the Haile pit ~n old ·level 115 feet below 

the surface encountered $3 ore in amount too-·small to warrant extraction. On the 200-foot 

SW 

Altered ~ volcanic tuff 

0 

-

Pay ore 

.Sca le· of feet 100 200 300 

~ 

~ Diabase 

400 

FIG. 10.-Vertical section (approximate) of the Beguelin ore _body, Haile mine. 

level, about 100 feet northeast of the No. 4 shaft, 75 tons of ore exhausted ·a small body 

occurring near but apparently not related to a quartz vein. 

At a depth of 20 feet the No. 5 shaft reached ore assaying $4.50 per ton. This proved 

to be the top of a chimney-like body 15 feet in diameter, which ceased at a depth of42 feet. 

A northeast crosscut from the bottom of the 100-foot shaf~ extends for 130 feet through 

material assaying 50 cents to $2 per ton and then reaches a practically barren hanging wall. 

The values are to~ low to warrant further development of this body .. A well 4.00 feet deep 

about midway between the Haile and Beguelin pits gave evidence of quartz and silicified 

schist carrying pyrite with traces of gold. 

A recent letter from Mr. E. A. Thies, manager of the mine, reports the discovery of a 

new ore body about 300 feet southwest of the 130-foot diabase dike on the continuation 

of the strike of the . Beguelin deposit. Twelve holes have been drilled and inqicate that 

the values rapidly decrease below 140 feet. Two hundred feet farther to the southwest 

drill holes indicate the presence of a large decomposed diabase dike cutting across the 

rock structure. . 

This new ore body, with th~ Beguelin and the Chase Hill pits, constitutes a zone almost 

1,500 feet long, parallel to the foliation of the country rock and at a right angle to the main 

diabase dikes. This, it seems to the writer, is another argument against the existence of~ 
U. S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY BULLETIN NO. 293 PL. VII 

Showing old levels and stopes exposed by open cut. 
, 
COLOSSUS GOLD MIN 87 

genetic relation between the dikes and the ore. This su ject is more fully discussed on 

·pages 70-72. 

While considerable ore of workable grade remains in th ore bodies now dev!:)loped, the 

new deposit recently discovered and others like it must be looked to if the mine is long to 

continue as .an important producer. It may be that ore bodies possibly of equal grade 

with those already known exist along the same general zo e at greater depth, but it is not 

so probable that, they can be discovered and worked at a profit. The possibility that 

secondary enrichment has effected the value of the known eposits is too uncertain to allow 

prediction as to the value of bodies below the surface. Of the bodies which reach the surface, it is probable that the richest are already known, bu it is reasonable to believe that 

along the strike of these known deposits others of wor ble grade exist an~ might be 

discovered by careful surface prospecFng. 

COLOSSUS MINE • 

. The Colossus mine i~ situated in Union County, N. C., bout 4 miles south of Waxhaw, 

on the Seaboard Air Line, and about Smiles from th~ Sou h CaroTina line. Until recently 

it was called the Howie a or Huey b mine, and was once kn wn as the Cureton mine: c At 

one time it was one. of a group known as the Grand Uni n. Gold mine.d It was worked 

certainly as early as the fifties and probably earlier t4an th t. Before the war Commodore 

Stockton owned and operated the mine and it was someti es known as the Stockton mine. 

Considerable ore was taken out at that time. About fifte n years ago the mine was again 

worked and the production considerably augmented. So e three years ago a company 

began to cyanide the amalgamation tailings from former perations. The Colossus Gold 

Mining and Milling Company now has control of the pr perty and was working rather 

extensively at the time of visit, This company has its h ad office at Nazareth, Pa., and 

Mr. William B. Shaffer is manager. 

No definite information is to be had regarding the pro uction of this mine. Some say 

that a million has been produced, others half a million. In 1856 it was stated that the 

profit per month was $18,000 to $20,000 clear. e The cy niding operation of a few years 

ago is said to have yielded $36,000. 

The development consists of .four shafts with rather s ort levels and several trenches. 

The Bull Face shaft was started as an incline, but fifteen years ago it was made vertical 

and carried to a depth of 160 feet. Later an incline was started from the 120-foot level 

of the vertical shaft and carried downward about 200 fee J so that th~. total depth of the 

shaft is about 320 feet. Only a small amount of drifting as been done. Active pumping 

had lowered the water to 220 feet in November, 1904. Th Old Nettie and the New Nettie 

shafts, both sunk under former management, are nearly lied with water and are much 

caved. It is said that the New Nettie shaft is over300 fee deep. The Pansy shaft, which 

was put down by the present company, is 104 feet deep an has perhaps 200 feet of drif_ting 

and crosscutting at its bottom. An old open slope or tre ch exposes the upper portion of 

the ore body. . -

In the way of surface development there is a small hois ing plant over the Pansy shaft, 

besides office buildings, assay office, etc. A 500-ton cya ide plant was .well under construction at the time of visit. It is the intention of the ompany to work ·the mine as a 

large open cut, to break the ground by quarrying methods, aise and carry the ore in buckets 

by an aerial tramway reaching to the mill, dry crush by oils to 30 mesh, and leach with 

cyanide in large vats, · 

The geology of the Colossus mine is very similar to tha Foliated quartzsericite schists retain enough of their original character to show that they were porphyry 

a Emmons, E., Geol. Survey North Carolina, 1856, p. 133. b Lieber, op. cit., vol. 1, p. 56. c Kerr and Hanna, Ores of North Carolina (chap. 2 of Geology f North Carolina, vol. 2), 1893, p.237. d Kerr and Hanna, op. cit., p. 261. · e Lieber, op. cit., vol. 1, p. 43. 
88 GOLD .AND 'J'IN DE:POSITS Of SOUTHERN .APP .AL.AOHIANS. 

"' 

tuffs. Fragments of feldspar-microcline, microperthite, and plagioclase-and of brownish 

' biotite are readily discernible 'in most of the microscopic sections of the rocks. The foliation of these schists, which appears in all cases to represent original bedding, strikes N. 55° 

to 65° E. and dips northwest at an angle of almost 90°. These schists have been silicified 

along certain bands which appear to represent shear zones. Where unoxidized, the resulting 

siliceous rock is dense and bluish, with lustrous cleavage faces almost identical with the 

Haile ore except that at the Colossus the banding is generally better preserved. .A pronounce~ jointing has taken place, evidently since the silicification of the schists. These 

joints dip 80° to 90° SW. and strike about N. 35° W. .Along these principal joints several 

dikes of diabase of similar character to that at the Haile mine have been intruded. - They 

range in width from 5 to 8 feet. These joints and dikes often fault the ore body. One dike 

to the northeast of the principal mine workings is said to displace the vein 300 feet laterally. 

It is said that in the case of all these faults the northeastern side is thrown to the northwest. 

The "Monroe" beds, which are known to exist a few miles to the northeast, have evidently 

been eroded away in the immediate vicinity of the Colossus mine and certainly have no 

connection with the ore: 

This mine is another excellent example of the replacement deposits of this region. The 

ore is decidedly similar to the Haile ore. It is hard, blue, siliceous rock, usually with decided 

fissility -or cleavage, and contains py~ite. As at the Haile mine, ore is 'limited to the silicified portions of the schists. Small quartz stringers, usually parallel to the foliation, give 

-the impression of almost complete replacement by silica of the rock adjoining narrow 

fractures. Pyrite is a little more ·abundant near these stringers than elsewhere. The 

zones of most intense silicification in general constitute the best ore." They exhibit a decided 

sheeting parallel to the original foliation and doubtless owe their existence to the fact that 

the ore-bearing solutions found readiest channels along sheeted zones. Oxidation is also 

more advanced along these sheeted zones than elsewhere, owing, without doubt, to the 

more easy penetration of solutions which they allow. Pyrite is less abundant and more 

evenly distributed through the ore than at the Haile mine and no molybdenite has been 

seen. 

The condition of most of the gold is a matter not definitely established. It is said at 

the mine that the greater part of the gold is free and also that there is very little pyrite 

present. The fact that mining was carried on fully 200 feet below the water level when 

amalgamation was· the only means of extraction employed would seem to strengthen this 

statement. The writer saw numerous specimens containing free gold, but all of them had 

suffered oxidation and in all the gold had the appearance of having been derived from 

pyrite. While it is true that pyrite is "not abundant, it is present in tiny grains all through 

the ore, in amount ample to contain all the gold which the assays show. A possible explanation of the presence of free gold below the water line may be found in an occurrence near 

the bottom of the Pansy shaft. Joints and crevices along which water from the surface travels with more or less ease show the effects of oxidation; the adjoining rock is 

stained brown or red and a red slime oozes down th~ walls. The ore is usually better near 

these places than elsewhere. Away from visible fractures of any kind, the hard, unstained 

·blue rock is often found to be porous, containing many minute cavities which correspond 

in form to pyrite crystals. Some of these cavities are partially filled with a light-colored 

crystalline substance which proves to be at least in large part ferrous carbonate. It is 

evident that some kind of solution, which probably means some kind of oxidation, has 

attacked the pyrite. It is equally evident that waters carrying dissolved oxygen, l~ke the 

ordinary surface waters, have not been active. It is possible that the pyrite has been 

oxidized and converted into a sulphate by sulphuric acid, or ferric sulphate, or both. Such 

a reaction may have necessitated the liberation of free sulphur or of sulphur dioxide, 

although evidence of neither of these was seen. It was impossible to decide how wide-

·spread this phenomenon has been, and free gold has not been detected in the cavities 

originally occupied by the pyrite; but it is possible that gold could in this way be liberated 

from the inclosing sulphide and form a free-milling ore below the limit of ordinary oxidation. 
COLOSSUS GOLD MI~. . 89 

The fact that of the ore milled during the former working of the mine a large percentage 

was not recovered is to the writer's mind an indication that considerable of the gold was 

contained in pyrite. On many of the numerous minor joints flat scales of pyrite occur1 

some of them with a rudely radiating structure.- These fractures and the pyrite in them 

have almost certainly been formed subsequent to the principal deposition of quartz and 

sulphide. This occurrence of pyrite is rather common in or near the porous rock from 

which pyrite has been removed and is perhaps a redeposition of the actual material which 

constituted the original pyrite crystals. Where oxidation has been marked, small flakes 

of gold are frequently found on joint faces, only loosely attached to the rock and presenting 

the appearance of having been derived from this probably secondary pyrite. If such is the 

case it would seem to argue in favor of secondary enrichment, or at least solution and 

redeposition of gold comparable to the secondary enrichment of copper. 

The ore which has been mined from the Colossus mine-has probably b'een of higher grade 

than that taken from the Haile mine. That near the surface was rich, some of it running 

over $200 per ton.a In the l~ter work the ore is said to have averaged about $15 per ton.b 

The tailings recently worked by cyanide had doubtless been subjected to some concentration by the action of the water which discharged them from the mill and by subsequent 

rains. They are said to have yielded from $3 to $15 of gold p·er ton. These values aref 

not justly comparable with those at the Haile mine, for there the bodies of ore worked 

have been extended to the greatest possible size by including rock of lower and lower grade, 

while up to the present only the richer shoots, much smaller in size, have been mined at the 

Colossus. Assays made by the present company are said to run from $2 to $2,000. The rock 

· broken in sinking the Pansy shaft is said to have averaged $8. As this is near the middle 

of what is considered the ore body, it is probable that the average value of the deposit 

will run somewhat under that figure. Lieber, writing in 1856, c states that the gold was 

worth 8n cents per pennyweight, which, on the assumption that the accompanying material 

was silver, would make the fineness of the gold about 0.840. Of the $36,000 extracted 

by cyanide, about $1,100 is said to have been silver, making the fineness of the gold recovered from the old tailings about 0.435. It is stated by Professor Hanna, who made many 

assays of this ore, that the fineness ranged from 0.725 to 0.775.d 

The old stopes are nQt extensive. A chimney-like ore shoot in the Bull Face workings 

was followed by the incline shaft. It pitches about 75° NE. At a depth of 140 feet the 

stope on this ore shoot is 20 feet wide ~nd 40 feet long. From 140 down to 220 feet the 

stope ranges from 20 to 30 feet in diameter. Below that depth-the water level at the time 

the mine was visited-the size of the stope was not known, although it is said that when 

the old work was stopped there was ore in the bottom of the shaft and ore was left on the / 

northeast side of the stope. The value of the rock forming the walls c;f this old stope was 

not learned by the writer. Of the stopes in the other old shafts practically nothing is known 

!it present. They probably followed shoots similar to that in the Bull Face. 

The Colossus Company has control of 10,000 feet along the strike of the deposit, and gold 

is known to occur at intervals throughout this extent, but adequate prospecting has been 

done on very little of the property. The portion whieh the company expects to mine at 

present is said to be 400 feet wide and perhaps 800 feet long. This body, approximately 

vertical, ·is parallel in its long direction to the foliation of the schists. At the bottom of 

the Pansy shaft crosscuts in each direction have been run about 100 feet. They show 

narrow strips of soft, almost . barren rock, which separates zones of ore, but which are of 

so small bulk that it is the belief of the company that the whole may be mined and milled.' 

In the writer's opinion-based, it is true, on a hasty and superficial examination of the 

_deposit-exploration bas not yet been sufficient to warrant so extensive preparations for 

milling as are being undertaken. It is questionable, moreover, if the straight cyanide 

process to be employed will sucessfully treat this sulphide ore. 

a Emmons, E., Geol. Rept. Midland Counties of North Carolina, 1856, p. 1314. b Cf. Nitze and Hanna, Bull. North Carolina Geol. Survey No.3, 1896, p. 105. 

cOp. cit., vol. 1, p. 57. d Kerr and Hanna, Ores of North Carolina (chap. 2 of Geology of~orth Carolina, vol. 2), 1893, p. 235. 

·-" I 

[ 
90- GOLD .AND TIN DEPOSITS OF SOUTHERN APP.AL.AOHI.ANS. 

BREWER MINE. 

The Brewer mine is situated on a branch of Lynch River, in Chesterfield County, S. C., 

about 4 miles southwest of Jefferson, on the Charlotte, Monroe and Columbia branch of the 

Seaboard .Air Line. It is about 10 miles northeast of the Haile mine. The property is 

being worked by Mr. B. J. Hartman, under lease from the DeSoto Mining Company. 

This was probably the first important producer in South Carolina,a and is even believed · 

by some to have been worked before the Revolutionary war.b In 1830 and 1831 from 

100 to 200 men were employed daily. c The first work was placer operations at what was 

known as the Tanyard deposit, which lies to the east of the present workings. · Later, placer 

methods were applied to the decomposed portions of the deposits in place. Just before 

the civil war Commodore Stockton worked the mine and . extracted the gold in Chilean 

mills and arrastres.d In the early eighties the Tanyard gravels were worked again, this 

time by hydraulicking. .A 5-stamp mill was erected in 1885, in 1889 a 40-stamp mill was 

put in, and in 1892 a Thies chlorination plant was added, but continued in operation only 

a short time. It is said that the bringing of damage suits arising from tailings debris was one 

cause of cessation at this time. Spasmodic attempts, including some experimentation with 

the cyanide process, have since been made to resume active operations, but have brought 

little success. .At present the mine is being worked on a small scale and the ore put through 

a 10-stamp mill with simple amalgamation. .About half a dozen men comprise the force. 

No idea of the production of this mine can be given. In the early days, when the output 

was probably at its greatest, no figures were made public. Probably several hundred 

thousand dollars have been taken from the mine. 

The principal developments consist of two great open cuts. The old mai~ pit is 140 

feet deep and 200 to 300 feet in diameter. .A tunnel extends eastward from the bottom 

1,200 feet and leads to the mill near the river. Other tunnels or drifts have been run in 

various directions from t-he bottom oft he pit. Several short levels, raises, and stopes 

make an irregular network underground, especially at the west side of the pit. .About 500 

feet southwest of this pit is another, ·more than 100 feet deep and about 150 feet in 

diameter. There is some thought of sinking this to the level of the bottom of the larger pit 

and connecting the two by a crosscut. In addition to these large cuts there are several 

shallow shafts and pits. The 40-stamp mill is in fair condition, but the chlorination 

plant has been demolished. The 10-stamp mill now being used is not well housed . 

.All geologists who have studied the Brewer mine have realized. the difficulty of obtai~ing 

satisfactory knowledge of it. It is certain that porphyritic rocks, in part tuffaceous and 

brecciated, have been acted on by silica- and ore-bearing solutions. The rocks thus acted 

on diff~r so greatly from those which have escaped most of this action that it is difficult 

to. decide if they were originally th~ same. The conclusion which seems most in accord 

with the facts is that all was once the same rock, but that intense brecciation, amounting 

almost to pulverization, affected some portions and left other masses only a little shattered. 

Then, when solutions sought to permeate this mass, they found easiest passage in th~ fr·agmental portions and there expended almost all their chemical and physical energy. The 

rock which remains least altered is a light-colored, fairly coarse-grained porphyry, 

with a small proportion of groundmass. The only recognizable original constituents are 

·sparing grains of quartz and abundant phenocrysts of a mineral whose identity has not yet 

been established. e The quartz is penetrated by numerous prismatic crystals, apparently 

of secondary origin, possibly topaz, and the unknown mineral is in the majority of cases 

a Cf. Lieber, op. cit., vol. 1, p. 67. . b Kerr and Hanna, op. cit., p. 234. 

cBecker, G. F., Gold fields of the Southern Appalachians.: Sixteenth Ann. Rept. U.S. Geol. Survey, pt. 3, 1895, p. 257. . 

· d Cf. Nitze and Wilkens, Bull. North Carolina Geol. Survey No. 10, 1897, p. 145. e Dr. W. F. Hillebrand is now working on the analysis of this mineral. The purest material which 

has been separated has the maximum specific gravity of topaz, 2.57. Analyses of less pure portions show that the minera.l has the same percentage of silica· ahd alumina as topaz, but appears to less fluorine. In addition to this chemical disparity, the optical properties differ markedly from those 

of topaz. It may very well be, therefore that this is a new mineral. It is hoped that definite information on this point will soon be obtained. 
BREWER GOLD MINE. 91 

much decomposed into sericite. Dark grains of a nonmagnetic titanium mineral are closely 

associated with this fluorine mineral. They may be ilmenite. Pyrite is present in crystalline grains impregnating both constituents. These less altered portions are practically 

valueless and have been left in place .as the ore has been mined away from them. They 

are known as dikes. In.all cases observed, however, they have no distinct walls, but gradually pass by increase of shattering and silicification into the dense bluish rock which constitutes the ore. On the surface this silicified ore is stained red from oxidation of the iron 

and well shows its brecciated character. Narrow veinlets of quartz, carrying a little pyrite, 

cut both the highly silicified and the little altered rock. In tho former they seem to fade 

off into the surrounding rock; in the latter their walls are distinct, and along with and 

close to the pyrite they hold radiating masses of pyrophyllite. It certainly appears as 

if the three minerals-quartz, pyrite, and pyrophyllite-were contemporaneous. 

Granite is known to occur about three-fourths of a mile to the west. It is said that 

a diabase dike passes near the mine. 

From the standpoint of the miner the Brewer ore is similar to that of the Haile and 

Colossus mines. It is a dense blue siliceous ore, carrying finely disseminated pyrite and 

a variable amount of free gold. The ore of these other mines, however, is a replacement 

of bedde'd tuffs, while the Brewer rock is a replacement of what is probably only a massive 

igneous rock brecciated in place. There is consequently no evidence of bedding nor 

banding, and the only structure which the deposits show is a number of rather irregular 

systems of joints. The most prominent jointing strikes about N: 70° E. and dips steeply 

to the northwest. The Brewer ore is also more siliceous than that from the Haile and 

Colossus. Although pyrite occurs in the unsilicified rock, it carries very Tittle gold. The 

pyrite in the blue, silicified rock, which averages about 7 per cent of the total mass,a carries, 

on the other hand, both gold and copper. When the pyrite decomposes it leaves cavities 

lined with an iridescent film ·of limonite. A black copper arseno-sulphide, enargite, is 

also present in small crystals and separates in the gold pan as the so-called "black sand.'' 

Where oxidation has taken place, this arsenica!_,sulphide is decomposed and the copper 

is converted into the sulphate, chalcanthite, which forms a blue coating on the. walls in 

several places, particularly at the north side of the main pit. Covellite has been found 

rin the ore b and bismite and n·ative bismuth have been reported.c Cassiterite has been 

found at this mine,d someti~es, as reported, in close association with the gold. e It seems 

probable that the cassiterite .is an associate of the · fluorine mineral of the original rock 

and that the ore, brought in later, was deposited about this difficultly soluble mineral. 

The siliceous cement which binds the silicified fragments into a dense rock has been 

much attacked by surface water. Along certain planes or lines the cement has been 

removed by solution, allowing the rock to crumble to a very fine white powder which is 

almost pure silica. All the sulphur, iron, and copper of the sulphides have ·been leached 

out, but the gold remains, ·doubtless as free gold. Within these soft sandy portions residual 

masses are often found. They are hard and many of them when broken open are found to 

have a blue, unaltered core containing pyrite. In numerou~ instances they assume fantastic 

nodular forms resembling those of certain concretions. This sandy ore is especially sought 

for by the miners. In the first place, it is perfectly free milling. _ Moreover, it is of better 

value than the average J:>lue unoxidized ore. This difference in value may be partly 

explained by the !act that the proportion of gold in the sand has been increased by the 

removal of such material as has been dissolved away. But this seems hardly adequate 

to account for the marked difference in value which is said to exist. The residual lumps 

of. unoxidized rock found in the midst of the sand are said to be decidedly richer-they 

certainly hold more pyrit~-than rock of similar appearance from the large unoxidized 

a Nitze and Wilkens, Bull. North Carolina Geol. Survey No. 10, 1897, p. 144. b Becker, G. F., Gold fields of the Southern Appalachians: Sixteenth Ann. Rept. U.S. Geol. Survey, pt~ 3, 1895, p. 279. 

I· 

c Tuomey, M., Geology of South Carolina, 1848, p. 97. . a. Clarke and Chatard, Am. Jour. Sci., 3d ser., vol. 28, 1884, p. 25. e Becker, G. F., op. cit., p. 308. 
_ 92 GOLD AND TIN DEPOSITS OF SOUTHERN APPALACHIANS. 

masses. Apparently this is another instance where descending, decomposing waters ha.ve 

found easiest passage along the same channel which gave to the original ore-bearing solutions 

their easiest ascent. 

In certain places solution has gone on to the extent of forming cavities or vugs in the 

rock. One of these, encountered in the underground workings at the west side of the 

main pit, is 3 feet wide, 15 feet long, and 20 feet high. The two greater of these dim~nsions 

lie in the plane of a zone of the white sand above described. 

The values of the ore mined in tho early days can only be inferred from those known 

more recently; if what seems to be the general rule in this region applies to this particular 

mine, the first ore was considerably richer than that mined at greater depths. In their 

report in 1897 Nib,e a.nd Wilkens a state that the better grade of ore assays $5 to $7 per 

ton, while the average run of the mine is about $3. As a matter of -fact the best ore has 

all been the decomposed, sandy material, or the residual nodules inside of it, with the one 

exception of a streak, near the southeast corner of the pit, of very -siliceous rock which 

probably originally corresponded to the portions now decomposed, but which was so 

thoroughly sealed up by the siliceous cement that surface waters have not ·been able to 

penetrate it. At present only the sandy material is being sought for and the mining 

operations consist in gouging out and following the bodies of this char~ctcr wherever they 

may lead. The resulting workings suggest and are indeed closely related in form to the 

honeycombed structure of much weathered limestone. It is said that under present conditions 60-cent ore can be put through the mill without loss, and $2 is about as good an 

average as can be obtained. In spite of the selection of the best ore, the grade of the 

ore is thus evidently decreasing, which probably indicates that the limits of the body 

from the standpoint of economy are being reached. Nitze's sketch plan of the mine,b 

which shows the unsilicified rock (mapped as granite) closing in on all sides, seems likewise 

to indicate that the limits of the ore are not far beyond the walls of the present cuts and 

stopes. It is not improbable, however, that other ore bodies, perhaps connected with the 

main deposit by comparatively narrow strips of profitable ground, might be discovered 

by mor~ careful prospecting than has apparently been done. It seems, in fact, that the 

smalle~ pit is on such an ore body rather than on the same one as the main pit exposes. 

BLACKMON MINE. c 

The Blackmon mine, situated in Lancaster County, S. C., a little northwest of White 

Bluff post-office and about 14 miles north of Kershaw, has also been known since the early 

days of gold mining in this region. It is the property of the Piedmont Mining and 

Development Company, of Charlotte, N. C., and Mr. 0. J. Thies is mant;tger. 

Until recently the mine has been idle for many years, although at one time considerable 

ore was taken out from an open cut.d Since the resumption of work all operations have 

been conducted underground. A shaft started in the hanging wall goes do\\-n vertically 

.for 113 feet, where it reaches the foot wall and continues as an incline at about 40° to a 

point 180 feet from the surface, measured vertically. Drifts and crosscuts, probably 

amounting in all to 600 feet, have beei':t run at the 80-,113-,153-, and 180-foot level$. The 

surface improvements consist of a 20-stamp simple amalgamation mill and a shaft bouse, 

with steam hoist and compressor. -

The geology in this vieinity is much obscured by decomposition and by vegetable growth. 

While the rock relations are fairly plain in the mine, their significance is not so readily 

grasped. A body of extremely foliated sericite schist which strikes northeasterly and dips 

30° to 70° NW. is cut by a porphyritic rock, also somewhat foliated, which lies to the 

southeast and has followed the planes of foliation of the schist. Both of these are crossed 

by a dike of diabase which has a northwesterly strike and dips steeply. 

a Bull. North Carolina Geol. Survey No. 10, 1897, p. 144. b Nitze and Wilkens, op. cit., p. 146. c Formerly known as Blackman's mine; cf. Tuomey; M., Rept. Geol. and Agr. Survey, South Carolina, 

1844, p. 23. ct Tuomey, M., Geology of South Carolina, 1848, p. 95. 
BLACKMON MINE. 93 

The schist has always been described as a talc schist, and its appearance certai.nly warrants such a description; but chemical examination shows that only a slight amount of 

magnesia is present., and the material is therefore sericite. The rock is more or less soft, 

decidedly fissile, and varies in color from dull gray to pinkish, bluish, and green. ·It is 

made up largely of shreds of sericite or fiqrous mica, with a little quartz, numerous tiny 

red and black garnets, a little magnetite, and a few small fragments with high polarization 

colors whose identity is unknown. Where cut by the diabase dike the folia are much 

crumpled. It is probable that this rock is of sedimentary origin. ·The porphyritic rock, 

while fairly massive on the whole, is somewhat foliated near the contact with the schist, 

indicating probably that the intrusion took place just before the cessation of the shearing 

or folding movements which produced foliation. The contact is not sharp and simple; 

the schist was probably injected , near the inain porphyry mass by narrow dikelets of the 

porphyry, and the subsequent foliation has produced a mingling of the two rocks. In its 

present omewhat decomposed condition the rock consists of a fine-grained mosaic of quartz, 

sericite, epidote, and some zoisite, in which are imbedded large phenocrystic grains of 

quartz and of turbid feldspar, both orthoclase and oligoclase. A little biotite was probably 

present, but is now decomposed.· This rock may be designated a quartz-monzonite 

porphyry, and is probably closely related to the tuffs which occur at the Haile and Colossus 

mines. The diabase is doubtless much later than either of the other rocks. Granite is 

known on the surface about one-fourth mile to the north. 

The ore of the Blackmon mine is a zone of sericit e schist occurring at the contact with 

the quartz-monzonite porphyry. Small siliceous lenses between the folia of the schist, 

averaging one-eighth inch wide and one-half inch long, have been formed, partly by filling 

and partly by replacement. Where this silicification is most marked the grade of ore is 

best. A small amount of pyrite accompanies the quartz and may carry gold, but the 

principal value is as free gold usually in tiny grains or flakes. In this ore zone the schist has 

a bright, vivid appearance-the colors are striking, ranging from delicate grays and pinks, 

resembling mother-of-pearl, to beautiful brilliant greens-and the rock is lustrous. Passing into the hanging wall tp the more normal rock, the bright colors fade to dull grays and 

the hardness decreases. Narrow bands of quartz, true veins of filling, occur here and there 

in the ore body. They carry a little pyrite, but practically no gold. As in the case of all 

the mines thus far described, these barren quartz veins appear to be of a little later formation than the silicification which produced the ore. Between the ore body and the fairly 

massive porphyry there is a zone perhaps 5 to 20 feet thick, which forms the foot wall. In 

appearance it resembles the dull or "dead" schist of the hanging wall, but it is f.ound to 

pr.ss. gradually into the unfoliated porphyry, and the microscope shows that it is of the 

same composition. It is pretty thoroughly impregnated with small cubes of pyrite, but 

carries only slight gold values. The density of the schist and the stability of its composition have resulted in excluding surface waters from the greater part of the ore boq.y and the 

sulphides are in general unoxidized. But along certain fracture planes decomposition has 

converted the sericite into kaolin, the so-called "talc " of the miners. As a consequence 

great masses of ore, bounded by and resting on these sheets of soft and exceedingly slippery 

material, are continually tending to slide in and wreck the workings, and it is only by the 

strongest timbering that some portions of the workings are maint ained. Another serious 

obstacle to economical mining which arises from the character of the ore is the difficulty 

of obtaining good results from blasting. The rock is so schistose that drilling can be done 

practically only at a large angle to the plane of foliation. A water Leyner drill has been 

put in and in this rock works far better than hand drills or ordinary machine drills. But 

even when the holes are obtained, it is almost impossible to get the powder to do more than 

shatter and loosen great slabs of the schist, which are still left wedged in place almost as 

firmly as before. Time and experience may disclose some more efficient manner of placing 

or loading the holes than ha.s yet been discovered. . . 

The ore body is a wne of altered schist parallel to the dip and strike of the schist of the 

region and to the ~ontact with the quartz-;nonzonite porphyry. Measured horizontally; 
94 GOLD AND TIN DEPOSITS OF SOUTHERN APP ALAOHIANS. 

the mass that can be considered ore has an average width of 35 feet; it bas been opened 

along the strike for 300 feet and may extend farther to the northeast. To the southwest 

it reaches practically to the diabase dike; but not beyond it, so far as present explorations 

have shown. As mined across this width the ore wiJI average about $2 per ton. A richer 

streak occurs not far from the foot wall; it is usually green in color and is more siliceous 

than most of the ore, a fracture face across the foliation showing small siliceous lenses 

enmeshed in the sericite matrix. In this rich streak, about 25 feet northeast of the dike on 

the 113-foot level, a bunch of $35 ore was found. The values gradually decrease toward 

both foot and banging walls. While the change from pay ore to unprofitable rock is not 

sharp and distinct, it is fairly abrupt, and there is little difficulty in recognizing the approximate line where pay values cease. The size and richness of the ore body appear to be 

holding out well with depth, and if the difficulties experienced in breaking and holding the 

ground can be overcome and the values can be successfully recovered by amalgamation, as 

seems thus far to have been the case, there is reason to expect that the future of this little 

mine should be bright. But developments are not yet sufficiently extensive to warrant 

any very far-reaching prognostications. 

Apparently the on -bearing solutions which produced this deposit were intimately 

related to the quartz-monzonite porphyry and closely followed the intrusion of that rock. 

Another peculiarity of this deposit which distinguishes it from those already described is 

that the gold occurs principally native, the pyrite carrying very little value. While this 

deposit can be regarded only as a replacement of the schist, in a way it approaches rather 

closely to the group which have been formed by the filling of fissures, and with the Ferguson 

mine, described on pages 96-99, constitutes a close bond between the replacement deposits 

and the vein deposits. 

KINGS MOUNTAIN MINE. 

This celebrated mine, first known as the Briggs a mine, and more recently as the Catawba b 

mine, is situated in Gaston County, N.C., near the western foot of Kings Mountain and 

about 2 miles south of Kings Mountain station. . It has not been in operation for a number 

of years and was filled with water and inaccessible when visited by the writer. The following description is based mainly on the observations of others. 

The mine was discovered in 1834 c and was successfully worked for several years by_ the 

discoverer, Mr. Briggs.d Later Commodore Stockton, who seems to hAve been a moving 

spirit in the gold-mining industry of this region, operated the mine for a number of years. 

Work was necessarily stopped during the war, but two or three years after its close a 20-

stamp mill of the California type was built. e It is worthy of note that this was practically 

the first adaptation of western practice to the ores of the E~~;st.f Work continued at 

intervals up to 1895, since which time nothing has been done. It is said that the property 

is now involved in litigation among persons in Richmond, Va. 

As is the case with nearly all the southern mines, no actual records of production have 

been kept. Kerr in 1875g stated that the production had been over a million, while Pro..:. 

fessor Hanna, who has been for many years in charge of the United States assay office at · 

Charlotte, N.C., and who is probably best able to judge of the output of the Carolina mines, 

estimates the production of the Kings Mountain mine at $750,000 to $900,000.h 

The amount of development can only be inferred from the incomplete descriptions of 

former writers. There are at least six shafts on the property. The two principal ones are 

the Holliday shaft, 330 feet deep, and the Rock or pump shaft, about 120 feet to the southwest, also 330 feet deep. All the shafts are vertical and are sunk in the hanging wall of 

the deposit. The main workings center about the Rock shaft. Crosscuts to the vein and 

a Lieber, .op. cit., vol. 1, p. 92. b Kerr and Hanna, Rept. North Carolina Geol. Survey, vol. 2, 1888, p. 304. c Nitze a,nd Hanna, Bull. North Carolina Geol. Survey No.3, 1896, p. 147. d Lieber, op. cit., vol. 1, p. 92. e Kerr, W. C., Rept. Geol. Survey North Carolina, vol. 1, 1875, p. 280. 

/Cf. Nitze and Wilkens, Bull. North Carolina Geol. Survey No. 10,1897, p. 35. g Loc. cit. · hNitze and Hanna, Bull. North Carolina Geol. Survey No.3, 1896, p. 147. Becker, G. F., Gold fields 

of the Southern Appalachians; Sixteenth Ann. Rept. U. S. Geol. Survey, pt. 3, 1895, p. 309. 
KINGS MOUNTAIN MINE. 95 

levels on the vein have been run from the Rock shaft at a depth of 140 feet, mostly to the 

southwest, and from the 270-foot and 330-foot levels to the northeast to connect with the 

Holliday shaft. - There are two shallower shafts farther northeast and two southwest of 

these workings. A large amount of stoping has been done on each side of the Rock shaft. 

Considerable decomposed rock from the outcrop of this deposit southwest-of the Rock Ahaft 

has been removed and washed in rockers. Besides a shaft house, hoist, steam pump, and 

Cornish pump at the Rock shaft, there is a substantial 30-stamp mill with concentrating 

tables. -

The geology is not well shown by surface exposures. As this mine is situated on the 

slope of the Kings Mountain Range, the rocks all strike to the northeast, and at this place 

the dip is northwest. A somewhat micaceous schist incloses an interstratified bed of limestone. The limestone is impure and schistose and is often closely interbanded with the 

biotite schist. The limestone is shot through with interlaminated stringers of quartz and 

is somewhat silicified and pyritized, especially along the pla:oes of most intense foliation. 

A zone of impure graphite, in many places heavily impregnated with coarse-grained pyrite, 

underlies the limestone. Southwest of the Rock shaft the ground is strewn with lumps of 

iron oxide, probably derived from the decomposition of pyrite. Some of this iron is 

naturally magnetic. There are indications of a small lateral fault south o(the Rock shaft, 

by which the northeast side of the vein is thrown 10 to 12 feet to the southeast. It has 

been said that a granitic dike was encountered in the workings.a This might be a dike of 

pegmatite, which occurs ~bundantly a mile or so to the northwest. 

The richest ore of the Kings Mountain mine is contained in the narrow veins. or stringers 

of quartz bearing gold and auriferous pyrite. These seem to have been rather more 

abundant in the upper portion of the mine than at the depth where the last work was done. 

The inclosing schistose limestone, however, has been sufficiently penetrated -by the solutions 

which circulated in the veins to have deposited in it as impregnations enough gold and 

py~ite to make it an ore. In the upper decomposed portion, which is stained· by the oxidation of the iron sulphides and called "brown ore," the gold occurred free, and so long as 

amalgamation was the only recovery process employed, this ore was eagerly sought for. 

There is no doubt, however, that this oxidized ore was really richer than the corresponding 

unchanged ore below. The quartz stringers were so charged with pyrite that when that 

mineral oxidized they were honeycombed and crumbled almost as easily as the softer 

decomposed schists, and thus the whole outcrop could be easily worked in rockers. It was 

only -when development penetrated fresher rock that the presence of limestone was discovered. Whether the appearance of li~estone at some depth is to be attributed to the 

fact that it is a lens-like body, not reaching to the surface, or that it was sufficiently impure 

to furnish, on oxidation and solution, the residual material occurring near the surface, it is 

impossible to decide, but the latter seems the more reasonable conclusion. Alternating 

bands of limestone and schist, when carrying workable values, were known as "calico ore." 

Both in the quartz and the impregnated limestone other minerals were present in addition 

to pyrite. Pyrrhotite, chaJcopyrite, galena, and zinc blende were not uncommon, and 

among the rarer ore minerals were mispickel, tetrahedrite, nagyagite, altaite, and bismite; 

and besides the calcite and graphite of the limestone were the gangue minerals-quartz, 

sericite, and fluorite. The mineralogical character is thus seen to have been pretty complex. 

Whether the ore-bearing solutions differed correspondingly from that type of solution 

which seems to have formed most.of the other gold deposits of the region, or whether the 

difference lies in the greater chemical instability of the limestone, it is impossible to determine. The fact that arsenic, antimony, and tellurium have not been found in the other 

mines described would lead to the conclusion _that the solutions were of different character, 

while the presence of bismuth compounds at the Brewer mine and of fluorite at the Schlegelmilch and the general character of the Kings Mountain deposit, make it easy to believe 

that the two classes of deposits are intimately related in origin. Chalcanthite, which is 

present as a coating on the stope walls, has doubtless been derived from oxidation of the 

a Becker, G. F., op. cit., p. 309. 
96 GOLD AND TIN DEPOSITS OF SOUTHERN APPALACHIANS. 

chalcopyrite, and needles of epidote, found in some of the decomposed porous ore are 

perhaps likewise of secondary origin. 

This ore has a rather wide range of values, assays showing from a trace up to over $75 

per ton. a It is said that the ore as mined averaged perhaps $4 to $6 per ton. a Of this, 

not over $3 was sa:ved, b largely, it is said, because the graphitic material of portions of the 

ore prevented the amalgamation of much of the fine gold. The concentrates ran $35 to $40 

per ton. The amount of silver in the ore was very small, but was approximately proportional to the amount of gold. 

The ore body consisted at the surface of the siliceous iron gossan, and in depth of the 

impregnated schistose limestone and the quartz stringers in it. It was parallel to the 

foliation of the rocks, striking about N. 40° E. and dipping 45° to 55° NW. This body 

reached in places a width of 60 feet. It consisted in reality of five known shoots of richer 

ore, especially penetrated by gold-bearing quartz stringers, and generall:y near the graphite 

foot wall, together with the poorer material which occurred between and along the walls 

of these shoots. It is said that a stope begins near the surface at one of the old rocker pits, 

200 feet southwest of the Holliday shaft, extends beyond that shaft, probably 400 feet 

in all, and gradually deepens to the northwest till at the Holliday shaft it is 330 feet from 

the surface. The writer was told by Mr. R. Hufstickler, one of the former miners, that 

some of the best ore in the mine was left in t he bottom of a 30-foot winze below the bottom 

level when work was last stopped. Beyond this meager statement nothing can be said as 

to the possible extent of this ore body or the future of the mine. 

FERGUSON MINE. 

The Ferguson mine is situated in the northwest corner of York County, S. C., about 7 

miles by road northeast of Kings Creek station, on the Three C's branch of the Southern 

Railway, and about 11 miles southeast of Grover, N. C., on the main line of the Southern. 

It is owned by Messrs. Frank & Dover, who are operating it at the present time. c 

This mine has been known for some time and was worked some years ago by Maj . John F. 

Jones, of Blacksburg, who is said to have hauled 1,500 tons of the ore to that place for treatment. Recently it has been taken up by the present owners. In addition to four old 

incline shafts sunk on the vein, that to the southwest being the deepest (80 fe-et), a new 

vertical shaft 100 feet deep has been sunk in the hanging wall and a crosscut run 60 feet to 

the vein, on which stoping is being done in a small way, really as exploration or development 

work. The surface improvements include a stamp mill (five stamps in place and foundation 

ready for five additional) with Wilfley table, and a cyanide plant, besides head frame and 

hoisting engine at the shaft. 

The geologic relations were only partially grasped in the short time spent at the mine, 

and it required microscopic study of the specimens collected to reach the opinions now 

held. The Ferguson vein lies approximately at the contact between amphibolite and a porphyritic tuff, both of which have been subjected to much foliation. The amphibolite, 

which lies on the southeast, is a rather massive dark rock; which at close view is seen flecked 

all through with small light-colored particles. Toward the contact, which strikes about 

N. 40° E. and dips 65° to 7 5° SE., the foliation is more marked and the rock becomes slaty. 

The lack of sharpness at the contact with the porphyritic tuff may be an indication that the 

amphibolite has been derived from a rock which was also tuffaceous or brecciated, but certain 

remains of igneous-rock structure make it probable that the original rock was a diorite or 

gabbro. The tuff, which occurs on the northwest side of the contact and outcrops in the 

stream some distance west of the mine, is of gray color with a silvery luster, and has a decided 

fissility or schistosity which may correspond to original bedding of the tuff. The fresh and 

glistening rock from underground is called, as at other mines, "fish-scale slate." The 

mineral fragments wh: 'h make up this rock show that the massive equivalent would be a 

quartz-monzonite porphyry. It is practically identical with the tuff at the Colossus mine 

and probably the same as that at the Haile. There seems to have been a zone of especially 

a Nitze and Hanna, Bull. North Carolina Geol. Survey No.3, 1896, p. 147. b Nitze and Wilkens, Bull. North Carolina Geol. Survey No. 10, 1897, p. 67, c According to report, this mine was closed down in 1905. -
FERGUSON MINE. 97 

marked foliation at the contact of the two rocks or just within the amphibolite. · The result 

is a band of exceedingly schistose rock of light-green color and lustrous surface, composed 

very largely of sericite but containing also quartz and epidote. 

this product is the outcome not only of the shearing but of the 

This zone outcrops noticeably on the surface southwest of the 

ground at the bottom of the shaft. 

The Ferguson ore deposit lies principally in the porphyritic t 

as a representative of the fissure-vein type, and so it is; but it 

deposition of quartz as a filling of space it represents the fissure 

Altered 

-

volcanic tuff 

0 Scale of feet 

I 

It seems probable that 

of the vein solutions. 

and is reached underIt would at first be taken 

more than that. By the 

and by the impregnaPyrite 

FIG. 11.-Sketch of vein, vertical section, Fergnson.mine, winze, looking northeast. 

of the fissure walls by the ore-bearing solutions it stands as close link to the replacedeposits. In fact, if the quartz lenses could be com removed, there would 

a small and low-grade replacement deposit, similar in ch:'Lr$ ctE~r to those of the Haile 

Colossus mines. The ore is thus of two kinds-vein quartz "ng good values and 

oining wall rock (cf. pp. 59-61) carrying just about enough d to pay for milling what 

n rather than sorting it out. The quartz ore from t vein carries only a slight 

of free gold where it is unoxidized;a but the of pyrite is rather large, 

vAI"!l.O'InO' about 10 per cent. The pyrite occurs plentifully the quartz, but shows a 

teQdency to segregate near the vein walls and in many it occurs in the wall 

just outside the quartz. Fig.ll is a sketch of one side of the which is being sunk 

a Mr. Frank informed the writer that he had rever seen a particle of 

osed ore from this mine. Amalgamation tests have yielded $1 per ton. 

Bull. 293-06-7 
98 GOLD AND TIN DEPOSITS OF SOUTHERN APPALACHIANS. 

from the 100-foot level. The quartz body rep;esentea continues upward toward the 

observer and downward away from the observer; like nearly all the quartz lenses, it has a 

pitch to the northeast in the vein. The irregularities shown in the figure indicate that 

replacement has gone on. Besides the pyrite which · can be shown in the sketch, minute 

crystals are scattered through the wall rock and doubtless contribute to it a small amount of 

gold. The tuff is silicified, too, as in the other replacement deposits. Filling is indicated, 

on the other hand, by the fact that some of the solid bodies of quartz include fragments of 

the wall rock with foliation not corresponding to that of the walls in place. Moreover, in 

the roof of the crosscut from the shaft, just where it reaches the vein, the quartz 

amphibolite instead of tuff. Here the pyrite is mainly contained in the quartz; the 

between quartz and amphibolite is sharp an·d is defined by a narrow band of black 

scales which separate the two and which have doubtless been formed from the amphib 

by the action of the vein solutions. Under the microscope this biotite possess~s the 

chestnut-brown color characteristic of contact-metamorphic biotite. Here and there 

vein quartz contains little flakes or tufts of sericite, which have the appearance of 

contemporaneous with the quartz, but the evidence is not certain. A few tiny flat crystals 

black ilmenite occu; in the quartz. This strengthens the relation between the P"Olo-ouarlG7 

veins and those ilmenite-bearing quartz veins which are not known to be auriferous. 

pp. 64-65.) Numerous crystalline grains of apatite in the replacement portion of the 

emphasize the similarity to_ the Haile mine and suggest relation to the Dahlonega 

where apatite occurs in the veins (p. 124). Where the vein cuts amphibolite, the 

magnetite (or ilmenite~) of the rock is in many instances partly or completely 

pyrite, and in a few cases magnetite has been deposited on the pyrite. In the a.ll.JqJ.u.u'''uu• 

near the vein are scattered small bunches of crystalline calcite, surrounded by w:tJi'K-:l!:r«::eJ 

specular or micaceous chlorite, heavily impregnated by pyrite; this is undoubtedly 

product of the vein solutions. 

The pyrite-bearing quartz ore from the vein averages $10 to $15 per ton. 

wall rock, impregnated by silica and :pyrite, averages about $3. The amphibolite wall 

is said to average $1.50 per ton and the sheared sericite zone in the amphibolite $2. 

concentrates average $100 and perfectly clean pyrite $150 to $175 per ton. 

. So little of the gold is free that amalgamation is not practiced. The pulp, stamped 

15-mesh, is run direct to the Wilfley table. The headings are stored, in the prospect 

·being either shipped or roasted and cyanided on the ground. The tailings are run to 

pneumatic-cone separator, where the slimes, averaging 15 per cent of the tailings and 

ning $20 per ton,. are taken out and,cyanided during mechanic~} agitation, while the 

carrying $6 to $7 in gold, are treated with strong cyanide solution without agitation. 

understood that the process is not yet wholly satisfactory. Possibly more careful 

to avoid sliming, more efficient concentration and classification, and then roasting of all 

headings and subsequent lixiviation might give a better extraction at perhaps no 

cost. 

The ore bodies of the Ferguson mine, like the other fissure-vein deposits, are influenced 

their form by the structure of the surrounding rocks. In this case their form has been 

ther modified by the effects of replacement. The ·result is rudely lenticular masses of q 

surrounded by low-grade zones of replaced wall rock. Four of these lenses are known 

have been worked to some extent by separate shafts. Only one, the northeasternmost, 

now being explored. Present work is being carried on as the downward continuation 

former stope. On the 100-foot level this stope is 4 to 8 feet wide and 25 to 35 feet long. 

reaches upward to the surface and has been explored 30 feet below the level by an · 

winze sunk on the piteh of the shoot, which is steep to the northeast. This work is 

carried on solely with the idea of exploration, but in the hope that by following the ore it 

pay for itself. The winze will be carried down to the 200-foot point if the ore.continues, 

which event the shaft will be sunk another 100 feet and connected with the vein. If 

present dip of the vein continues, the shaft should cut the vein at approximately 300 
BROWN MINE. 99 

If the pitch of the other or all be within easy striking 

distance of the shaft at tha depth. The plan therefore is toe plore this northeastern ore 

shoot to the 300-foot level nd, if it proves satisfactory, to tap he other shoots, in the hope 

that they are similar to the rst. The policy here adopted of' e ploring ·by following the ore, 

rather than by sinking and crosscutting in the hope of strikin!iit, is to be heartily recommended in this region of irr gular and nonpersistent deposits. t he foresight. with which the 

shaft has been lo,cated and f ture wprk planned is a gratifying e ception to the way in which 

most of the gold-mining en erprises of the South have been st rted. 

The structural and other utward features of this deposit stro gly resemble those at many 

of the mines in the greensto e schists of central Ontario, wl).ere uartz veins carry auriferous 

pyrite. 

Some specimens of vein q artz from a deposit about one-half mile to the ~outheast of the 

Ferguson shaft-probably what is known as the Ophir inin - contained free gold riot 

derived from the decompos tion of pyrite, although some pyrite was present. Some of this 

ore is said to be very rich. o hundred tons have been hauled t the Ferguson mill. About 

300 tons shipped to the sme er at Norfolk, Va., are 8aid to have iven returns of $25 per ton. 

BROWN MINE. 

This mine, situated in Yo k County, S.C., about 4 miles south f Hickory Grove station on 

the Southern Railway, is o ned by Mr. W. E. C. Eustis, of Bost n. It was once worked by 

Mr. Fred Frank, now part wner of the Ferguson mine, who t ok out some good ore and 

made some money out' of t. The production is not known probably a few-thousand. 

Three shafts and their wor ngs and a crosscut tunnel, aggregati g something like 1,500 feet 

of exploration work, comp ised the development before the resent owner took control. 

Since then an 80-foot inclin d shaft has been sunk. Work wa abandoned in 1905, after a 

small amount of ore had be n taken out. 

The country rock was pr ably an amphibolite, but the only f btainable specimens which 

had not been affected by w athering were so near the vein tha~ they had suffered marked 

alteration by the vein solut ons. The rock thus prQduced is dark gray, somewhat foliated, 

and resembles many graniti ,. gneisses. It is composed of abun1ant feldspar, mostly microcline and albite; plentiful s all flakes of biotite of the contact-m1tam~rphic variety; numerous grains of epidote and a most as much zoisite, in short, st ut crystals; and occasional 

grains of titanite. Lenticu ar aggregates of quartz, numerous rains of pyrite, and sparing 

pyrrhotite have probably b en deposited by the vein solutions. 

The vein, which strikes a roximately N. 45° E. and dips abo t 70° NW., is parallel to the 

foliation of the amphibolite country rock. Its dip is not const nt, flattening somewhat at 

about 30 feet, then steepen· g again at a depth of 70 to 75 fee . 

With the exception of disi tegration, resulting from decompos tion of the -vein and the surrounding rock, the vein is ell. defined near the surface, being solid mass of pyritiferous 

quartz about 3 feet wide. one pla.ce, however, near the old ank in<;\line, a lateral offset 

or jog of about 12 feet occur , both at the outcrop and undergrou d. The deseription of this 

occurrence underground is i teresting as throwing light on the tructure of these interfoliated veins in schist. On th surface the vein is continuous but c ooked (see A, fig. 12), while 

underground at the 80-foo level the vein breaks up, probab somewhat as shown in B, 

fig. 12. These sketches are ;ased on description of the behavior o the vein, supplemented by 

what was visible on the surf ce at the time the mine wa.s visited and on assumptions drawn 

from occurrences at other p rtions of the vein. The influence o jointing has certainly been 

marked. A and B, fig. 13, epresent what might possibly beth case at depths of 200 and 

300 feet, respectively. This series, hypothetical with the except on of A, fig. 12, is intended· 

to represent the variations i structure which may take place i a vein in a comparatively 

short distance. It also sh ws how such apparently disconne t~d lenses as occur in the 

Schlegelmilch mine (fig. 14) rein reality all connected, and it e phasizes the advisability of 

following stringers or offsho ts if the main vein gives signs of pi ching out. 
100 GOLD .AND TIN DEPOSITS OF SOUTHERN .APP .AL.AOHI.ANS. 

There is evidence in other parts of the workings of the vein having pinched and offset, as in 

A, fig. 12. A crosscut tunnel from the northwest passes, at a depth of 60 feet, the point 

where the vein ought to be, without cutting anything but stringers, although the vein occurs 

with normal width on each side of this place on the surface. It is probable that this gap is 

SW 

D 

Quartz 0 

A) 

(B). 

Seale of feet s· 

NE 

10 m 

Amphibolite 

FIG.12.-Diagrammatic sketch plan of vein at Brown mine. A, Vein at surface, showing offset due to 

presence of one predominant joint plane; practically no faulting:- B, Vein at depth of 80 feet, showing 

pinching along one plane of foliation and continuation along another; also influence of numerous coordinate joints in leading the solutions from one main fracture to the other. 

horizontal rather than vertical, for it corresponds in position to a gap encountered in the new 

incline a short distance to the southwest. In sinking this new shaft the vein was followed 

downward at 55° to a depth of about 55 feet, where it pinched out. It had been noticed that 

little joint planes or crevices branched off into the foot wall, so the shaft was steepened; 
SCHLEG E.LMILCH MINE. 101 

soon a narrow stringer dipping about 70° was picked up an followed. This stringer 

widened, and in a few feet had attained the proportions of he main vein. At 80 feet 

anotl;ler irregularity occurred, and work was stopped at that poi t without determining the 

nature of the difficulty. A few feet southwest of the new indi e the vein gives out. The 

miners believe that' faulting has taken place, and such may be he case, but it niay be that 

pinching alone is the cause, in which case a small amount of face . trenching ought to 

expose the continuation of the vein. 

The ore at this mine is confined wholly to the fissure 

filling. The massive quartz 

contains pyrite-in some 

places a large proportion-of 

various degrees of perfection 

of crystal form. The sulphide 

carries the gre·at portion of 

the gold. One peculiarity of 

the decomposition of. the • 

pyrite at this mine is the for- . 

mation of crystalline sulphur 

(see p. 64). The - ore as 

broken runs $4 to $7 per ton, 

althoo.gh some heavy sulphide 

portions have been much (A) 

richer. Sorting • raises the 

average value to about $12, 

the quartz without pyrite 

always being rejected. Considerable stoping was done 

by Mr. Frank. He took out 

most of the vein from the 50-

foot level and in places from 

the 80-foot level to the surface . 

for a distance of probably 300 

feet along the strike. A few 

hundred tons have been taken 

out along the new incline by 

the Eustis management. 

The comparatively low 

grade of the ore, irregularity 

of the vein, and the combat 

with water will always make 

the working of this mine 

expensive. 

SCHLEGELMILCH MINE. 

o · ~ Quartz Amphibolite 

FIG. 13.- HypotheticnJ plan t vei at Brown mine as it might 

appear at greater depths. A, Vinas it might appear.at some distance below the 80-foo leve , showing pinching and the 

slight infiu~nce of joints. , Ve n as it might appear at some 

still greater depth, showinr the ein again continuous by the 

In western York County uniting of so-called lenses. 

about 3 miles southwest of 

Hickory Grove and about 1~ miles northwest of the Br9wn Fe, is the Schlegelmilch 

mine, which is also the property of Mr. W. E. C. Eustis. 'lrhis ~ine was worked over fifty· 

years ago by the first owner, from whom it is named. No I idea of the production can be 

given. It is known simply that some oxidized ore of good g ade was taken out in the 

early days. The. amount must have been small. Besidt, se eral old shafts extending 

down to water level, or down to the limit of general oXIlatio -perhaps 40 to 50 feetwhich are in most cases caved in, a shaft abbut 100 feet d ep h s more recently been sunk 

and probably 250 feet of drifting done. A small steam ho" twa in use. The Schlegelmilch 

mine was closed down at the same time as the Brown and is no now in operation. 
· 102 GOLD AND TIN DEPOSITS OF SOUTHERN APPALACHIANS. 

The country rock for miles around, so far as known, is amphibolite, of .varying degree of 

foliation but all sufficiently squeezed to be classed as schist. Several quartz veins occur in 

the amphibolite parallel to its foliation, which here strikes about N. 35° E. and dips about 

65° SE. . Although some work was formerly done on at least three of these veins, only the 

southeastern one is now being worked. On and near the surface the vein is fairly regular, 

averaging about 2 feet wide. At about 70 feet the vein pinches and soon splits up as 

represented in fig. 14, which is a sketch of the cross section of the vein as shown at the 

northeast end of the shaft' at the 85-foot level. These lenses have been somewhat modified 

in form ·and outline by subsequent crushing, so that the exposure at the side of the shaft 

suggests magnified augen gneiss. 

Amphibolite 

- 0 

Scale offeet 2 3 D 

Quartz 

FIG. 14.-Sketch of vein, vertical section, Schlegelmilch mine, near bottom of shaft, looking northeast. 

The vein stuff is quartz carrying a variable proportion of auriferous pyrite, which, in 

some cases at least, is slightly cupriferous. So far as known native gold does not occur in 

the unoxidized portions of the vein. Py:rj.te, sericite, calcite, biotite, chlorite, and perhaps 

serpentine are developed in the near-by amphibolite by the metasomatic action of the vein 

solutions. Pyrite is not abundant in the wall rock and occurs usually as s.mall cubes. The 

calcite, because of its easy solubility, is frequently found in crevices in the quartz vein, 

having probably been carried in from the walls. Much of it is slightly greenish, perhaps 

· because of a slight intermixture of chlorite. A narrow veinlet of fluorite cutting the quartz 

is obviously of later formation, but is doubtless referable to the same source as the siliceous 

solutions. Assays of specimens from neighboring portions of the vein show decided fluctuations from almost nothing to $50 or over per ton. The average value was not learned 
I 

I 

. THOMPSOI MINE. 103 ' 

No stoping nor drifting has been done below It he 45-foot leViel, b t from that level upward 

the ore has been about all extrac.ted for 50 feet northeast a d pe haps 150 feet southwest 

of the shaft. At least half of that stope, howerer, was made year ago. Since the writer's 

visit the shaft has been carried to a depth of 10p feet, where t even i1 said to have pinched 

out entirely. Crosscuts .were run in both directions, and w · e i is not known how carefully this exploration was carried on and to ~hat extent 'he i uence of the wall-rock 

structure was studied and considered in directing this work th() continuation of the vein 

was not discovered. I , 

THOMPSON MINE. 

The Thompson mine lies in the westem p•1 of Union Cou ty, . C., about a mile northeast of West Springs post-office and about 3 miles east of Gle Spril1 

gs ~ Spartanburg County, 

the terminus of a branch ofthe Charleston d Western' C, rolin Railway. The mine is 

the property of the Ophir Gold Mining Comparly, of Indianap,olis, ±nq., and is being worked . 

under lease by Mr. M. C. Mayes. At the tiJe of visit the,lmine lwas partially filled with 

water and thus inaccessible. Only meager inf?rmation cou14 be rr·eaned from an examination of the dumps and old cuts and from a study of specimeF fo nd there. What is here 

recorded has been obtained largely from' the tings of othetts. I . 

As early as 1847 this was one of the well-knJwn mines of ~eSt tel.a It is doubtless the 

same as that described by Tuomey b in 1844 asl the Fair Fore t mi e. [ ·work was continued 

in the fifties and perhaps until the beginning of he war. Litle inf rrri.ation can be obtained 

of more recent work, except that in the nineties Mr. 0. J. Th e~, n 'w manager of the Blackmon mine, directed operations for a short ime . Some ydra lidking, with attendant 

milling of the coarse material according to tHe so-called D~hlon ga method, was. done in 

1895.c The production may have been con iderable-perhaps $100,000 or more. The 

only statement in print is that $6,000 was takbn from one s' oot i 1847 .d 

The. workings consist of a vertical shaft 16f feet deep an~ an ncline reaching to about 

the same depth, connected by drifts and crosscuts. An open cut over 100 feet long represents the. work done in early days and the rJcent hydraulickinb. A .20-stamp mill with 

two Wilfley concentrators is connected with tHe workings by a tr m-ray. 

Two varieties of rock occur here. The one which is more wi ely exposed is a biotite 

schist of brown color and marked fissility. Feldspar is present as small grains with an 

albite core and labraqorite int erior. A littlJ magnetite is pre ent; The origin of this 

rock is unknown. The other rock is an ampi ibolite which is sad to occur as a dike-like 

band in the biotite schist. Only one contact wals seen and at this pl ce .the foliation of the,two 

rocks is parallel, and in a tunnel which starts nei r the mill this mass f amphibolite seems to be 

fairly wide. The foliation of both rocks strikes hout N. 10° E. and ips to the west something 

like 70°. The mica schist is the ore-bearing ock. No very goo~ idea of the veins could 

be had, but it is certain that very quartzose zones parallel to the oliation of the rock .have 

been the richest portions. Small quartz stringers seen in the de omposed upper portions 

of the deposit indicate that filling of fissures hrs gone on. e On t e other hand, specimens 

of quartz-pyrite ore, carrying gold, from greater depth indicate th t extreme silicification of 

the mica schist has taken place along rtai~ narrow zones. T is lore is composed principally of white quartz grains, with scattered interstitial flakes of biotite, muscovite, or 

chl?rite. Pyrite is abundant~ places. The lactual contact of is mass with the schist, 

whiCh would probably have decided whether replacement had or ad not gone on, was not 

seen, but schist from near the "vein" or ore-be ring zone shows th effects of vein metamorphism; sharply defined plates of muscovite ave been develop d at the expense of the 

biotite, pyrite has been introduced, and well-crystallized prisms f a mineral of unknown . . I . 

a Lieber, op. cit., vol. 2, 18571 p. 70. b Rept. Geol. and Agr. Survey South Carolina , 1844, p. 24; also Geology o c Nitze and Wilkens, Bull. N.C. Geol. Survey No.l10, 1897, p . 77. d Lieber, op. cit., vol. 2, 1857, p. 70. 

e Becker, G.}' ., Gold fields of the Southern Appalr chians: S1xteenth A pt. 3, 1895, p. 309. 

South Carolina, 1848, p. 91. 

I 

Rept. U.S. Geol. Survey, 
104 GOLD AND TIN DEPOSITS OF SOUTHERN APPAJ.,ACHIANS. 

identity but similar in some respects to epidote pierce both the schist and quartz lenses 

which have developed in it. The most probable conclusion is that intense replacement or 

metasomatism has gone on in the mica schist along narrow but easy fracture chau"nels for 

siliceous' sulphide solutions. On this ground, therefore, this deposit would also in a way 

stand between the replacement bodies of the Haile, Colossus, and other mines and the fissure 

veins like· those at the Brown and Schlegelmilch mines, but it holds a different kind of 

intermediate position from that of the Ferguson deposit. 

The ore consists of the granular white quartz with disseminated auriferous pyrite and 

free gold. Some very rich specimens were seen, in which the gold was scattered all through 

the quartz much as particles of magnetite might occur in quartz sand. This sort of ore has 

been found mostly near the surface, and the fact that at greater depth grains of pyrite play 

the same role as the gold above makes it probable that the gold has been liberated by 

oxidation of the sulphide. It is worthy of mention, however, that the quartz-bearing free 

gold is, in many cases, at least, wholly unstained by iron as would be expected where oxidation of pyrite had taken place. The concentrates are of good grade, having a ship.ping value 

of over $100 per ton, and this is another argument in favor of oxidation of the portion where 

the gold is now free. Moreover it is said that in general the heavier the pyritization, the 

higher the value of the ore. Of the unoxidized ore it is not known how much gold is 

recovered by amalgamation. · 

AB nearly as could be learned, an ore shoot abo_ut 90 feet long has been followed from the 

surface down to the 165-foot level, where work is now being done whenever the water can 

be kept down. Another bunch of ore 200 feet to the north was worked in former days to a 

depth of probably something like 100 feet, but the shaft and workings are now caved in. 

The ore varies in width from a foot to 8 feet or more. 

No information was obtained which throws light on the question of persistency of the ore 

body. The average value of the ore is not known to the writer, but is probably rather good . 

. . OTHER MINES. 

Mining for gold has been carried on in many other portions of the area included in this 

report. At most of these operations were abandoned so long ago--in many cases before the 

war-that their names were barely more than a memory in the minds of those intereste.d 

in this subject; in fact, the existence of several mines has been learned only from old 

literature on the geology of this region. Many such were of course not visited at all. Brief 

mention is ll).ade of some of these, based on hearsay or on earlier writings. Some other 

mines or prospects were visited, but these were mostly inaccessible and but little could be 

learned, while a number of the places visited never deserved more consideration than the 

small amount of prospecting which was given them before they were abandoned. 

West mine.-The West mine is in Union County, S.C., only a few hundred yards southeast of the Thompson mine. The two. were probably discovered at about the same time 

and have always been treated together in descriptions. At the time of the writer's visit 

the workings were filled with water and the old stamp mill was in a sad state of dilapidation. 

One man was washing in a small stream near the mine gravels which had been subjected to 

the same operation many times before. As his labor was resulting in small profit and as he 

was unacquainted with the history of the underground workings of the mine, little information was elicited from him. 

In 1844 a shaft had been sunk to a depth of 115 feet and was said to be the deepest shaft 

in the State.a . In 1857 this shaft had been deepened to 150 feet,b and is now said to have a 

depth of 175 feet. An old, open cut, mostly filled with water, shows that the trend of the 

country rock is parallel to that at the Thompson mine (N. 10° E.) and that the ore is 

similar in character. It is said that some of the ore was of high grade, but that a large proportion of the value was lost because the sulphides were not saved. 

a Lieber, op. cit., vol. 2, p. 70. . b Toomey, M., Rept .. Geol. and Agr. Survey South Carolina, 1S~4, p. 24. 
DESCRIPTIONS OF GOLD MI~ES. A 105 

Nott mine.-This mine is located in Uni'on County, S. C., bout 2 miles north of the 

Thompson mine. It must have been workJd during about the earliest days of gold mining 

in the South and was one of the prorninel\t mines of the tirn~a Portions of the deposit 

were very rich, $3,000 having been taken from something li e half a ton found. in one 

pocket.b The country rock is amphibolite,, some of it evenl fine grained, some coarser 

and banded. The vein, which is said to hat e had a strike of a out N. 75° E., was about 8 

feet wide on the surface and 5 feet at the bottom of the worki Fs (110 feet), but reached a 

maximum width of 14 feet at 30 feet from the surface. c It is sard that the vein split toward 

the east, that portion which continued along the strike being balren, while the brancJ;l which 

bore off more to the northeast carried the values.d Since this taternent was not based on 

the personal observation of Doctor Lieber, lits authenticity rn y be questioned, inasmuch 

as such splitting is not known elsewhere' in the region. j ·The quartz vein carries considerable pyrite; which doubtles contains most of the gold. 

It was a bunch of decomposed pyrite that gave the $3,000 men 'oned above. The pyrite is 

also cupriferous, as shown by iridescent film~ on the slightly we thered sulp. hides and greenish stains where more oxidation has gone on. It is said that t in scales of metallic copper 

were found near the water level, probably indicating that some secondary enrichment has 

taken place. · ~ · 

Magnolia mine. e-=-This mine, located in western York Count , S.C., about 3 miles southwest of Hickory Grove, is the property of the Magnolia Mines C rnpany, of Memphis, Tenn. 

It was-worked before the war, under the name of the Louise ine, to a depth of 30 to 40 

~eet, or as deep as cornpl~te oxidation extended, a~d .is said to ~ave been ?rofitable, b~t ~o Idea of the total productiOn could be had. The oxidized ore w s treated m a stamp mill m 

which the mortar and sterns were of wood, and the iron shoes st ck upon cast-iron bottom 

plates instead of dies. The present mill, erected a few years ago is the fourth mill which has 

been built on the property. It has three stamps of 1,250 pound each, and discharges on all 

four sides. Screens of 80 mesh were first used, but were exc anged for 20 mesh. One 

Wilfley and one Standard table are in&talled. No work is bein done at pre~ent in mine or 

mill. 

The country rock is amphibolite, much decomposed at the urface. Numerous quartz 

veins, parallel to the foliation of this rock, strike N. 35° to 40° E. and dip about 75° NW. 

There are two groups of these veins; one situated ne~r the mill, lose to Guionmoore Creek, 

may be called the Magnolia group, and consists of the Magnoli , Gertie, Spring, Sea Crest, 

and at least two other veins; of the other group, about a mile no hwest of the mill, only the 

Dorothy vein has been work.ed, although other veins ~re prese ' t . • This Dorothy group is 

the northeastern continuation of the veins of the adjoining ·sc legelmilch property. The 

Dorothy vein is probably the same as one which was worked i the early days just to the 

northwest of the present Schlegelmilch shaft. Of the Magnoli group, the Magnolia and 

Gertie veins are most important, although some good ore was t ken from shallow workings 

on a vein a little to the southeast of these. A shaft 110 feet on he Gertie vein and an adit 

stt:iking the shaft at 75feet are now caved. This adit, called the R ck drift, is said to be about 

1,100 feet long, but left the vein soon after passing northeast f the shaft and became in 

reaiity a crosscut tunnel. Several veins are said to have been encountered, bu't were not 

worked. The Magnolia vein, a short distance to the southeast, i opened by a 150-foot adit 

tunnel, which gains only 30 or 40 feet of depth in that distance. his tunnel is partly cavea, 

but allows a view of the vein, which is 2 to 2~ feet wide, con ains considerable partially 

oxidized pyrite, and has the appearance of good ore. Stoping as been carried to the surface' for nearly the full length of the tunnel. A shaft about 40 ~et deep close to the Magnolia vein is said to cut both it and the Gertie vein by a northwes crosscut from the bottom. 

The partially oxidized ore which is here encountered in the Ma · nolia vein is said to assay 

a Lieber,-op. cit., vol. 2, p. 64. b Tuomey, M., Geology of South Carolba, 1848, p. 92. cLieber, op. cit., vol. 2, p. 66. d Idem, p. 65. e Perhaps the Smith mines of Lieber, op. cit., vol. 1, p. 46. 
106 GOLD AND TIN DEPOSITS OF SOUTHERN APPALACHIANS. 

about $4.'5. It is said that the average of a shipment of ore from these veins gave smelter 

returns of $56. The mill was then erected, but at best saved only 60 per cent of the assay 

value, and a sample from the tailings pile show.ed a content of $34 per ton. The writer 

was told. that the mill and the one table used were crowded, causing incomplete amalgamation and concentration, and that much fine pyrite was lost. The tailings certainly are 

very fine, and it is probable that a large proportion of slimes was formed. It would seem 

that the use of lighter stamps with low discharge and plentiful water feed and of both concentrators might raise the efficiency of extraction. More development might well be carried 

on, however, before further outlay is made on experiments in extraction. 

The Dorothy vein strikes about N. 32° E. and dips about 80° SE. It ranges in width 

from 18 inches to 3 feet, with an average of about 30 inches. The outcrop is plainly visible for several hundred feet. A shaft has been sunk 106 feet on it and short levels run in 

each direction from the bottom. Tllis shaft, being located high above a small creek 

which flows across the rock structure between it and the Schlegelmilch shaft, is dry. The 

air in the bottom is bad and necessitates the running of a blower when work is going on. 

But little ore has been taken from this place. It is said that the values fell from about 

$35 near the surface to less than $20 near the bottom of the shaft. 

Darwin mine.-At this old mine, about 2 miles northeast of Smiths Ford of Broad River, 

little is now to be seen except the. prominent outcrop of a northeastward-trending quartz 

vein, probably 5 or 6 feet wide. One or two pits and a shallow sliaft on the vein are now 

so filled in that they expose nothing of interest. Little indication of sulphides is to be 

seen, although it is said that pyrite and chalcopyrite were fairly abundant.a The vein is 

reported to have been irregular, inclosing numerous horses of the wall rock and thus adding 

to the cost of mining. According to Lieber a some success attended the early operations. 

No work has been done for many years. 

Ross & Carroll mine.-About three-fourths of a mile north of the Darwin mine is a quartz 

vein on which. mining has been done intermittently for a long time and which was last 

worked some years .ago by Messrs. Ross & Carroll, of Gaffney, S. C. It is often spoken of 

as the Wolf Creek mine. The vein, 2 to 21 feet wide, outcrops on a prominent ridge and 

has been opened by several pits for about a quarter of a mile. At Wolf Creek the ridge is 

cut down fully 150 feet. The vein continues on the northeast side of the creek, and most 

of the workings, a tunnel and shallow shaft, are on that side. About fifteen years ago a 

stamp mill was erected at the creek and considerable ore put through. It is understood · 

that the large proportion of pyrite, in. which the gold was mainly contained, made the percentage of recovery low. The . writer was told that a few tona of rich ore were hauled to 

Blacksburg for treatment, but that the returns, $52 per ton, were disappointing. 

McGill mine.-This mine, a fraction of a mile northeast of the Ross & Carroll mine, is 

said to be on the continuation of that vein. Work was done many years ago, and again 

somewhat more recently by Maj. J. F. Jones, of Blacksburg. The vein is said to split up 

toward the northeast into a number. of small veins too narrow and low in grade to be of 

profit. On the main vein two shafts, 90 and 80 feet deep respectively, were sunk and 

some good ore was taken from certain pockets or shoots rich in sulphides. It is learned 

that this ore averaged about $25 per ton. · 

McCaw mine.-About 2 miles southwest of Smyrna and 1 mile southeast of the McGill 

mine is a property worked in ·1904 by Mr. W. B. McCaw, of Yorkville, S. C. A quartz 

vein striking N. 50° E. and dipping very steeply to the northwest occurs in a much decomposed schistose rock, probably amphibolite. The vein, which is something over 2 feet 

wide, has been proved for about 200 feet by several pits. A shaft 35 feet deep was sunk 

on the vein and drifts 30 t~ 40 feet long run in each direction. . A little stoping was done 

above these drifts and a few tons of ore have been shipped, the value assigned being about 

$25 per ton. Pay ore was found only in bunches in the vein and values are said to have 

pinched out in the bottom, although the vein itself continues downward. The shaft is situated in low ground, and in consequence fills with water nearly to the collar when pumping 

a Lieber, op. cit., vol. 2, pp. 56-57. 
107 

is not done. The ore. from the bottom, nev1:1rtheless, is conside ably oxidized. Work at 

this place was stopped in the autumn of 190~. 

Love mine.-About 1 mile southeast of Kings Cree station a d just east of the railway 

some work has been done on a quartz vein in schist. The vein i probably~ feet wide on 

the average, strikes about N. 35° E. and dips about 70 NW. Se eral inclined shafts ranging from 30 to 50 feet deep prove the horizontal exte t of the v in for a distance of 1,000 

feet or more. Toward the northeast especially the vein is ra >her heavily impregnated 

with partially decomposed pyrite, which in some cases occurred a cubical crystals as much 

as an inch across. Several tons of the ore are now on he surface and it is said that a number of carloads have been shipped. The ore h,as a pro ising app arance, but it is of course 

impossible to judge of the value of such ore wfthout a say. Rep rts as to value are not 

wholly concord!j,nt, some being to the effect that a pa t of the o shipped gave returns of 

$80 per ton, while others declare that the ore is of I w grade. If the .value is good the 

extent and regularity of the deposit would seem tow rrant furt rexploration. No work 

is being done at present. 1 

Wilson mines.:-About 6 miles northeast of Yorkv"le, in Yor County:, S.C., near the 

road leading to Nannies Mountain, are situated the ig Wilson and Little Wilson mines. 

They are under the control of Mr. W. C. Latimer, of arkville, ho furnished the greater 

part of the information which follows. In the forties oxidized o e from the Big Wilson is 

said to have been worked in an old mill of the arras re type, i which oxen supplied the 

power. Later, when sulphide ore was struck, the or was "bur ed" or roasted in kilns a 

and then treated after the e.ame fashion as t~e oxidi ed ore. T e water level was only a 

few feet below the surface, and although a Cornish ump was sed water put an end to 

work at a depth of 65 feet. In the early palt of 188 work wa resumed and a 10-stamp 

mill erected. It is stated that $18,000 had been reco ered by t e end of the year simply 

from sinking the shaft to the 92-foot point, and in th first six onths of 1886 $6,000 was 

taken out. Work was again suspended till1896, whe a Mr. Clar is said to have extracted 

$12,700 from a six months' nm and saved 40 tons f concentr tes. No work of consequence has been done since that ,time. There are thr e sha.fts·,. ~ch about 90 feet. deep, of 

which two are now out of commission, whilJ the m st recent ne, though nearly full of 

water, appears very well timbered and is said to be n good co dition. These shafts are 

all connected at the bottom by a drift 120 feet long. There ar a few other short drift~? 

and crosscuts. A number of veins are said to be pr sent on t e property, but only one 

has been developed. This vein, inclosed in arhphiboli e, strikes . 40° E. and dips approximately 75° SE. The writer was told that this vein h s been ope ed at five different places 

in a distance of seven-eighths of a mile. It is about feet ~ide t the surface, but is said 

to widen decidedly with depth. Pyrite is plentiful a is said to assay $30 to $40 per ton, 

while the average ore runs about $12. Along the foo wall of th vein chalcopyrite is said 

to be present in sufficient amount to make the ore im ortant as source of copper. Some 

specimens of free copper were seen, said to hltve bee taken fro narrow kaolin seams at 

the side of the chalcopyrite vein. 

About a mile southwest of th~ Big Wilson is the L"ttle Wilso property. It adjoins ~n 

the southwest the Mary mine, :which was one~ exploit'd for the c pper contained in quartz 

veins carrying chalcopyrite, as mentioned on page llf. 

The Little Wilson vein is a big q~artz body strikin · about noJtheast and dipping ~bout 

70° SE. Two inclines about 35 feet deep appear to e on the f~ot wall and hanging wall, 

respectively, and thus indicate a width of 20 feet in o ' e place, b~t it may be that they are 

on separate veins of less width. A shaft 90 feet deep ~ets into q artz carrying finely granular pyrite arranged in rude bands parallel o the w:ltlls, but po sessing few others of the 

features significant of crustification. It is said that sEme chalco yrite was found near the 

bottom of this shaft. High ass~ys are said to have been obtain d from picked specimens, 

but the average run of the vein was not learned. 

I 

a Cf. Lieber, op. Jit:, vol. 1 p. 47. 
lOB GOLD AND TIN DEPOSITS OF SOUTHERN APPALACHIANS. 

The above statemen:ts regarding size and value of the ore bodies of the Wilson mines 

were not capable of verification by the writer and are gi-yen for what they may be worth. 

Prospects.-A number of small workings of either old or recent making were visited in 

the course of the reconnaissance. These are briefly mentioned or described in the following 

paragraphs: 

Some work was done in the early days on a quartz vein occurring on the property of 

George R. Wallis,a about 4 miles northeast of Yorkville, and desultory exploration has 

been carried on up to a few years ago. It is said that John W. Mackay worked here as 

a common laborer before going to California. One shaft is said to have been over 100 feet 

deep. A vein ranging from 1 to 4 feet wide, striking N. 75° E. and dipping about 70° 

NW., has been opened up at various places for about three-fourths of a mile. The country 

rock appears to be a sheared granite. Granite appears close by. A 100-foot northwesterly diabase dike appears to fault the northeast part of the vein 200 or 300 feet to 

the northwest. The quartz carries rather abundant pyrite, some of which, as concen- . 

trates, is said to run $100 per ton. It is rep9rted that the ore averages $10 to $20. 

Messrs. Small & Johnson are prospecting in a small way on two properties about onehalf mile northwest of Smyrna, York County, S.C. On what is called the Allison (formerly 

Bolin) place some rather promising-looking quartz with decomposed pyrite has been 

encountered in a vertical vein about 15 inches wide, which strikes about N. 70° E. A 

20-foot pit and a short tunnel comprised the development work at the time of visit. Not 

far from this, at the Bradley place, a 20-foot shaft has been sunk on what is said to be 

a vertical ore shoot 10 feet long in a ·15-inch quartz vein. The values in the shoot are 

said to be good, while outside the shoot the. vein is of very low grade. A little ore has 

been shipped to Perth Amboy, N.J. 

The]iorn property, in the town of Smyrna, is said to have within a few feet of each 

other, three parallel quartz veins striking about N. 38° E and dipping steeply to the southeast, which in places are rather heavily impregnated with pyrite. These it is said are cut 

by a pyrite vein striking N. 30° W. and dipping about 45° NE. As the shallow pits, which 

were sunk years ago, were either caved or completely filled with water, the writer was able 

to judge of this occurrence only from material on a small dump. This was quartz heavily 

impregnated with partially decomposed pyrite. It was stated by the owner, Mr. Horn, 

that a ton of ore shipped to Jersey City gave returns of $43 gold and 26 ounces of silver, 

while 2 tons shipped to .a Norfolk smelter gave very low returns. If gold is present in 

the partially oxidized pyrite it does not appear on panning. 

On the place of James Love, about a quarter of a mile west of Broad River, at Smiths 

Ford, a little tunncland shaft work was done years ago on a good-sized vein of massive 

white ~JUartz, in which no indication of sulphides could be seen. It is not known whether 

or not gold was found here. 

About a mile north of Smiths Ford, on the east side of the river and about 12 miles 

southeast of Gaffney, is situated what is known as the Flint Hill mine. Several pits and 

two 50-foot shafts have been sunk on what appear to be two northeastward-trending 

quartz veins which carry pyrite, and are said to assay $11 to $16 per ton. The work was 

done many years ago and no information could be gained concerning the extent of the 

deposit. 

At the Rosa Arrowwood mine, about 1 mile east of'Smiths Ford, some good ore was 

taken from.. pockets in a -northeasterly-trending quartz vein. 'I he work was done years 

ago, and only a few old pits, partially filled and overgrown, remain to indicate that gold 

was ever present here. 

The Mitchell 2lace is about a mile south of the Rosa Arrowwood. A few years ago a 

vein was opened here which was heavily impregnated with pyrite, and the prospectors 

were much encouraged by the general appearance of the ore, but when assays were made 

a Probably same as Wallace mine. See Nitze and Wilkens, Bull. North Carolina. Geol. Survey No. 

10, 1897, p. 77. 
DESCRIPTIONS OF GOLD iNES. . · 109 

80 cents was the best that could be obtamed. Al1ttle placelwork was done m the small 

creek just to the west, but is said not to have bee . profitable · 

Farther to the southwest, about a mile from the Mitchell pi ce, a vein striking N. 30° E. 

with steep dip to the northwest has been opene on the P rker property. Three short 

tunnels which appear to cut th~s vein rhow that it is very irr gular in .;idth, ranging from 

4 feet down to 2 inches. The northea~terrimost opening expo es a lens-like maf?s of quartz, 

10 to 12 feet long, inclosed in decomposed schist, probably mphibolite. Farther southwest a 35-foot shaft and drift explore more of the ~ein. e quartz contains oxidi~ed 

sulphides, which are said to carry fai~ gola values, although melter returns from a small 

shipment were low. 

A small, mound-like elevation known as Mose Mountain, 'ust to the northeast of the 

_Brown mine, is cut by many veins of 'I' hungry:'' or ba7ren-loo ing quartz, which, however, 

have received considerable attention from prospectors becau e of the story, presumably 

as ill founded as such tales usually are, that some very rich re was once found cthere by 

an old miner, who died without disclosing the exact location o his find. 

The Bolin mine, so called, is about 1 mile south of the ol Darwin prospect. Several 

pits were sunk years ago on a quartz vein of northeasterly strike. Nothing further ·is 

known concerning this property. 

On the Terry place, which adjoins the McCaw property n the northeast, a 30-foot 

pit on a vein of quartz afforded opportunity to take out a mall amount of ore, which 

was shipped. The value of the ore was not learned. This work was done only a few . 

years ago. _ 

A little prospecting has been done on the Love property, bout 2~ miles northeast of 

Yorkville, not far froru the Wallis place. A 2-f~ot quartz v in striking to the northeast 

is irregular in form and includes hors~ of the sch:st wall roc . A streak about 4 inches 

wide in the middle of the vein, carrying decomposed pyrite, is said to assay as high as 

$50, while the remainder of the yein is lean. It is stated t at some copper is present, 

but no indications of that metal were seen by the writer. 

About 3~ miles southwest of Gaffney, on the ~ott property, ot far from the old Cameron 

lead mine, a couple of men were at work at the time of the wri er's visit sinking a prospect 

~aft near the site of an old placer, which corresponds in description to the Austin placer 

of'Lieber,a and which is said to have yielded $50,000 to $75, . This shaft, which had 

attained a depth of about 20 feet, expo~ed only a 3-inch seain f quartz, with some decomposed pyrite. Work was stopped here in the early autumn of 1904. 

Old abandoned mines.- For the sake of completeness the na es of a number of old mines 

once more or less important, many of which have long since be n forgotten, are given here. 

These names are taken from the early literature on the geo ogy of this region and are 

arranged according to geographic position. In most cases m e or less complete descriptions of these mines will be found in the references cited. 

In Chesterfield County, S.C., the Leach b mine is near the B ewer mine, and was said to 

resemble that mine in the character of its ore d~posit. The 1rkleyc and Mcinnis c mines 

are also near the Brewer. Other old. rriines in the western porions of. Chesterfield County 

are the Miller,d Huff,d and Hendrix. e · 

In Lancaster County, S.C., the Funderburk/ and the Gayg r I.~ittle Brewer are near the 

Haile mine and are said to resemble it 1in character. The In am,h Clyburn, i Williams; i 

Belk, j Massey,k Stevens and Belk,k Phiffer,k and Knightk min s are also in the vicinity of 

a Op. cit., vol. 2, p. 71. b Lieber, op . cit., vol.l, pp. 56, 68-69; vol. 2, p. 53. Nitze and Wilkens, · ull. North Carolina Geol. Survey No.10, 1897, p. 77. . · c Lieber, op. cit., vol. 2, p. 53. Nitze and Wilkens, loc. cit. d Tuomey, M., Geology of South Carolina, 1848, p. 98. e Lieber, op. cit., vol. 1, p. 69. 

!Lieber, op. cit., vol. 1, pp. 59-60. Nitze and Wilkens, op.cit.,p. 77. g Lieber, op. cit., vol. 1, pp. 57, 62. Nitze and Wilkens, loc. cit. h Lieber, op. cit., vol. 1, pp. 57, 63. i Nitze and Wilkens, loc. cit. 

j Lieber, op. cit., vol. 1, p. 55. Tuomey, M., Geology of South Caro · ,a, 1848, p. 98. k Lieber, op. cit., vol. 1, p. 55. 
110 GOLD AND TIN DEPOSITS 0F SOUTHERN .APP .AL.ACHIANS. 

the Haile mine. The Potts,a Izell,a Johnson,b and Haginc mines are situated elsewhere in 

Lancaster County. . 

In York County, S.C., the Wylie,d Kennedy,e Sutton,! and Palmetto g have been noted 

or described by previous writers. 

The mines in Union County, S.C., which have not been described in the foregoing pages 

are the Bogan h and the Harman i or Mud j mines, both of which are situated in the northwestern part of the county not far from the Thompson and West mines. · 

The Lockhartk mine, near Limestone Springs (just south of Gaffney), in what is now 

Cherokee County, was worked in the early days of the Southern Appalachian mining 

industry. 

In that part of Gaston County, N. C., with which this report deals the following mines 

have at some time been worked: Crowders Mountain l or Caledonia, P&tterson, l Rhodes,m 

McLean m or Rumfeldt, and Oliver. n The Long Creek o or Asbury ~ine, 7 miles northeast 

of Kings Mountain station, is said to eotltain similar ore to that in the old Kings Mountain 

mine, being characterized by more or less uncommon minerals,P such as tetradymite, 

arsenopyrite, leucopyrite, bismutite, and bismite. 

In the southwestern part of Union County, N.C., the Howie (riowColossus), Wyatt, Washington or Bonny Belle,q and Penman mines collectively made up what was ~nown as the 

Grand Union gold mine.r Numerous other mines to the north and northeast in Union 

County and to the northwest in Mecklenburg County have been worked, but fall outside 

the area here described. 

SUMMARY. 

The locations of the mines of this area, outlined above, indicate two broad belts along 

which gold has principally been found. These two belts have be.en generally recognized 

by most write~s heretofore. They trend northeastward in a general way parallel to the 

strike of the rocks and the general structure of the region. One belt extends from the western part of Union County, S.C., through eastern Cherokee and western York counties, S.C., 

and on.' through the eastern half of Gaston County and western Meeklenburg County, N.C. 

The other belt is broader and in a measure less defined. It includes Lancaster County, 

eastern York and western Chesterfield counties, S. C., and Union County and the eastern 

edge of Mecklenburg County, N. C. Scattered mines or occurrences of gold are known 

between these two belts. -

To the south of the area which forms the subject of this report these belts become indistinct, but their continuation is probably represented by a number of gold deposits in Laurens, Abbeville, and Edgefield counties, S. C., and in McDuffie, Warren, Wilkes, Lincoln, 

and Columbia counties, Ga.s 

To the north these two belts merge into one rather indefinite zone, including Lincoln, 

Catawba, Cabarrus, Stanley, Montgomery, Moore, Randolph, Rowan, Davidson, and Cuilford counties, N. C. Taken collectively, this Carolina belt, as it is called, has been one of 

the most important gold regions of the eastern United States. 

a Lieber, op. cit., vol. 1, p. 50. b Lieber, op. cit., vol. 1, p. 69. c Lieber, op. cit., vol. 2, pp. 49-50. d Lieber, op. cit., vol. 1, p. 45. e Lieber, op. cit., vol. 2, p. 63. 

f Lieber, op. cit., vol. 2, p. 48. u Nitze and Wilkens, loc. cit., h Tuomey, M., Geology of South Carolina, 1848, p. 92. Lieber, op. cit., vol. 2, pp. 66-67. i Tuomey, M., op. cit., p. 91. • i Lieber, op. cit., vol. 2, pp. 57-58. k Tuomey, M·., op. cit., p. 88. l Kerr and Hanna, Ores of North Carolina (chap. 2 of Geology of North Carolina, vol. 2), 1893, p. 306. 

Nitze and Hanna, Bull. North Carolina Geol. Survey No.3, 1896, pp. 147-148. m Nitze and Hanna, op. cit., p. 148. 

nNitze and Hanna, op. cit., p.149. o Kerr and Hanna, op. cit., p. 304. Nitze and Hanna, op. cit., p. 149. 

PBecker, G. :F., Gold fields of the Southern Appalachians: Sixteenth Ann. Rept. U.S. Geol. Survey, 

pt. 3, 1895, pp. 274-278. See also pp. 62-63 of this report. . q Nitze and Hanna, op. cit., p. 104. Becker, G. F., op. cit., p. 310. r Kerr and Hanna, op. cit., p_. 261. a Cf. Nitze and Wilkens, Bull. North Carolina Geol. Survey No. 10, 1897, p. 84. 
I 

CONCLUSIONS IESPECTING GOLD MINING. ·111 

At the time of the 'Vriter's visit (a}ltumn, 1904) th~ Hailwmine was in active operation, 

the Blackmoa was working a fome tetnporarily reduced on account ot ~carcity of labor, the 

Brewer and Thompson were working in a small way under lel;l.se, the Ferglison, Brown, and 

Schlegelmilch were carrying on devel pment work, Messrs. Small & Johnson were exploring 

their properties near Smyrna, and tensive work was going on at the Colossus mine preparatory to beginning active minin~] and milling. In addition to these operations a few 

individuals were washing stream gray ls for placer gold. So far as known, no other mining 

for gold was being done in this region. Since that time work at the Brown and Schlegelmilch mines has been stopped. · 

CONCLUSIONS. 

The condition of the gold-mining 'ndustry in this region to-day is fairly well outlined 

in the preceding paragraph. In 1859 there were in the South Carolina portion alone 40 

working mines,a and it is probable thht the decrease in the North Carolina portion has been 

of about the same order of magnitudJ. Furthermore, most of the mines now working were 

then known and were mining richer bres than at present. If these former conditions are · 

compared with the present status,. it [is at once apparent . that the gold-mining industry of 

this region has suffered a decided deyline. The fact that a very few mines (of which the 

Haile is really the only one of importlance in this respect, as will be shown presently) have 

been able to maintain and even increase the:-total production of earlie! years is not surprising in ':'iew of the advances which mining as an industry has made, and in reality has 

little to do with the consideration of fhis district as a whole. For the last fifteen years or 

thereabouts only a small addition to fhe production of this region has been made by any 

but the Haile mine, which has maintained its average yearly production at something like 

$100,000 during that time. . This mime has been compelled ~o reduce more and more the 

cost of operating per unit of produc , because of decreasing grade of ore, and has been 

forced to gradually encroach on and deplete its known reserves of workable ore, so that the 

time is not far distant when a falling off in produCtion must be expected unless some of the 

development work now being carried ion cau bring to-light new supplies of ore. 

So far as the other mines are concerned, it may be said that in spite of the unsystematic. 

and unscientific management which has been the rule rather than the exception in this 

region, most of them which seem to Have possessed any sign ,of promise have been given a 

pretty fair chance to show what they lare worth. In the easel of the ColQssus, it seems Eafe 

to say that if the ore bodies are as persistent as those at the Haile have been-a statement which there may be no reason ~o doubt, but which ought to be demonstrated-if the 

ore averages as well as the reported ~ssays indicate, and if the cyanide process now being 

applied proves a successful means of [extraction, then a good prod ction .may be expected 

for some years. The Blackmon mine ]ikewise may make a respectable addition to the output 

of the region if the size and value oflthe deposit persists and certain ·obstacles to mining, 

already enumerated, can be overcome There appears little reason to hope that the Brewer 

mine will ever again become an important producer . . While much gold undoubtedly 

exisits in that immense deposit, it is doubtful if it can be extracted with profit. Little can 

be said of the Kings Mountain minel because of lack of authentic information, but it is 

unreasonable to suppose that it would now be lying i'dle .if much ore of the grade which it 

has alr~ady furnished were known to ekist. Certain of the smaller mines may, and probably 

will, prove profitable for a period, bu~ in the case of the vein mines the irregularities of the 

deposits will make mining an uncert in enterprise and the rylatively small size of the ore 

bodies will demand that the value of[ the ore must remain :fiairly high as compared with 

that of thE:\ large replacement deposits. 1 

. I 

a South Carolina, Resources, etc., State Board of Agriculture, Charleston, 1883, p. 134. There were, in 1859,21 working mines in Lancaster and (];hesterfield counties and 19 'in Spartanburg, Union, and York ·counties. These three last-named counties were a few years ago divided, portions of each constituting a fourth county, Cherokee. It is certain hat of these 19 mines, nearly all of which were situated in 

tbe old Spartanburg County, are now includ.ed in Cherokee County, and are thus. within the area studied. 
112 GOLD AND TIN DEPOSITS OF SOUTHERN APPALACHIANS. 

It must be remembered also that in both classes.of deposits increasing depth will in general 

mean increasing cost of production, especially in this region where there is no apparent 

solution of the water problem except by pumping. A further serious handicap to success 

is the fact that in nearly all thfl mines the decomposed ores, which allowed comparatively 

easy extraction of the gold, are now almost or quite exhausted, and that the sulphide 

ores to which operators now must look for future production can be treated only if rich 

enough to warrant being shipped to a smelter, or, if of lower grade, only by the outlay of 

conSiderable capital in the erection of a plant .for concentration, if not for roasting and 

lixiviation also. 

Finally, there arises the question of discovery of new mines or ore bodies. There is 

little doubt that there exist in this region many deposits of gold which are now unknown. 

When it is remembered, however, that prospecting has been going on more or less actively 

right here for nearly a century, with only unimportant results in recent years, and that for 

a decade or two before the war this was distinctly a mining region where practically the 

wholt population was incited to activity by the possibility of discovering gold, and when it 

is considered what great amounts of money must have been spent in the early stages .of 

exploratory development, one can but admit that the ground has been pretty carefully 

searched. Add to this the fact that probably a great proportion of the placer gold, which 

in the early days aided materially in the location and discovery of the deposits in place, has 

been removed, and it becomes plain that the prospect for any important addition to the 

localities of gold now known is not bright. 

In conclusion, then, it seems probable that if the production of the region is to be maintained or increased, this will be due to a few large mines, and that more likely the future 

will bring to this region a gradual decline in importance, both relative and actual. 

OTHER MINERAL PRODUCTS OF THE REGION. 

SILVER. 

Silver has never been found in commercial quantities in this area, and so far as knownno 

distinct silver mineral has been reported. The metal is not wholly absent, however. It -

probably constitutes_a large part of the material which brings down the fineness of the gold 

bullion to an average of about 0.900. It also probably occurs in the galena and tetrahedrite 

of the Kings Mountain mine and was said to be present to the extent of about 50 ounces 

per tona in some of the ore from the old Cameron lead mine in Cherokee County, S. C. 

Silver occurs in some quantity at the Silver Hill mine ·in Davidson County, N. C., but on 

the whole is not very plentiful in the Southern Appalachians. 

COPPER. 

Copper occurs in many parts of the area, as may be seen from an examination of the list 

of minerals given under gold (pp. 62-63), but in nearly all cases the amount is so small as to 

be negligible. Chalcopyrite is the most common copper-bearing mineral, and has been found 

at the Kings Mountain, Ferguson, Big Wilson, and Colossus gold mines; at the Mary copper 

mine; at the Cameron lead mine; at the Jones tin mine, and at other places. At the 

Brewer mine enargite, the copper-arsenic sulphide, occurs in small crystalline grains in the 

blue siliceous gold ore. By decomposition it furnishes covellite (cupric sulphide)., and on 

complete oxidation chalcanthite, the hydrous cupric sulphate, is produced. The chalcanthite forms blue coatings on the walls of the open pit wherever recent work has not been 

done. It is also noted by Becker in the Kings Mountain mine, forming a blue slime on the 

walls. Chrysocolla is said to occur in an old shaft of the same mine. Metallic copper is said 

to have been found at the Nott mine in Union County, S.C. From the description of the 

occurrence there it seems probable that this copper is a product of secondary enrichment from original sulphide ores above. Pyrrhotite, probably copper bearing, is found at 

a Cf. Lieber, op. cit., vol. 2, p. 78. 
. COPPER AND LEAD. 113 

~he Kings Mountain, Colossus, and Haile gold mines;· at the Cameron lead mine, and at the 

Jones tin mine. It is likely that much of the pyrite of the gold mines contains a small percentage of copper. Tetrahed te is said to have been found at the Cameron lead mine. 

The only place at which copper is known to have been sought is at the Mary mine, about 

5 miles northeast of Yorkville, S. C. This mine was considered by Lieber a to . offer v~ry 

favorable indications. The country rock is a · dioritic species originally containing fairly 

calcic plagi.oclase, hornblende or augite, ilmenite, and sphene. Regional metamorphism 

converted the original bisiliqate into secondary hornblende and the plagioclase into oligoclase or andesine, abundant epidote, and a little zpisite. Metasomatic alteration along the 

sulphide-bearing quartz veins has almost completely converted the uralite into brown 

biotite and has changed much of the feldspar i to sericite; pyrite has also been introduced. 

The quartz itself carries both pyrite and ch copyrite in large and small crystalline masses 

·al)d grains. From the statement; of Liebe regarding the occurrence of secondary minerals 

arranged in vertical zones, it seems prob le that leaching of the upper, oxidized portions 

of the vein has resulted in secondary e richment below. It is interesting to note, in this 

connection, in what clear terms Liebe described certain features of the process now· known 

as secondary enrichment. b It is obable that the "black oxide" which he describes as 

occurring ju~t above the primary yritic ore was in reality the sulphide, chalcocite. A large 

quartz vein, apparently~ n, occurs a short distance from t_he copper-bearing vein. 

Several pits have been sunk, and it is rumored that some ore was shipped to Charleston 

during war time and was manufactured into s~ells, but this seems to be without foundation. 

LEAD. 

Lead is known to occur at the Kings Mountain gold mine as galena and as nagyagite. A 

.more important deposit was known as the Cameron mine and ·earlier as the Morgan .or 

Leitner mine. c This mine is situated just east of the limestone belt of the Kings Mou~t~in 

Range and is about-4 miles southwest of Gaffney, S.C. It was opened before the war as a 

copper mine, but lead was coon found to be the most important metal present. During the 

war the dem~nd for lead for bullets caused aCtive work to he carri,ed on at this place. 

The country rock is amphibolite, cut by a granitic gneiss .containing a small amount of 

albite, showing crushing, particularly along certain bands, and undoubtedly closely related 

to the granite of the tin belt. 

· The vein, which was said to-be 2 to 2~ feet wide, is parallel to the foliation or the country 

and consists principally of quartz, coarsely crystalline siderite, and chlorite. The ore 

are galena, decomposing to cerussite and leadhillite, and wulfenite (leadmolyb-

. The small needles of pyromorphite, the phosphate, found with quartz in vugs are 

probably secondary. Pyrite, chalcopyrite changing to covellite and malachite, pyrrhoand arsenopyrite are sparingly present in the quartz. " Gray copper" (tetrahedrite1) 

said to have been found here. Thin botryoidal coatings of brown iron oxide, showing 

radiating structure, line many cavities in the vein. The galena is said to contain 

~ortsi<jer·able silver; the amount per ton of ore in one lot of m.etal being reported as 49 

.d Gold is also said to have ' been present. e The ·development ~onsisted of two 

allow tunnels and an inclined shaft nearly 150 feet deep. The writer is informed by 

A. Thies, who worked the mine for the Confederate government; that not much lead 

present and that the total output of the mine amounted to a few hundred tons. It was 

one time contemplated to work the siderite for iron. 

Rich galena ore occurs at the Black mine, near Indian Trail, Union County, N.C., just 

tside the area contained in this report, but the quantity was not ascertained. 

a Op. cit., vol. 1, pp. 82-83; vol. 3, p. 199. 

bOp. cit., voL 1, p. 84; vol. 2, pp. 11-12. c Lieber, op. cit., vol. 1, p. 86; vol. 2, pp. 74-78. Shepard, C. U ., Report on the Morgan Silver-Lead 

d Copper Mine in Spartanburg District, S.C. London, 1855. . . Lieber, op. cit., vol. 2, p. 78. e Lieber, op. cit., vol. 3, p. 198. 

Bull 293-06-8 
114 GOLD AND TIN DEPOSITS OF- SOUTHERN APPALACHIANS. 

ZINC. 

With the exception of a small amount of sphalerite found at the Kings Mountain mine, 

no zinc is kno,vn in this area. 

IRON. 

Considerable activity was once manifested in this region in the mining of this most essential of the metals. Of the several iron-producing regions in th~ Carolinas, that along the Kings 

Mountain Range was in the early days one of the foremost. The Hills Iron Mining Company 1s 

said to have worked before the Revolution~ry war a deposit occurring on Nannies ;Mountain, 

about 12 miles northeast of Yorkville. The Swedish Iron Mining Company in the vicinity 

of ·cherokee Falls and the Kings Mountain Iron Mining Company in the vicinity of Kings 

Mountain carrieq on rather extensive operations befor and during the civil war. More 

recent work has been done at the Ormond mine, northeast of the town of Kings Mountain, 

N.C., and at several places south, southwest, and southeast of Blacksburg, S.C. Nothing 

is being done at present. 

Owing to the fact that nearly all the workings are inaccessible or because they are either 

caved in or filled with water, a satisfactory idea of the character of these ·deposits was 

not obtained. The only place where geologic relations are adequately exposed is at what 

is known as the No. 2 magnetite pit, about 2! miles south-southwest of Blacksburg and 

only a short distance southeast of the limestone belt. This is a cut 50 to 60 feet long, 30 

feet wide, and about 301feet deep. There is at present about 12 feet of water in the pit. 

The rock, which is a dark slate, strikes about N. 60° E. and dips very steeply to the south-. 

east, although there appears to have been considerable folding and contortion. Masses of 

dense blue-gray rock occurring in several places may be basic eruptive material. Magnetite is irregularly distributed through the slate in disseminated grains, large and small 

enses, and shapeless masses. Associated with it, in bunches and veinle.ts, is a white fibrous 

material, locally called serpentine, which proves to be mostly actinolite, although some serpentine and a little carbonate are present. The slate consists of extremely fine shreds of 

serpentine with a small amount of carbonate and a few fragmental grains ·of a pale-greenish 

a:nphibole probably actinolite. 

The origin of this ore is uncertain. The. association with serpentine may indicate 

the magnetite is a segregation from a basic igneous rock, the whole having then been 

jected to folding and consequent metamorphism. 

This magnetite is said to be of very good quality.- Considerable was mined and 

before and during the civil war in the furnaces along Broad River. Remains of some 

these furnaces are still to be seen. Several tons of ore are at present piled up near the 

From its appearance the writer would judge that its content of iron is rather ~oo low to 

profitable, and it is questionable if high-grade ore can be mined from this deposit. 

About one-fourth of a mile farther northeast a pit which is probably on the same 

exhibits similar conditions. The slaty rock shows better foliations, dipping very 

to the southeast. Iron appears less abundant. 

At several points along the eastern side of the Blacksburg fold and near the 

ridges occur deposits of iron oxide. Some of these are limonite, some hematite, some 

netite, and some mixtures of any or all. This belt is known to extend from a mile or 

south of Broad River through Cleveland, Gaston, and Lincoln counties and into 

County. Following closely along this iron belt through nearly its whole extent is a 

of manganese oxide. 

Considerable work was once done on the ·south side of Broad River. Before the 

gan and Alabama fields were worked these deposits furnished a great part of the iron 

consumed, and it is said that some was shipped away. Other workings were located 

Gaston and Lincoln counties. Deposits of this kind are known on the ridge north of 

kee Factory, in Cherokee County, and in the vicinity of Wolf Creek, near the York 

line. At the latter place, on property of Mr. W. B. McCaw, a deposit of solid ·· ··~ "'' ~'·"" 
IRON. 115 

hematite occurs. The iron ore is also isseminated through the wall rock for some distance away from the main body. The s rrounding rock is much de~omposed, but is probably a quartz-sericite schist. It is said that the iron is of good grade and contains only 

small amounts of sulphur and phosphor If the pits which have been dug give any idea 

of the extent of the deposit~ little can . e expected of it frdm the commercial standpoint. 

The same statement may be applied to 11 the other deposits of this type which ?ave been 

visited. 

It seems not unlikely that these bodi represent deposits .of bog iron ore buried by later 

sediments and then subjected to meta orphism which copverted much of the limonite 

into hematite and in part even to rna netite. Such an origin would explain. the small 

extent and the discontinuity of the d~p sits. A small depo~it of limonite ore in decomposed schist has been opened in shallow pits on the property of William Martin, about 3~ 

miles northwest of Blacksburg and just o er the line in Cleveland County, N.C. The interbedding of the deposit with the surroun ing slates' suggests that it likewise originated from 

bog iron ore. 

South of Kings Mountain the Kings untain Range breaks up into smaller mounds and 

sepa:·ate_d ridges. East of Blacksburg o one of these ridge~ some pits have.been sunk on 

iron-:-ich places in the schist, and a com anitively small amount of ore has been taken out. 

It consists of both limonite and hemati e, but at a depth of 20 to 25 feet becomes pyritic 

and soon passes into solid pyrite. · 

Ore of a similar nature has been fou d on the knob just' south of Broad River not far 

from Cherokee ]'alls. Open cuts of co siderable size furnished ore for several blast furnaces and bloomeries situated along th river in war times. These old openings are now 

nearly filled with debris and material fr m the caving of the walls. The ore here is not so 

certainly derived from pyrite as that _on he north side of the river just above) but the s:m'i= 

larity in appearance and occurrence oft e oxide ores is great. . . 

Iron of good grade occurring in strea s or vein-ljke mas~es was once mined to a small 

extent from the Ross property, near lf Creek.a Here, too, the percentage ?f sulphur 

increased with depth, and finally, it iss "d, the ore became such massive pyrite that it was 

used for the manufacture of sulphuric a id. 1 . 

During Revolutionary times iron was mined at thP Hills iron works on Nannies Mountain, York County. The rock, an imp re foliated quartzite, is cut by a "vein" which • 

strikes N. 15° E. and dips 80° to 85° E Where best exposed it is. 6 feet wide, bu't must 

have been much wider in places, to jud e from,the width of ~orne of the pits on it. Thi~ 

band is composed of mixed limonite and ematite, much of it porous. Near a small stream 

which crosses the belt a shallow pit reac es granular quartz heavily impregnated by pyrite. 

It is evident, therefore, that the iron mi ed was simply the oxidized cap of a pyrite' v'ein. 

It is said that prospecting by means of diamond drill showed a heavy body of sulphides, 

partly pyrrhotite, at a depth of 400 feet. It seems probable that oxidation of this deposit 

has been pretty complete down to wat r level, while below that the sulphides are little 

altered. 

It is probable that these sulphide bodes represent veins and fahlbands and are distinct 

in origin from those deposits which are elieved to have accumulated in bogs. 

The Ormond mine, about 5 miles no theast of the to1Vn of Kings .Mountain, has b

1

em 

more developed than any of the iron dep sits in the 9-istrict qescribed. At the time of v:sit 

the workings were inaccessible; and little but waste was to be· seen on the dump. ' A rathu 

full description of the mine is given by Nitze.b The main shaft, 173 feet deep, _encour.-

tered some good ore bodies at the bott m, considerably below present water level. On 

the other hand, masses of pyrite and p -rhotite c have been found in various portions of 

the workings. Manganese, nickel, and cobalt oxides have been found with the ore.d 

a See Lieber, op. cit., vol. 1, p. 89. b Bull. North Carolina Geol. Survey No.1, 1 93, pp. 93-102. c'\Vurtz, H., Proc. Am. Assoc. Adv. Sci.,- v l. 12, 1859, p. 223; Am. Jour. Sci., 2d ser., vol. 27, 1859, 

p. 26. Of. also Tuomey, M., Geology of South Carolina, 1848, pp. 81-83. · d Wurtz, H., loc. cit. ' 
116 GOLD AND TIN DEPOSITS OF SOUTHERN APPALACHIANS. 

Whether this ore was once a sulphide that is now oxidized below the water level or whether 

original oxide ores ate present along with pyrite the writer is unable to say. 

The presence of gold in an old iron deposit known as the Bird bank, mentioned by Tuomey,a may be an indication that the deposit was the gossan of a sulphide vein. 

In conclusion it may be said that so long as the great sources of present supply of iron 

maintain their pro<luctiveness there seems little hope of the deposits of this po;rtion of the 

Carolinas assuming much commercial importance. 

MANGANESE. 

So far f!.S known no manganese has ever been produced in this region, although it has 

long been known to occur. Mention has already been made (pp. 26, 114) of the black belt 

carrying manganese, which occurs on the east side of the Blacksburg fold. In places the 

percentage of manganese is high and ought to warrant more exploitation than t he few 

shallow pits which have been sunk east of Blacksburg. Analyses of specimens from this 

place by Nitze b run up to 57 per cent of metallic manganese. A qualitative examination 

of this manganese ore by Dr. E. C. Sullivan, of the United States Geological Survey, shows 

that it contains traces of both nickel and cobalt. 

It seems probable that these deposits are metamorphosed bog ores. On the property of 

Dr.· F. H. Morton, near Draytonville Mountain, about on the strike of this manganese belt, 

a depression of several acres in extent is covered with a layer of concretionary manganese 

oxide, with some iron, mixed with a small amount of clay-a typical bog ore. It has probably been derived by decomposition of t he manganiferous belt. It is possible that a sufficient amount of ore of suitable grade is present to make the deposit valuable. 

PYRITE. -

Some years ago pyrite was mined a few miles north of Kings Mountain and was used · by 

'the Virginia-Carolina Chemical Company for the manufacture of sulphuric acid. For reasons which were not learned operations were suspended, and in 1904 the machinery was 

·being hauled away. 

A plant near Blacksburg, erected some years ago for the purpose of manufacturing sul-

'phuric acid and iron paint from pyrite, and at the same time recovering any gold which 

• the sulphide might contain, obtained most of its ores from mines in the northwestern part 

of York County, the Ferg~son, McGill, and Ross & Carroll mines being among the number. 

The general report is that the process was not successful. 

GRAPHITE 

Bands of graphite occurring as members of the rock series which makes up the Kings 

Mountain Range · attain in places a thickness of 20 feet, but the mineral is said in general 

to be too impure to have comm~rcial value. . 

BARITE. 

Barite is said to occur in considerable amount on the eastern side of Kings Mountain. 

Specimens indicate that some of it is rather pure. Mining was carried on for some time 

up to about three years ago, and the output, which was shipped, reached at times 20 

wagon loads per day. Rece:r;ttly no work has been done. 

MONAZITE. 

Beginning about 3 miles west of Gaffney, the rare-earth phosphate, monazite, occurs along 

a northeasterly belt 'which, with a short gap near Broad River, continues into Cleveland 

County, N. C. To the south the monazite belt · is known to reach nearly to Greer, Greenville County, S.C. The most extensive deposits occur in the northern portion of this belt, 

a Op. cit., p. 88. · bBull. North Carolina Geol. Survey No.1, 1893, p.112. 
117 

I 

outside of the territory embraced jn thi report, but considerable of this mineral has been 

obtained by placer-mining methods in t e western part of Cherokee County, which is ~ithin 

the area here described. 

On Cole Creek, about- 3 1mles west o Gaffney, are situated the Littlejohn and Huskey 

workings. The Littlejohn deposit, nea the head of the creek, has been worked over sev-: 

eral times: 20 or 30 feet wide along th creek. The soil at farther distances shows considerable monazite on panning, but th distance to water is too great to make recovery 

profitable. At the time of visit Cole reek was so low that but little waslling could be 

done. 

ThG Huskey placer adjoins to the sou h, or downstream. The w~rkings hete have been 

wider, owing to richer ground and moe water. This deposit likewise has been worked 

over several times, giving each time. a pr fitable amount o£ monazite. Two small branches 

of Cole Creek come in from the west o the Huskey property, and the southern one of 

these has been very rich. 

The Lemon mine, about three-fourth of a nlile north-nbrtheast of the Littlejohn, has 

been the most productive deposit in th region. Situated on the forks of a small stream 

at its junction with Cherokee Creek, th workable area is comparatively extensive. Rich 

bars have been found to contain as muc as 30 per cent of monazite. 

About a mile still farther northeast, n a small stream running southeast, are the Magness, Swafford, Jones, and Sarratt place , the latter said to be c0ntrollcd by the Welsbach 

Company. These are said to have prod ced well. They are not being worked at present. 

All these placers are situated practical y at the source of the monazite. So-called ledges 

exposed in the stream cuts carry mon ito as a constituer;tt of the rock. These ledges, 

which have every appearance of illkes, ut a country rock of greemsh-gray garnetiferous 

schist. They consist of quartz, feldspar and brown biotite, and according to the proportion of the mica are either light or da k in color. The dark ledges are more common. 

In all cases observed these ledges arc in ercalated with the ~urrouY.ding schist. Although 

somewhat crushed, showing a faint-auge structure which might class the rock as a gneiss, 

these l edges exhibit plainly the intergro th of quartz and f eldspar characteristic of peg-

. matite dikes, and microscopic evidence is confirmatory. These dikes have already been 

described (pp. 20-22). The monazite . ccurs as an original ·constituent of the dikes in 

crystals which usually have well-develop d faces and wllich range in size from microscopic 

to half a centimeter in diameter. 1 

It is possible that monazite also occ s as an impregnation in the schist near the pegmatite dikes, but the writer found no p oof of this~ An interesting feature in connection 

with these dikes is the presence in them apparently as an original constituent, of numerous scales of graphite. So far as know , no apatite has been fqund associated with the 

monazite in this region. Ceritc, a rare- arth silicate, in specific gravity and appearance 

similar to monazite, is said to occur in onsiderable quantity at some of the mines, and 

being incapable of separation from the monazite by any method yet devised seriously 

affects the value of the product. In a ew cas s, where the richness and the degree of 

decomposition of the dikes permit, they ni worked in the same way as the gravel, being 

washed through a screen and caught i a sl1Jice box; but' in general the sticky kaolin 

resulting from the decomposition of the feldspars makes thorough waslling and complete 

recovery difficult. · '-

While the gravel or soil at some distan e from the streams not uncommonly contains ns 

high a percentage of monazite as is foun in the stream bed on the second and subsequent 

washings, it is in few cases profitable to ork such deposits. The nlineral from this source, 

however, serves to replenish the supply in the streams, being carried in by the heavy 

rains. That the stream gravels can be rked with profit several times is probably owing 

as much to this fact as to the low recove y of the early washings. 

The region seems to have been prett thoroughly prospected, and there can be little 

doubt that the richest ground has alread been found and exhausted. Mr. M. E. Gettys, 

of Gaffney, is principally interested in th se deposits. 
118 GOLD AND TJN DEPOSITS 01!' SOUTHERN APPALACHIANS. 

A little monazite bas been found on the Perry place, near Gaffney, and at several localities in the northern part of York County. 

LITHIUM:. 

The occurrences of spodumene, mentioned on page 48, may be worthy of investigation 

.as a source of lithium or even as a possible locality for the spodumene gems-kunzite, 

hiddenite, triphane, etc. 

MICA. 

Although .some prospecting has been done on pegmatite dikes northeast of Kings Mountain station a.u.d northwest of Blacksburg, mica has never been found in commercial quantities in this immediate region, although not far to the northwest the mica industry is one 

of importance. 

CORUNDUM: 

Corundum is known to occur in the vicinity of Nannies Mountain in York County, and 

has been reported from the Perry place, just west of Gaffney. At two places near Nannies 

Mountain it has been mined. On the Barron property, southeast of the summit, a few 

shallow shafts have been sunk and some of the mineral obtained. The workings are now 

in such condition thaL they show nothing of the occurrence, and no rock is exposed near by. 

At the Clinton place, 1~ miles northwest of Nannies Mountain, some pits and trenches 

and a 30-foot shaft constitute the development work. These also are caved in and grown 

over with grass, so that no good idea of geologic relations can be obtained. A few rods 

away a decomposed granitic rock cut by diabase is exposed. Some corundum is piled up 

near the pits and shows decomposition into muscovite. Some of the mineral occurs in 

masses a foot in diameter, with imperfect radial structure-. It is said that several tons 

have been shipped from this place by Rickard & Hewitt, of Brooklyn, N.Y., who control 

both this and the .i::Sarron property. Float is rather plentiful for some distance northeast 

of the Clinton place. 

LIMESTONE. 

Besides a fairly wide use as building stone in this region, the limestone of the Kings 

Mountain belt has been rather extensively quarried and burned to form lime. Quarries, 

now abanddned, have been made at Kings Mountain and at Blacksburg, and two quarries 

of good size (see Pl. II, p. 18) are now being worked at Gaffney, where a number of continuous kilns with iron shells produce about 200 barrels of lime daily. The crystalline rock, 

almost white, is sa.id to produce so low a grade of lime that but little of it is used, while 

the blue compact rock furnishes-a lime of good quality. The crystalline variety is probably rather dolomitic. (See analyses, p. 19.) 

CLAY. 

Near Grover, N. C., clay from some beds of comparatively small extent is shipped to 

Richmond, Va., ap.d is. said to be used for pottery and as fire clay. A deposit occurring 6 

miles southeast of Gaffney furnishes material for a small oven which produces rough pottery. 
THE GOL]} DEPOS TS OF DAHLONEGA, GA . 

• DEMAR LINDGREN 

ODUCTION. -I 

The gold mines of the Southern States, especially of the Ct).rolinas, Georgia, and Alabama, 

have during the last decades deelined i importance, and they have also been eclipsed by 

the larger production due to successive iscoveries in the Western States. In consequence 

of this they have not in recent years btained their share of attention from geologists. 

But it must not be forgotten that they were the first gold peposits which were studied by 

American geologists, and that about for y to sixty years ago they received much attention 

by such men as Sill!man, Rogers, ~hi ney, E. Emmons, Lieber, and Kerr . . !he results 

of their studies were naturally applied o such western discoveries as the California goldquartz veins, and thus the conceptio s of "lenticular masses" and "segregated. veins" 

were improperly transferred to westerr occurrences. No 'doubt the southern gold veins 

and those of California present sorr.e str king features of simlilarity, hut the profound differences were overlooked, and the corred view of the latter as sharply defined fissure veins 

bus only lately found acceptance in the general literature of ore deposits . 

. The first modern geological investig tion of the southern gold deposits was ~de by 

Dr. G. F. Becker in 1895,a. and his resul s throw much light on their mode of formation and 

aid in their proper dassification. Since hen detailed descriptions of many mines have been 

published by the State geologists of Nort Carolina and Georgia. When Mr. L. C. Graton was 

detailed to the investigation which form the subject of this report, na.mdy, the examination 

of the gold and tin depol':!its of the een ral portion of the <;Jarolinas, it was my hope that, 

besides the practical results, some data on which to base conclusions as to origin might be 

gained, and a perusal of the bulletin wi l sh~w that this hope was justified. After visiting 

some of the principal occurrences in the region under investigation, Mr. Graton and myself 

made a brief trip to Dahlonega for the urpose of comparing these veins with those farther 

north. The notes obtained, as well as s me general conclusions, will be found in the following paragraphs, and, though very· inco plete, may serve to fix a little more sharply than 

has been done before the group in wh ch these deposits belong !:}net some of their more 

striking distinctions compared with the gold deposits of thJ Cordilleran region. 

GENE AT, GEOLOGY. 

1 

The mines of the Dahlonega district of Lumpkin County, Ga., have been deseribed in 

more or less detail in severa.l publicatio s. Among them should be mentioned the "Reconnaissance of the gold fields of the South rn Appalachians," by Dr. G. F. Becker,b and "The 

present condition of gold mining in the Southern Appalachian States," c by Messrs. Nitze 

and Wilkens. Besides these, Dr. W. . Yeates published, in 1896, as State geologist of 

the Georgia Geological Survey, "A pr liminary report on a part of the gold , deposits of 

a Gold fields of the Southern Appalachia s: Sixteenth Ann. Rept. U. S. Geol. Survey, pt. 3, 1895, 

pp. 251-331. . t 

b Sixteenth Ann. Rept U.S. Geol. Survey, pt. 3, 1R95, pp. 251-331. cTrans. Am. Inst. Min. Eng., vol. 25, 1896 pp. 661-796, 1021, 1025. 

119 
120 THE GOLD DEPOSITS OF DAHLONEGA, GA. 

Georgia."a Finally, Mr. Edwin C. Eckel has recently described the "Gold and pyrite 

deposits of the Dahlonega district," b in "Contributions to economic geology for 1902." 

It will be seen from this 'list that the distrirt has received a considerable amount of atten-

. tion, and that the main features of the occurrence of the mineral deposits are fairly well 

known. It is not the purpose of the present contribution to present a detailed description, 

nor a complete one, of the Dahlonega mines. Indeed, for such a purpose the time allotted 

was by far too short. It is intended, however, to bring out in a little more detail than has 

been done before a few of the petrographic and mineralogical features, by which, perhaps, 

a somewhat clearer light may be thrown on the true charaCter and origin of that p~culiar 

class of deposits to which these gold-quartz veins belong. · • 

The general geology of the district has been outlined by several of the writers mentioned 

above, especially by Eckel, and to the description of the main relations of the rocks there 

is but little to add. 

Tli.e two most common. rocks of the district are a mica schist and an amphibolite. The 

mica schist, which is the prevailing rock, is exposed, for instance, at the Preacher Cut, at 

the Benning mine, along Y ahoola Creek, and in ma~y other places. The rocks strike in 

general about N. 60° E. and dip at a high angle to the east, but both strike and dip are 

subject to abrupt variations. The mica schists are, in general, dark gray to dark brown 

and medium to fine grained. In places they approach perfect fissility, but ordinarily 

show curved and irregular surfaces of schistosity which are covered with glistening scales 

of biotite and muscovite. ·One of the most typical rocks is that exposed at the Preacher 

Cut, about one-half mile south of the town of Dahlonega. (See fig. 15.) This is a finegrained.brownish-gray schist. The small flakes of biotite have accumulated on the cleavage 

faces, which show fairly good fi.ssility. Under the microscope the rock shows quartz 

mosaic' with very few feldspar grains. Embedded in this mosaic lie abundant idioblasts of 

magnetite; brownish-green b;<?tite in parallel orientation; straight, small muscovite foils, 

also mainly extended along one plane; and finally, rather abundant, W<?ll-developed, 

small bluish-gray prisms of tourmaline. The structure is typically crystalloblastic, to use 

the term recently .introduced by Prof. F. Becke, of Vienna. c 

The origin of a rock so thoroughly recrystallized as this is always opim to·some doubt,· 

but I consider it reasonably certain that the quartz-mica schist of the Preacher Cut is of 

sedimentary origin. The consensus of opinion thus far regarding the mica schists appears 

to be that they are not indisputably sedimentary rocks. The normal schist of the country, 

wherever good exposures are available, proves to be similar to this specimen just described, 

although the grain is usually somewhat coarser and the sedimentary origin, though probable, is less distinctly indicated. A specimen of dark brownish-gray mica schist, from the 

Jumbo mine, shows again a mosaic of quartz, with a few grains of albite. This mosaic 

contains abundant dirty-brown, sharply outlined foils of biotite and smaller·ones of muscovite. Pyrrhotite is present in small anhedrons, but no muscovite was observed. · The 

structure here also is typically crystalloblastic. 

No further clew has been found as to the age of the schists. They have, in common 

with all the other rocks of the district, been regarded as pre-Cambrian by Becker and 

other observers, but Eckel is inclined to question this conclusion and thinks that they may 

possibly be of Cambrian or Lower Silurian age. So far as known, however, no Cambrian 

rocks in the South are intruded by granite, but, as is shown on page 122, these mica schists 

contain conside~;able bodies of such intrusives. 

As emphasized by previous writers, several large and irregular bodies of amphibolite 

occur in the district, as well as in adjoining regions. The contacts beween amphibolite 

and mica schist are usually sharply defined. In som:e places, as at the Preacher Cut, the 

relation of the two rocks decidedly indicates that the amphibolite is intrusive into the 

a Bull. Georgia GeoL Survey, No. 4-A. . b Bull. U.S. Geol. Survey, No. 213, 1903, pp. 57-63. 

c Ueber Mineralbestand und Struktur der kristallinischen Schiefer: Sitz.-Ber. d. Wiener Akademie, 

May 7,1903. 
GEOLOGY. 121 

mica schist and that it was originally a diorite or a diabase which has been deeply altered 

by dynamometamorphic processes. he strike and dip of the schistosity is, in general, 

conformable to that of the mica schi ts, but this again is subject to some marked exceptions. The strike and dip of the schi tosity vary considerably from place to place. 

The amphibolite is well exposed in the town of Dahlonega, near the Preacher Cut, and 

on the r01id from Dahlonega to the Loc hart. The amphibolite from the dump of the Crown 

Mountain mine, at the mill below t e Preacher Cut, ·is a typical, dark-green, roughly 

schistose rock of medium grain, in w ich, by the naked 'eye, may be distinguished small 

prisms of amphibole with specks of p rrhotite. In places narrow streaks appear in which 

the feldspar prevails over the amphibol , thus givin1 a lighter, greenish-white aspect to the 

rock. The constituents, as seen under the microscope, comprise green amphibole, chiorite, · 

caJcite, quartz, albite ( ~), magnetite or ilmenite, py hotite, and chalcopyrite. The structure of the rock is characteristicall crystallobl ·stic. rrhorough recrystallization has 

taken place, and the principal mass n w consists of a quartz-feldspar mosaic in which lie 

e!llbedded ragged and elongated grain of hornblen(le, some of them inclosing small parts 

of the mosaic. The mosaic contains v ry few striated feldspar grains, but much feldspar 

is present, and most of it, as indicated by its optic 1 properties, ·is an oligoclase, although 

some of it may also be albite. The, chi rite has the I normal characteristics of that mineral, 

and its occurrence renders it probabl that it is v holly derived from the hornblende by j 
122 'l'HE GOLD DEPOSITS 0.1!' DAHLONEGA, GA. 

hydrochemical metamorphism. Calcite is present in compact or elongated aggregates, many 

of which include small parts of the quartz mosaic; it penetrates and is being penetrated 

by hornblende. The only mica present consists of small foils of chestnut-brown biotite . 

embedded in the mosaic. 

Of the metallic minerals, magnetite is present in elongated masses, in places intergrown. 

with pyrrhotite and chalcopyrite. There is no pyrite, but a considerable amount of 

pyrrhotite, usually intergrown with smaller grains of chalcopyrite. in many places these 

sulphides are inclosed in calcite or in hornblende. . 

The most recent rock of the bed-rock series is a light-colored, coarse-grained granite, 

exposed at the Benning mine and at several points west of Y ahoola Creek, -in a westerly 

direction from Dahlonega. 

The relations of granite to the mica schists are very clearly exposed at the Benning mine, 

and the contact is illustrated in Pl. VIII. The main contact, shown near the right of 

the plate, js somewhat indistinct for a distance of several feet, and this is due to the 

thorough injection of the schists near the contact plane by granitic magna, so that the rock 

here has the appearance of granite containing a great number of thin and dimly outli!:ted 

streaks of schist. About 10 feet to the north of the contact the schist contains dikes of 

granite. These dikes, which are injected between the planes of schistosity, are bent and 

in some places contorted and have acqui~ed a slight schistosity, as has also the main mass 

of the granite wherever exposed. 

The Benning granite is a white, coarse, granular, imperfectly schistose rock. · The 

schistosity is apparent chiefly by the development of sericite on incipient planes. In 

sections perpendicular to the schistosity the lenticular form of many of the grains indicates 

the pressure to which the 'rock has been subjected. Besides quartz and fel_dspar, the rock 

contains large flakes of biotite, 5 to 8 ~·in diameter, which, however, have mostly been 

converted into aggregates of mus·covite. The micr~scope shows a granular but distinctly 

compressed rock. The large quartz grains are converted into aggregates of the same 

mineral. The feldspars, which consist of orthoclase and oligoclase in large grains, contain 

an abundance-of straight muscovite foils, which have developed on the cleavage planes. 

They also contain zoisite and epidote in small crystals and grains. In piaces a great amount 

of recrystallized aggregates of quartz and feldspar mingled with muscovite have formed. 

_, A white, coarsely granular rock; collected from the Benning mine, proved to be almost 1 

wholly composed of albite in large anhedral or roughly square grains with thin twin lamellre. 

here is no other mineral present in this rock except a little muscovite.in small roils and a 

ttle microperthite. This albite rock probably occurs as a dike near the granite contact. 

Although the grain of the schist is somewhat coarser than usual at the Benning contact, 

there is little evidence of contact metamorphism, except by the development of garnets 

and tourmaline in the schist, as described in more detail under the heading of the Benning 

mine (pp. 127-128). Whether the garnet is really of contact-metamorphic origin is not 

certain. The same doubt applies to the tourmaline, which is present in some schists at a 

considerable distance from gracite contacts. 

PRODUCTION. 

The gold deposits of the S~uthern States have been known for one hundred yea;s and 

were probably the earliest discovered and worked within the present area of th_e United 

States. Possibly some little placer mining had been carried on by the Indians in New 

Mexico prior to that time, but the important placer mines of that Territory were not discovered until 1828. Between 1799 and 1830 a small amount of gold was washed in the 

Carolinas. In 1828 gold was discovered near Dahlonega, and in 1830 the first deposit of 

gold from Georgia, amounting to $212,000, was made in the United States Mint. Shortly 

afterwards, in 1838, a branch mint was established, which, from 1838 to 1861, coined 

$6,115,569. J'he total production of gold and silver in Georgia, from the discovery to 1900, 

is between sixteen and seventeen million dollars, and of this amount the largest portion has 

been produced by the mines of Lumpkin County, in which Dahlonega is situated. The 
U. S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY BULLETIN NO. 293 PL. VIII 

CONTACT OF GRANITE AND MICA-SCHIST AT BENNING MINE. 

Ma1n contact 2 feet to right of hammer. Injected zone about hammer. Granite dikes to left. 

GENERAL CHARACTER OF VEINS. 123 

total production of the Appalachian States frdm 1800 to 1900 is considered to be $47,000,000. 

For the last few years the total animal production has been about $300,000, whil,e ·the production of Georgia has varied from $130,000 to $60,000, the latter figure being recorded in 

1903. 

GENERAL CHARACTER OF THE VEiNS. 

As already pointed out by Eckel, many of the gold d1eposits lie on the contact either of 

mica schist and amphibolite or of o:¥ca schist and granite. This does not apply to all of 

them, however, for some, like the Jumbo and Garnet, are entirely inclosed in mica schist. 

Of the three rocks, the mica schist is the oldest an,d the granite the youngest. The 

quartz veins are later than the granite and appear to e:x;hibit a certain relationship to that 

rock in their occurrence. At no place are the veins located far from the granitic intrusions; 

even at the Jumbo mine, which is wholly in mica schist; granite outcrops only a few hundred 

feet away. The veins follow the schistosity in strike and dip, although at each deposit 

there are many stringers of quartz which cut across the division planes of the rock. 

The deposits are in part "string~r leads," to use Becke.r's expression, and in part distinct veins, composed of a series of flat lenticular bodies of quartz, usually strictly conformable to the schistosity and following even its minor curves. The familiar, sharply cut fissures of the western veins are absent. In some cases the veins are corrugated or curved. 

As Becker has pointed out, all this shbws that there was a certain degree of correspondence 

between the forces which produced the schistosity _and those which opened the fissures. 

The quartz is, as a rule,. compact, milk-white or even glassy, and shows normal coarse, 

hypidiomorphic vein structure without evidence of much crushing and shearing even in 

the veins which appear bent and curved; drusy places with projecting crystals are not 

uncommon; comb quartz is rare, although occurring in some narrow seams which cut across 

the prevalent fissures, as, for instance, in Preacher Cut. Much of the bright-yellow gold is 

coarse, and forms, without doubt, a primary constituent of the ore. The sulphides are 

relatively poor, but in the oxidized zone they have naturally contributed their quota of 

gold to enrich the ore. The sulphides asso~iated with the quartz are pyrite, chalcopyrite, 

and zinc blende; pyrrhotite occurs I sparingly. In the Benning vein · magnetite occurs 

anhedral or in octahedral crystals and intergrown with pyrrhotite, chalcopyrite, calcite, 

and chlorite; pyrite is also contained in the quartz. Of gangue minerals there is some calcite or dolomitic carbonate; in many places in the Benning veins this lies along the wall, 

as it commonly does in California ve:ill.s. Garnet, apatite, ilmenite, muscovite, dark-green 

mica, and green hornblende occur in the altered wall rocks of some veins, but also in places 

directly in the quartz. Dark-green zinc spinel or gahnite in octahedral crystals is embedded 

in quartz with free gold and small foils of sericite from the Rosamund vein of the Standard 

group. 

Gahnite is a rare mineral and, like fPinel, usually occurs in gneisses or as a result of contact metamorphism. It is not altogether unknown in mineral deposits, for Genth a describes 

it from the Cotopaxi mine, Chaffee County, Colo., associated with pyrite, galena; and chalcopyrite, and containing inclusions of chalcopyrite. A. G. Dana b mentions an occurrence 

of gahnite from the Rowe pyrite de osit in Massachusetts. This is a lenticular vein in 

gneiss, and the gahnite occurs partly in the pyrite and partly lining cavities subsequently 

filled with quartz. It is here associated with apatite, ilmenite, rutile, epidote; garnet, calcite, triclinic feldspar, pyrite, and sphalerite. 

In the lenticular veins pay shoots occur similar to those elsewhere found in gold veins, 

and Mr. Joe Clement informs me that the rule in Dahlonega is that they pi.tch to the left of 

an observer standing on the croppings and looking down along the dip. 

The wall rock adjoining the quartz at many places contains enough gold to be classified 

as an ore, though, as a rule, the princi1 al values are considered to be contained in the quartz. 

In the same veins garnets, hornblende, apatite, and a green mica may develop along the 

quartz vein, as shown, for instance, at the Lockhart mine and several other places. The 

a Am. Jour. SJi., 3d ser., vol. 2fl, 1885,p. 455. b Pro c. Am. Phil. Soc., vol. 20, 1882, p. 397. 
124 THE GOLD DEPOSITS OF DAHLONEGA, GA. 

garnet, as alr~ady indicated by Becker, contains native gold. At other mines the alteration of the rica schist is not extensive, though the rocks neit to the vein may acqUire a 

more silv-ery l~ster, due to some additional development of muscovite in the schist. The 

biotite in the schist remains unaltered, as does the chlorite and feldspar. Crystals of garnet 

may develop in the schists near the vein. Chalcopyrite, pyrite, and pyrrhotite, probably 

due to vein-forming action, appear in small quantities in the wall rock, but with these magnetite or ilmenite may be associated. 

As observed in the Benning vein, the alteration of the granite adjoining the veins is very 

slight, being limited to a slight development .of chlorite along the contact. In the Jumbo 

mine, on the other hand, the mica schist has been altered next to the quartz seams; sericite has evidently developed at the expense of biotite, which is practically eliminated. 

Nor is there any magnetite or ilmenite in the altered rock, though much pyrite and rutile 

have developed. 

All this seems to show that the veins of Dahlonega were not all formed under the same 

conditions. There are, on one hand, the prevailing veins like the Standard, Lockhart, and 

many others in which, during the vein-forming processes, biotite, hornblende, garnet, epidote, spinel, magnetite, and ilmenite were stable compounds. These again may be divided 

into those carrying garnets, like the Lockhart, Findley, and McAfee veins, and others in 

which garnet is absent, like the Benning or the Standard. On the other hand, in the Jumbo 

mine biotite a.nd magnetite appear to be 'lllstable under the influence of vein-forming 

solutions. 

The association of minerals and the metasomatic alteration in the first of these two classes 

is very different from that prevailing in the California gold-quartz veins and in fact in all the 

principal classes of gold and silver veins of the West. • 

In these California veins magnetite, .garnet, ilmenite, spinel, hornblende, and apatite are 

practically unknown as vein minerals. In the alteration by the vein solutions magnetit~, 

feldspars, biotite, hornblende, and epidote are unstable and are converted to a fine-grained 

aggregate of sericite with quartz or carbonates, as has taken place in the Jumbo mine. In 

the prevailing class of Dahlonega mines, on the other hand, the products of alteration are 

such minerals as occur in areas of regional metamorphism or in contact zones, and yet the 

association of quartz and some calcite with native gold and pyrite, chalcopyrite, and zinc 

blende is unmistakably similar to that of the California veins. It may be permissible to 

conclude from this that the solutions in both cases were similar, but that, they acted under 

different physical conditions. The temperatures prevailing during the deposition of the 

southern veins were probably much higher than those in the Cordilleran region at the levels 

now accessible to us in mineral deposits there exploited. Becker justly remarks that the 

southern veins have been subjected to long-continued erosion and that the present croppings 

are far below the original ones, possibly as much as 15;000 or 20,000 feet. On the other 

hand, in the western mines, the amount of rock removed undoubtedly falls far short of this 

amount. 

If this conclusion is correct, it is evident that the precipitation of gold from vein-forming · 

solutions extends over a very large vertical range. In California this range is known to be 

at least 3,000 feet.a At -Bendigo, Victoria, mining has reached a depth of 4,000 feet, and at 

least 2,000 feet of rock have been removed by erosion. The veins still bear the general character of the California gold-quartz deposits. -

It is scarcely to be expected that a brief investigation like the present one should yield 

any definite clews as to origin of the gold. The clustering of the :veins about intrusive 

masses of granitic rocks is, however, a very suggestive fact which previous investigations of 

Dahlonega mines have not sufficiently emphasized and which is repeated in practically all 

known occurrences of typical gold-quartz veins. The probable great depth of deposition 

would also suggest that circulation of surface waters was a negligible factor, although it is 

conceded that the plasticity of the rocks was not so great as to preclude the existence of 

a Lindgren, W., Gold-quartz veins of Nevada City and Grass Valley districts, California: Seventeenth Ann. Rept. U. S. Geol. Survey, pt. 2, 1896, p. 183. 
DESCRIPTIONS 0]' MINES. 125 

open spaces of moderate size. Briefly, I am convinced that the mode. of origin of the Dahlonega deposits was entirely similar to that of other aurilerous quartz veins of Californian 

and Australian type, although, owing to physical causes, some features of their development differed. In all three cases it seems a probable hypothesis that the gold was contained 

in the granitic magma and that it ·was separated from it during the cooling process and carried to the veins in the form of solutions in magmatic water. 

The study of the mode of alteration of wall rocks in different mines afford~ some basis 

·for the suggestion that there may have been two epochs of vein formation in which the 

physical condition during deposition differed in a decided manner. 

The abundance of int ergrown pyrrhotite and chalcopyrite in some of the amphibolites of 

Dahlonega brings to mind the .occurrence of deposits of s'uch minerals at other places in the 

. South-Ducktown, for example. In the present case these sulphid13s have every appearance 

of having been formed by the same metamorphic processes which made an amphibolite out 

of a diabase or diorite, and, if this is true, the chalcopyrite merely represents the concentration by aqueous agen~ies of -the copper distributed through the rock. 

DESCRIPTIONS OF · MINES. 

~REACHER CUT. 

The pit. known as the Preacher Cut·, ~ade by hydraulid work, is situated half a mile south · 

of Dahlonega. Amphibolites, striking northeastward, prevail between this mine and the 

town, but near the cut mica schist is the country rock and strikes northwesterly, dipping 

to the northeast or southwest at \l-ngles of from 35° to 65°. This cut is about 800 feet long, 

extending in a southwesterly direction, 200 feet ~de, and about 60 feet deep. The central 

part is occupied by a well-defined dike of amphibolite about 60 feet wide and gradually 

tapering toward the sout}lwest. At the lower end of the cut, nearest to the town, the contacts of the amphibo~te and mica schist are sharply defined and about perpendicular. The 

amphibolite is fairly fresh in the bottom of the cut, but elsewhere red and softened. The 

schistosity of the mica schists continues in imperfect development across the dike. Along 

both sides. of the dike the schists contain numerous thin stringers of solid quartz dipping_ 

with the schistosity; there are also a few veinlets along the contact. The gold occurs· to 

some extent in the veinlets with schist, but chiefly in the schist surroundiJ;tg these ~tringers 

along both sides of the amphibolite dike. There is very little gold in the amphibolite. 

The schists arid the quartz stringers near the contact are in· places contorted and ·corrugated. 

Garnet occurs at this locality, probably associated with the quartz, but the specimens were 

too decomposed to ascertain this definitely. A northwestward-trending dislocation crosses 

the upper part of the cut. In this break or fault are several narrow quartz veinlets with 

fine comb structure; native gold is said to occur in these. 

The peculiar feature in this mine is that the gold-bearing zone extends along both sides 

of the amphibolite dike in a direction perpendicular to that of the schistosity and of the 

auriferous veinlets. In the bottom of the cut the rocks rure hard and the hydraulic process 

scarcely feasible, while the average values are said to be low.' 

I 

CONSOLIDATED MINES. 

Half a mile east-northeast of Dahlonega on· the road to Y ahoola River are the extensive 

hydraulic cuts of the old Hand ·properties, now owned by the Dahlonega Consolidated 

Gold Mining Company. Some years ago a large shaft was sunk here, near the bottom of 

these cuts, and a 120-stamp mill built, with a 30-ton chlorination plant and 48 Frue vanners, with the idea of mining the stringer zone on a large scale. Probably the grade proved 

rather low. At the present time 30 stamps are dropping. 

The country· reck in· the Hand cuts and in the tunnels of the Dahlonega Consolidated 

Gold Mining Company below them is a garnetiferous mica schist, contorted in places and 

containing many dikes of a white, somewhat aplitic granite up to 1 or 2 feet wide, which 
126 THE GOLD DEPOSITS OF DAHLONEGA, GA. 

likewise have suffered corrugation and bending. This is probably the southerly continuati~n of the Benning contact zone. The..schist contains stringer zones of quartz veinlets 

trending northeastward, and some of these zones are now mined in the tunnels just back 

of the mill. 

STANDARD MINES. 

· On the east side of Y ahoola River and about a quarter of a mile northeast of the Consolidated mines are the Standard mines. They consist of a series of quartz lenses known 

as the Weaver, Campbell, Thaloneka, and Rosamund veins. The developments are confined to tunnels and small underhand stopes. From the Rosamund vein good ore was 

extracted at the time of visit and milled in the Standard mill with_ 20 stamps. Very rich 

pockets are occasionally found. 

The country rock is a rather coarse mica schist which close to the veins appears to contain a little more _muscovite than elsewhere. It is a normal biotite-quartz schist with a 

small amount of magnetite, albite, and muscovite, but contains' no garnet or tourmaline. 

A little pyrite, pyrrhotite; and chalcopyrite are present in intergrown aggregat~ and 

probably are derived from the vein solutions. The schistosity strikes N. 12° to 25° E., 

the dip being 35° ESE. The quartz of the veins is compact, almost glassy, and contains 

irregularly distributed pyrite, chalcopyrite, zinc blende, and in some cases galena, besides 

_ free gold, partly intergrown with quartz, partly with sulphides. At the time of visit a stope 

25 feet long was carried down below the tunnel level on the Rosamund and extracted 7 

feet wide. No values are here contained in the schist adjoining the quartz. The manager, 

Mr. George Bryman, states that the ore contains $20 per ton in gold; the sulphides contain 

$25 per ton and are thus comparatively poor. 

LOCKHART MINE. 

Along Y ahoola River from the Standard to the Lockhart mine, amphibolites prevail 

with north-northeast or east-northeast strike and variable dip. Near the Lockhart mille 

mica schist begins, and at a fresh exposure on the river bank was noted a small lenticular 

vein of quartz containing a few garnets. The same mineral was also contained in the 

immediately adjoining schist. This stringer probably belongs to the Lockhart zone. 

The Lockhart mine has been worked successfully for many years, but 011 a small scale. 

A large surface cut is situated on the west side of the river, and recently a shaft 60 feet deep 

has been sunk near the stream and tunnels run in a westerly direction to intersect the 

veins. The veins lie in a belt of normal mica schists like those described on page 120, 

dipping about 40° E. orNE. and very near to a mass of amphibolite which conformably 

underlies these schists. The ore occurs in shoots, locally called "arms," which consist of 

a series of lenticular quartz masses in dark-gray or black mica schist, but very close to 

the contact of the underlying amphibolite. The veins, like the schists, dip 30° to 40° NE. 

In the large cut the rocks are much decomposed and the shaft was inaccessible on account 

of water, but excellent exposures were seen in a small tunnel or cut about 200 feet southwest 

of the shaft. 

As shown in fig. 16, the vein is here 7 feet wide, dips 34° NE., and consists of a number 

of quartz stringers more or less lenticular in shape and separated and adjoined by streaks 

of a very coarse-grained rock, which consists chiefl:y of garnet, dark-green mica, and hornblende, and which evidently represents the country rock deeply altered by the same solutions as deposited the quartz. Beyond the walls indicated in fig. 16 the rock is the normal 

mica schist, though the amphibolite lies a short distance in the foot. Pl. IX represents 

in natural size a cut and,polished specimen from the vein, which well illustrates the characteristic structure. The garnets are indicated in the dark central and upper portions by 

the light rims of remaining poli~hing powder. Most of the remaining dark portion is a 

dark-green, almost black mica, which also in places projects its foils into the white quartz. 

Little specks of pyrite are contained in the dark part, while none show in the quartz. 

Sulphides, however, occur in the quartz and consist of pyrite, pyrrl:wtite, chalcopyrite, 
U. 8. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY BULLETI N NO. 293 PL. IX 

POLISHED SPECIMEN OF ORE FROM LOCKHART MINE, DAHLONEGA. 

Showing quartz with streaks of garnet, dark-green mica, and hornb lende. 

DESCRIPTIONS OF MINES. 127 

and galena. Much of the ore is of good grade, the samples assayed hy Dr. Yeates in his 

report on the gold deposits of Georgia containing from $12 to $15 per t(\n. The average is, 

however, probably less than this. Most of the gold in this vein is said to appear as native 

metal in the reddish-brown garnets and a specimen obtained substantiates this statement. 

It is very clear that the coarse-grained mixture of garnet and mica is the result of the 

alteration of the schist and its study presents sev~ral interesting features. Sections of 

the quartz show normal, hypidiomorphic, coarse-grained structlire, the grains exhibiting 

no optical disturbance. · Fluid ' inclusions with gas bubble and in some instances solid 

transparent particles also are very abundant. Embedded in the quartz lie streaks of 

aggregates of common green hornblende, usually in irregularly lath-like grains molded 

by the outlines of the quartz grains; in places radial bunches of hornblende prisms also 

project into the quartz. Associated with the hornblende are granular aggregates of a 

mineral which correspo:fJ_ds well to apatite; locally these are also wholly embedded in quartz. 

There are also small foils of muscovite and isolated similar forms of biotite. Anhedrons 

of pale-red garnet are inclosed in the quartz or conform to tlie outlines of the quartz grains. · 

In the hornblende lie embedded 

scattered grains of pyrite and more 

abundant ilmenite. A few imperfect crystals of ilmenite are contained in the quartz grains, between 

which a little calcite also appears. 

Other sections made from the 

polished specimen show large rounded crystals of garnet, with a few · 

inclusions of green mica. The garnets are contained in a coarse aggregate of straight mica foils, with 

a pleochroism varying from pale 

green to deep leek green. The 

exact mineralogical position of this · 

mica has not been ascertained. 

Veins similar to the Lockhart are 

mined at the Findley and the 

McMee mines. In the McMee the 

garnets are said to be smaller than 

in the Lockhart, but they also con-

. tain native g<?ld. 

Schist 

FIG. 16.-Diagram showing structure of Lockhart vein • 

BENNING MINE. 

Tho Benning mine is situated 1 mile northeast of Dahlonega, on Yahoola River. The 

developments are limited and consist chiefly of a large incline driven on a wjde quartz lens 

in the mica schist within 25 feet of the granite contact, but parts of the vein are also contained in granitic dikes. The country rock l.s here a dark-gray glistening mica schist consisting of a quartz mosaic without much feldspar; in this are embedded dirty-brown sharply 

outlined foils of biotite, many of them small and straight; a smaller amo~nt of muscovite 

· is present in similar foils. There are also a few grains of calcite, inclosing some mosaic, 

and a few f<:>ils of chlorite, probably not derived from the biotite. Magnetite is distributed 

throughout rather abundantly and there are a few grains of pyrite and pyrrhotite. ·The 

schist also contains ·a few large crystals of garnet inclosing smaller masses of mosaic; a 

few prisms of tourmaline were noted. . The whole ·structure is typically crystalloblastic. 

Along some small stringers of quartz to the left of the granitic dike garnets have developed abundantly, but whether this quartz is of the sa~e origin as the gold-quartz veins· 

or represents a local quartz facies of the granite could not be definitely ascertained. 

The quartz lenses which range up to several feet in width consist of coarse normal vein 
12S THE GOLD DEPOSITS OF UAHLONEGA, GA. 

quartz, wi.th a little calcite or dolomitic carbonates, pyrite, pyrrhotite, chalcopyrite, ami 

magnetite. The sulphides in places give a banded appearance to the quartz. 

Neither schist nor granite is noticeably altered along the vein. Biotite, albite; and 

orthoclase from the· wall rock adjoin the quartz without change. 

JUMBO MINE. 

The Jumbo property is situated 6 miles northeast of Dahlonega, near the Garnet mine 

and on Cavender Creek, which bas proved auriferous up to these mines. The developments 

consist of several tunnels and a 60-foot shaft. The country rock is a dark browni~b-gniy 

mica schist, with curved surfaces of schistosity; it is similar to the schists already descril:ed, 

but contains very little black iron -ore; instead, small anhedrons of pyrrhotite are present. 

The surface rocks are very soft and decomposed to a depth of about 50 feet. Granite 

is said to outcrop a short distance away from the mine. Over a width of several hundred 

feet the schists, which strike N. 20° E. and dip steeply to the northwest, contain a great 

number of chiefly conformable quartz stringers· and several good-sized quartz veins with 

some pyrite. Within this zone are several narrower belts from. a few feet up to 50 feet 

in width, in which the gold values are especially concentra-ted. The gold bas a crystalline 

appearance and is very fine grained. 

Specimens of the o~e from the shaft show that it .consists of a bleached schist with more 

or less lenticular quartz veins having an allotriomorphic stru~ture and containing sharply 

defined cubes of pyrite. The schist adjoining the veins is bleached by abundant development of sericite; it contains no garnets nor biotite, but some chlorite and many microscopic crystals of rutile. It is proposed to mine the decomposed surface rock at this mine 

by hydraulic methods. ' 
INDEX. 

A. Page. 

11.,,u.,vu'"' County, S.C., gold in.. ........... 110 

Acknowledgments to those assisting....... 9 

Alluvium, description of................... 24 

Altaite, occurrence of...................... 63 

American Sheet and Tin Plate Co., development by........................ 34 

Amphibolite, description of ........ 14-15, 120-122 

metamorphism o.f. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 125 

occurrence of .............. .. ...... 50, 120, 125 

Antimony, occurrence of................ ... 64 

Apatit e, occurrence of. ............... . ..... 62,64 

Appalachian system, character of ........ ·.· 11 

Aqueous solutions, character of. ........... 68-69 

deposition by ............. . ... -..... . 68, 72--73 

minerals in, sources of. ................ 69-72 

Arsenic, occurrence of. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 64 

Arsenopyrite, occurrence of. ........ . ...... 63,64 

Artesian well, location of.................. 28 

Asbury mine, minerals in ................. . 62-63 

Austin placer, work at..................... 74 

B. 

Barite, occurrence of. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 116 

Barron property, corundum on............ 118 

Becker, G. F., on age of rocks............ . . 30 

on southern gold deposits......... . .. 119, 123 

Beguelin ore body, description of.......... 85 

section of, figure showing..... . . . . . . . . . 86 

views of. .................... · ........... 86, 88 

See also Haile mine. 

Belk placer, operation of................... 74 

Benning mine, contact of granite and mica 

schist in. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 122 

contact of granite and mica schist in, 

plate showing. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 122 

description of. ........................ 127-128 

geology at ................... . 120,122,127-128 

veins at .......................... 123, 124, 127 

Bibliography of region.......... . .......... 10 

Big Wilson gold mine, description of ..... 107-108 

minerals in .. · .......................... 62,112 

Biotite, description of. ..................... 63-64 

occurrence of. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 62 

Bismite, occurrence of .... .-...... : .......... 63 

Bismuth, occurrence of .. .. .... ............. 63,64 

Bismuthite, occurrence of.................. 63 

Black Hills, tin of: ......................... 42-43 

Black mine, galena at ...................... 113 

Blackmon mine, costs at.... ......... ...... 77 

developments at ................ 75-76,92,110 

geology at. ....................... . . .... 92-93 

location of............................... I 92 

Bull. 293-06-9 

Page. 

Blackmon mine, minerals in . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 62, 64 

ores of. .............................. 61,93-94 

tenor of. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 94 

production of.......................... 111 

rocks of. ............ , ............. , ...... 19, 23 

Blacksburg, S. C., fold near ............. 26-28,35 

rocks at. ............................ 18, 26, 27 

Bolin mine, description of.................. 109 

Brewer mine, costs at .......... ~.. ........ 77 

development at ...... .. ...... ... 75-76,90,111 

diabase at .............................. 70,71 

geology at ............. . ...... . ......... 90-92 

gold in, discovery of.. ... ................ 58 

history of. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 90 

location of.......... .... ................ 90 

minerals in ................ 22, 23,62--63, 9o; 112 

ores of. .............................. 70, 71,92 

placer at ....... . ..... ..... . . .. ..... . ... . 74,90 

production of .. ........................ 90, 111 . 

Briggs mine. See Kings Mountain mine. 

Broad River, description of................ 12 

iron on................................. 115 

Brown mine, developments at ............ 99, 111 

geology at.............................. 99 

locationof......... ... .................. 99 

minerals in ............ . .. , ............. 62--64 

ores of... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 101 

vein at, sections of, figures showing .. 100, 101 

Bumalo ore body, description of ...... ..... 84-85 

section of, figure showing. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 85 

See also Haile mine. 

c. 

Caharrus County, N.C., gold in............ 110 

gold in, discovery of...... .... .......... 58 

·calcite, occurrence of............ . .......... 62 

California, gold mines of. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 124 

Cameron lead mine, description of......... 113 

minerals in. . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. .. . . .. . . . .. 112--113 

Carolina Tin Co., property of.......... .... 46 

purchase by ..... __ . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34 

Carolinas, geologic work in ............ ,.... 10 

map of.... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10 

niinerals in ............. ... ..... . ...... ·. 9, 31 

Carolinas Tin and . Development Co., development by.... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46 

purchase by. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34, 48 

Carpenter, Ephraim, mine of ............... 51-52 

Carpenter, H enry, mine of,.... . . .. ........ 51 

Carpenter, VI'. M., property of, dike on, section of, figure showing. . . . . . . . . 51 

work of ....... . ........... , ... _ .... 33-34,46,51 

Cash tin mine, Va.,examinationof ........ _,_ . 9,44 

129 
130 INDJ£X. 

Page. 

Cassiterite, deposits of, location of. ........ 45-46 

description of. __ .. __ .. ____ . ________ . 39,41-42 

discovery of ........ . . __ .. ______ . ___ ___ . 32 

distribution or, in dikes------------- 40-41, 43 

figure showing ...... , .. _ . _______ . _ _ 40 

genesis of. ___ . __ . _______ ._._. ___ . ___ . __ . 42-44 

occurrence of . .. 21, 45-46,47-48,49,50,63,65,91 

mode of __ ... _ ... ____ . ___ .... _ _ _ _ _ _ _ 42-45 

percentage of, in ore. ___________________ 54-55 

photomicrograph of.___________________ 42 

placers of. ____ ______ __ . _ .... __ .. _____ . _ _ 44-45 

sol u bill ty of. _ _ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ _ _ _ __ __ __ 44-45 

tests for .... _____________ . ____ .... ___ . _ . 52-53 

view of __ . _ . ____ . _ . __ . . _ .. _ .. __ . _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ 42 

See also Tin. 

Catawba County, K. C., gold in.___________ 110 

iron in .. _ ..... ______________ . ___ _ ... _ . . _ 114 

Catawba mine. See Kings Mountain mine. 

Catawba River, description of ... _ .. __ ._... 12 

Cerite, occurrence of. _______________ ._______ 117 

Chalcanthite, occurrence of. ...... _________ 62,64 

Chalcopyrite, occurrence of. .. ___ ... _. __ . ___ 62,64 

·Cherokee County, S. C., gold in._ . _ .. _ .... _. 110 

monazite in ......... ____ .. __ . , ________ . 117 

rocks in .......... _ . _ . ___ ......... ____ . . 21 

tin belt in .. ____________________________ 34, 57 

Chetokee Factory, iron near ....... _. __ .. _. 114 

Chesterfield County, S. C., gold (rom .. 58,109,110 

Chestnut Ridge, development on._ ... _. ___ . 33, 34 

Chlorite, occurrence of. ... _. __ __ __ __ __ __ _ __ 62 

· Clay, occurrence of. .. _____________________ 24,118 

Claywell, R. '1' .. tin found by_______________ 32 

Clement, J ., on pay shoots ..... ____________ 123 

Cleveland County, N. C.,iron in ........ ____ 114 

monazite in ........ ____ .. ________ .. ____ 116 

tin belt in ....... __ . ________ ... _________ 34,57 

Clinochlore, occurrence of ...... ___ .. . ____ . _ 63-64 

Clinton place, corundum on ..... ___ .... _. __ 118 

Coastal plain, character of, .. ____ .. _______ . 11 

Colossus mine, developments at .. 75-76,87-88, 111 

diabase at .. ; .... _____________ _______ . __ 70,71 

geology of. ....... ____ . __ . __ . __ .... _ __ __ 87-88 

location of. ____ . ______ . __ ... ___ . , . _____ . 87 

minerals in ... __ .. ..... __ ... ____ . 16,62-63,112 

ores of. ...... . .................... 65,71,88-89 

tenor of. ............ _________ .. ___ . 89 

production of. ........ ________ .. _____ . 87, 111 

structure at ......... ____ ... _____ .... _ __ 61 

Columbia County, Ga.,gold in .. ____________ 110 

Conglomerates, description of..____________ 17 

Consolidated mines, description of ... ___ . 125-126 

_ geology at ... __ . __ . _____ -.-_. ___ ._. ____ 12.')-126 

Contact metamorphism, effects of ... 24-25,39-40 

Copper, occurrence of. . __ ....... _ . _ . __ .. _ . 112-113 

Corundum, occurrence of .. _ .. _. __ ... __ . _ . _. 118 

Covellite, occurrence of. .... ·. -···------------ 62,64 

Crowders Mountain, altitude of .. _ ... _ ... _. 11 

rocks of. ..... . __ : . . __________ .. __ ..... _ . 18 

Cuprite, occurrence of. ... __ __ __ _ __ __ __ _ __ __ 64 

Cureton mine. See Colossus mine. 

D. 

Dabney, C. W., jr., on tin .. ________ .. ______ 32 

Dahlonega, Ga., gold deposits at. ____ __ .. 119-128 

map of vicinity of. __ ... _____ .. _ .. ____ .. 121 

ores at. .......... __________ .. ____ .... __ 69, 70 

production of ......... ___ ........ _. . . 122-123 

Page. 

Dana, A. G., on gahnite __ .. __ __ __ _ __ __ __ __ 123 

Darwin mine, description of ... _ .... . _ _ _ _ _ _ 106 

Davidson County, N.C. , gold in ....... _... 110 

Davis, Vv. M., on superimposed rivers ... __ 13 

DeSoto Mining Co., property of. .... _._... 90 

Decomposition, effects of._._. _____ ____ .. _ .. 25-26 

relations of denudation and ..... .. . .. . . 

Denudation, rE>lations of decomposition and. 

See also Erosion. 

Diabase dikes, age of. ____________ · ____ .... 

description of. ....... _________ .. __ __ 

metamorphism by ......... _. _ ....... _ 

occurrence of ..... _ ... _ . _ .. ... ..... : . .. . 

relations of gold deposits and ......... . view of ..... _____ .. __ . __ . _________ .... _ . 82 

Dikes, formation of.. __ ... ________________ . 36-37 

relations of structure and.. . . . . . . . . . . . . 37 

See also Diabase dikes. 

Douglass, James, development by.... . . . . . 33 

Drainage, concentration of gold by ........ 74-75 

description of ........ _ . .. _ . _____ . . . . . . . 12 

development of. .. ______________________ 12-14 

Drayton ville Mountain, character of . . . . . . 12 

rocks of. ....... _____________________ . .. 18, 26 

E. 

Economic geology, account of. .. .. ..... . .. 31-118 

Edgefield County, S.C., gold in ..... , . . .... 110 

Emmons, E., on age of metamorphic rocks. 29-30 

Enargite, occurrence of. ... _ .. ______ . __ .. .. 62,64 

Enrichment, secondary, description of .. 45,65-67 

Enterprise placer, dE>scription of. . . . . . . . . . . 7 4 

Epidote, occurrence of..................... 62 

Erosion, etiects of. ... , ______________ . .. .. . . 28 

See also Denudation. 

Eustis, W. E. C., property of. __ .... __ . __ . 99,101 

F. 

Faires tin mine, costs at. _ ... __________ .... 56 

description of ........ __ . ___ . . . . . . . . . . . . 48-49 

development at ......... __ .......... 34,48-49 

geology of. ...... .. ____ ............. ----. · 48 

ore of, tenor of. .... _______ .. ____ ....... 54 

minerals in ..... _______________________ . 62 

quartz from, assay of: ..... ___________ . 69-70 

Faulting, unimportance of .. _.............. 60 

Feldspathic beds, identity of............... 34 

Ferguson gold mine, developments at .. 76, 96, 111 

geology at. __ ....... ____ ... __ ........... 96-97 

location of. .. _ ..... _._._ .. _ ..... _,_...... 96 

minerals in ..... _______________ .. 16,62-64,112 

ores of._ .. . ____ .. ___ ._ .. ____ . ___ ____ . 61,97-99 

t enor of ........ _ .. _ . __ .. ___ . . . . . . . . 98 

vein in section of, figure showing....... 97 

Fish-scale slate. See Quartz-sericite schist. 

Fissure veins, description of. .. __ . __ . __ . 59-60,65 

Flint Hill mine, description of ....... _. . ... · 108 

Fluorite, occurrence of. ..... _________ .. __ .. 62,64 

Folds, location of. ......... ____ ..... ____ 27,28-29 

origin of_ . ___ . _ . _ ........ ____ . _ .. __ . . . . . 36-37 

Fossils, nonoccurrence of.__________________ 30 

Frank, Fred. , ·development by............. 99 

information from. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 97 

Frank & Dover, development by ____ . ____ .. 96 

Furman, J. H., tin development by....... . 33 
s 

s 

INDEX. 131 

G." Page. 

Gaffney, S. C., artesian well at ...... .. -..... 28 

limestone at............................ 118 

view of. .................. _ ... _ . . . . . 18 

placer near ............ _ .. __ .. _......... 74 

rocks at ......... _ . . .. ___ ... __ . "18,19,26,28,35 

occurrence and description of._ : .. 123 

occurrence. of. ........ _ .. _ ...... _ .. 62,64 

description of. ........ ,............ 64 

of. ......................... _ 62 

123 

110 

114 

22 

.... ·····--··-······.······- 34,35,57 

gahni te .............. :. . . 123 

of.. .......... ." .... .':·.. Hi1 

of.. . .. ..... ~ .. ''34-45 

of .......... · 31-118 

of .. 14-31,34-35,119-122 

. ········· 58,110,119-128 

. . . .. .... .. ... .... 122 

. • . • . . . . . . . • . . . . . 117 

of. .............. 21,38 

.. • •............... 16-17,20 

of -------- ...... 58-112,119-128 

dep~~l~: ~f~~- ~h~:~i~::: :.: :. :::::::::::::: 1~~ character 01., in • ....... .. _ . 59-61, 123-125 

comparison 01 ·#estern gold de- ' 

posits and ...............•. 59,119 

depth and, relations of ... _ ..... _... 73· 

genesis of. ................ _ ......... 68-73 

heterogeneonsne.ss oi. ·.............. 59 . 

structure of. ........ , .............. 59-61 

description of .. .... . .... _ .. ... ... __ ..... '64 

distribution of. ........ . ....... ~ . . . . . . . . 65-68 

extraction of. ...... , ..... . ...... .. . _ . . . 76 

granitic magma and, relations of ....... 69-72 

lodes of.. . ......................... . .... 58 

mines of ......... . ~ . ....... 75-112,119,125-128 

conclusions on .................... 111-112 

description of. ............. 77-110,125-128 

history of ....................... 58, 75, 119 

importance oL..................... 58 

location of, map showing........... 10 

mining of, extent of.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 75 

methods of. .............. · .... ; ... ·_. 75-76 

occurrence of,"modes of ........ · 59,62,64,81,88 

ores of. .. . .. __ .......................... 65-68 

deposition of. ...................... 72-73 

mineralogy of. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 61-65 

secondary enrichment of. . . . . . . . . . . 65-67 

tenor of. ...................... _ ..... 67-68 

treatment-of.......................... 7G 

placers of. ....... .................... 58; 74-75 

production of ................ : . .... 58,122-123 

cost of ........... ~ ..... . ........ . ... 76-77 

relations of granite and ..... . .. 69, 73,124-125 

veins of, description of. .......... _ ... 12S-:-125 

See al.w Fissure veins; Replacement 

deposits. 

Gold and tin, deposits of, in southern 

Appalachians .... . ............. 9-118 

report on, scope of. ..................... 9-10 

Grand Union mine. See Colossus mine. 

Page. 

Granite, age of......................... . .... 31 

description of .......................... 20, i22 

metamorphism by . ........... , ......... 25,39 

occurrence of .. . .............. ~ ......... 14,27 

relations of gold and ..... ... : .. 69, 73,124-125 

relations of mica schist and ............ ·- 122 

plate showing ........ ~.. . . . . . . . . . . . 122 

Granite, schistose. See Gneiss. 

Graphite, occurrence of. .............. · .. 26, 62, 116 

Graton, L. C., on lead and· tin· deposits in 

. the southern Appalachians .... . 9-118 

work of. ..................... . .......... 9, 119 

GrE'jsen, discovery of....................... 33 

identity oL. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34 

Grover, N. C., clay near .. . ................ 24,118 

Guilford County, N.C., gold in.............. 110 

H. 

Haile mine, costs at. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 77 

development at ............... 75-76, 77-78, 111 

diabase at. ................... . ..... . ... . 70,71 

view of. ............ , ....... ·. . . . . . . . 82 

geology at. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 78-80 

, history of... .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. .. . . 77 

location of.............................. 77 

ma,p of:."..................... . .... .... .. 78 

minerals in ............ ~ ... 16, 62-64,79-81, 113 

ore bodies of . . ..... .' ... · ............ .... 80-87 

location of, map showing........... 78 

views of. ... ... ... . . . , . . . . .. . .. . . 84, 86, 88 

ores of. ..................... 65, 67, 70, 71,80-83 

.character and occurrence of. . . . . . . . 80-81 

tenor of. .. .' ......................... 81-83 

production of. .. . .... . ................. 77, 111 

schist from, analyses of................. 79 

secondary enrichment in ............... 66-67 

structure at ................. c. . • • • • • . • • 61 

Haile ore body, description of: . ..... ....... 83-84 

view of... . ................. . ........... 84 

See also Haile mine. 

Hanna, Prof.---, on gold production.... 94 

Hartman, B. J., development by....... . ... 90 

Hayes, C. W., on age of rocks.... .......... 30 

Hematite, occurrence of. ........ : .... _ ..... 63,65 

Henry Knob, rocks of. .......... . .......... 18,28 

Hidden, W. G., tin identified by........... 32 

Hillebrand, W. F., analyses by.... . ........ 90 

Hills Iron Mining Co., development .by ... 114,115 

Horn mine, description oL .. ·· ............... · 108 

Howie mine. See Colossus mine. -

lluey mine. See Colossus nrine. 

' Hufstickler, R., on Kings Momitain mine:_. 96 

Huskey w onazite workings, descrj.ption of.. 117 

Hydraulicking, use of .. : ...... _ . . . . 75, 90,{03, 125 

Hydrometamorphism, effects of .. : ....... . . 2S..:26 

I. 

Igneous rocks, age of .. .................. 20,22, 31 

description of. .. _ ....... _ ............ _. . 20-23 . 

metamorphism of. . . . . . . . . . . .. .. . . . . . . . 14 

See also Granite; Pegmatite; Porphyry; 

Diabase. 

Ilmenite, occurrence of .. , ...... , . : .... 39, 63., 64-65 

tests for ... . . _ . . ............ _ ..... _ ... _ , 52-53 

Iron ore, occurrence of. ...... 15, 26, 27, 38, 114-116 
132 INDEX. 

J. Page. 

Jones, J. F., development by .... :. . . . . . . . . 96, 106 

Jones tin nline, costs at ..... ................. 5&-57 

description of .......................... 46-48 

development at ........................ 34, 46 

dike in, section of, figure showing.. . . . . 47 

geology of .. _ . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4&-48 

figure showing. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47 

mill of, description of. .................. 53-54 

minera.ls in __ .... _ ..... _. . . . . . . . . . . . 62, 64, 112 

ore of, photomicrograph of............. 42 

tenor of ...... _..................... 54 

quartz from, assay of._ ................ 69,70 

J urn bo gold mine, description of. . . . . . . . . . . 128 

geology at ........... _ . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 128 

ores of ... _ . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 123, 124, 128 

K. 

Keith, Arthur, on age of rocks_ . . . . . . . . . . . . 3G-31 

on volcanic rocks. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23, 3o-31 

Kerr, \V. C., on age of rocks .. :.... .. ...... 30 

on gold mines. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 94 

on occurrence of tin. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32 

Kings Creek, rocks on ...................... 18,26 

Kings Mountain, altitude of...... . . . . . . . . . 11 

pyrite mine near..... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 116 

Kings Mountain (P. 0.), discovery of tin ~t. 32-33 

tin development at. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33 

Kings Mountain Iron Mining Co., development by........................ 114 

Kings Mountain mine, developments' at. 75,94-95 

geology at .... ·.......................... 95 

history of. . . . . . . . .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. . . .. 94 

location of. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 94 

minerals in ............... 62-64,95-96,112-114 

ores of. ..... ...... · ........... ..... 61, 67,95-96 

tenor of. _ .............. _. . . . . . . . . . . 96 

production of. ...................... .. 94, 111 

Kings Mountain Mineral and Development 

Co., development by............ 33 

Kings Mountain Range, description of..... 11 

iron in.... ... . .. ..... .. ................. 114 

location of.. ~ ....................... . _._ 11 

rocks of._ ................ ...... . ~ 17, 18, 19,22 

stratigraphy and structure of.. . . 2&-28, 34-35 

tin belt on .......... .. .......... _._._._. 34 

L. 

Lancaster Comity, S. C., gold from ... 58, 109-110 

Laurens County,. S.C., gold in .... __ ._ . . __ . 110 

Lead, occurrence of. ............. .. __ ·______ 113 

Ledoux, A. R., assays by.................. 69 

cassiterite identified by..... . . . . . . . . . . . 33 

extraction experiment of ...... ~ ..... __ . 53 

Lemon monazite mine, description of...... 117 

Leucopyrite, occurrence of.--- .. -... ---.--- 63 

Lieber, 0. M., on age of rocks . .... __ .. _.... 30 

on gold mines and placers ....... 74, 77, 89,113 

on itacolumite .......... : .... ·........... 17 

Lime, manufacture of. ............. __ .. ·.... 118 

Limestone, analyses of. ........... _ . .. . .. __ 19 

description of: ... : ............... __ . . .. 19 

opcurrence of. ....... _ .... : .. :. . . . . . . . . . 118 

view of. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18 

Lincoln County, Ga., gold in ........ : ...... 110 

ironin .................... .-........... '.. 114 

Page. 

Lincoln County, N. C., tin belt in ...... . 34, 35, 57 

Lindgren, Waldemar, on gold deposits of 

Dahlonega, Ga ............... 119--128 

on intrusion of granite ....... ~......... 30 

work of....... .. ........................ 9 

Literature of region .... . .. .. .... -- .-- .. -. . -

Lithiophilite, occurrence of. ..... ---. -.. -. . 

Lithium, occurrence of. ................ .. 

Little Wilson vein, character of .... .. . 60, 

Littlejohn monazite workings, de~;cri1pt:lo 

of .......................... . 

Lockhart mine,·description of ..... .... . 

ores of. ..... .. .......... .. . . .. .... . 

plate showing ....... .. .... . 

veins of. ...... . . ........... .. . 

section of, figure 

Louise mine. See 

Love, James, land 

Love mine, de!!Crilption 

Love property, 

Lumpkin County, Ga., 

See also Dahlonega. 

Lynchs River, description 

McCaw, vi. B., gold mine of. ~ 

iron o•1 place of .. _ . .. ... " ~:un :, -p 'ssyau{) 

McCaw mine description ofau pro ·a ·s,~~ ~U'B1{) 

McDuffie Co~nty Ga. gold~ aoua.umoo 'a:J..•s.&.na-o 

McGill mine des~ripti~n or a~.mooo 'a:J,JUaPlto~ 

Mackay J. W. early !abo; 'Itiso~d 'aO'Brd nal!'-'toa{) 

Magnetite occ~rrence of. _,P s· .... JO spo-q:J,am )a{) ' · cut\(' • • • • • JO A~O:j.Sll! test for ............... \•. ,.,0 · 

Magnolia mine, description of,~- ·······Jo :J.SOO . . . ;o suotsnrouoo Magnoha Mmes Co., property OL umm~aq , ~YmJ'l 

Manganese? occurre~ce of. ...... :u;sap , Ull , s~u;:N 

Map, showmg locatwn of gold m· · · 

Map, index, showing location of r.,, 

Marti~, Willi~m, iron qn place of .. . 

Martin placer, description of ...... . . 

Mary mine, minerals in ..... ... .... . 

Mayes, M. C., development by ....... . 

-Mecklenburg County, N. C., gold in ... . 

gold in, discovery of. .............. . 

Metamorphic rocks, age of. ................ 29--31 

description of . . .. .. .................. .. . 14-20 

origin of................................ 14 

Metamorphism, effects of. ..... · ......... 24-26,122 

See also Regional metamorphism; Contact metamorphism; Hydrometamorphism. 

Metasomatism. See Aqueous solutions. 

Mica, occurrence of......................... 118 

Mica schist, description of................. 120 

occurrence of. . ............. . -.. .. .. .. .. . 120 

relations of granite and. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 122 

. plate showing... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 122 

Microcline pegmatite, description of ..... 21,37-38 

tin in ................................... 37-38 

Mineral vein, discovery of.................. 90 

Minerals, description of. ................... 63,65 

list of. ............ ·. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 61-63 

occurrence of. . . . . . . . . . . . .. .. . .. . .. .. .. . 124 

Mines, gold, descriptions of. ...... 77-110, 125-128 

See also partwular mines . . 

Mines, gold, abandoned, locations of ..... 109-110 
INDEX. 133 

rocks n 

Page. 

ptions of. ........ ·. . . . . . . . . 46-52 

g of.. ................... : . 31 

mcerning ............ · 57, 111-112 

. . ..............•... 56-57, 76-77 

........................ 32-34 

.. .... ............... 52, 7&-76 

1ects on .............. · 108-109 

·nee of. .............. , . 63, 64 

of. ................. 116-118 

29 

29 

Monroe beds, 

description 

gold in, figure . 

23;29 

31 

................. 23-24,29 

29 

Monroe County, rock::, 

Montgomery County, N.C., gold in .. .. ... . 

gold in, discovery of. .................. . 

Moore County, N.C., gold in .............. ·. 

Morton, F. H., property of, manganese on. 

Mose Mountain, veins in .......... ·.· ....... . 

N. 

23 

110 

58 

·110 

116 

10~ 

Nagyagite, occurrence of................... 63 

Nannies Mountain, corundum on~......... 118 

iron on ............................... 114,115 

rocks of. .............. ·. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18, 28 

New South Wales, tin of............. . ..... ~2 

Nitze, H. B. C., on age of rocks............ 30 

on Haile mine ........... ....... _. ....... 78-79 

on manganese . .. , . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 116 

Nitze and Wilkens, on gold ores.... . . . . . . . 92 

North Carolina, geologic work in... ........ .10 

Nott mine, description of.................. 105 

minerals in .. ·. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 112 

Nott property, developments on........... 109 

Nuggets, discovery of. .. · ................... 73,74 

0. 

Ophir Gold Mining Co., property of. ....... · 103 

Ophir mine, ores of.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 99 

Ore deposits, age of.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29 

Ormond iron mine, description of ........ 115-116 

Oxidation, effects of. ....................... 25-26 

P. 

Parker property, vein on................... 109 

Pays our Mountain, rocks of. . .... , ........ , 18 

Pegmatite dikes, description of.. ... .. 20-22,35-40 

distribution of. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34-35 

map showing .... ....... .. . .. ,...... 35 

extraction of tin from ......... c • ••••. •. 53-54 

figure showing. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40 

metamorphism by. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25 

structure of. ..... : . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35-37 

sections of, figures showing ..... : .. : . 47, 50,51 

tin in ................................ 42-43,57 

distribution of. ........... .' ..... 40-41,57 

· figure showing.................. 40 

view of............................. 42 

varieties of. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21, 37-38 

view of.................................. 42 

See also Microcline pegmatite; Giant 

granite. 

development of ..... . . .. ..... .. . 11·-12 

13 

118 

Page. 

Phelps, Dodge & Co., development by...... 33 

Phosphates. See Monazite. 

Piedmont Mining and Development Co., dedelopment by ......... c. • • • . . . • · 92 

Piedmont Plateau, character of............ 11 

Piedmont Tin Mining Co., development by.. 52 

Placer tin, occurrence' of ................. 48,52,57 

source of. ........ ·. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44-45 

Porphyry, age of............................ 31 

description of. .... , . . -.... c ••••••••••••• 22-23 

Preacher Cut mine, description of ......... , 125 

geology of ....... ......... ·. . . . . . . . . 120, 121, 125 

veins in . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 123 

Prospects, gold, descriptions of. ....... c·. 108-109 

See also Mines. 

Purpilrite, analysis of. ..... :..... ..... ..... 39 

description of ...... , . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38-39 

occurrence of. ................ : ......... 38,49 

Pyrite, description of.. ................. ;... 64 

occurrence of. ............ .- ..... : ...... 62, 116 

Pyrophyllite, occurrence of; ........... ,.... 62 

Pyrrhotite, description of. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 64 

occurrence of. ............. , . . . . . . . . . . . . · · 62 

Q. 

Quart.z, description of...................... · 63 

metamorphism of. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39-40 

· minerals in. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . • . . . . . . . . . . . . 43 

occurrence of ........... · .. ~.. . . . . . . . . . . . 62 

See also Fissure veins. 

Quartz-biotite schist, description of.. . ..... 19 

Quartz schist, description of. .............. 17-18 

Quartz-sericite schist, analyses of.......... 79 

description of ....................... 15-16,18 

R. 

Randolph County, N.C., gold in........... 110 

Regional metamorphism, effects of......... 24 

Relief, description of. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11 

development of. ........ · ................ 11-12 

Replacement deposits, description of .... 60-61,65 

Rickard & Hewitt, development by ........ · 118 

Rocks, age of. ............................. . 29-31 

classes of.............................. . 14 

descriptions of.. . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14-26 

succession of. ................. ·.· . . . . . . . 27 

See also Sedimentary rocks; Metamor-· 

phic rocks; Igneous rocks; Volcanic rocks; Stratigraphy, etc. 

Rosa Arrowwood mine, description of..... 108 

Ross, S. S., development by................ 49 

• on mining costs. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 56 

tin found by. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . · 34 

Ross tin mine, costs at. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 56 

description of. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49-50 

developments at ... : . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49 

dike in, section of, figure showing...... 50 

discovery of ...................... ." ... . . 34 

extraction of tin at. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54 

geology of. ............ •.......... 21,43,49-50 

ore ~:,~:~~~~~~~~-- _· .·. ·_ ·, ~: ::: ::::::::::: 54-~~ production of... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54 

profits •at............................... 57 

Ross & Carroll, mine of, description of..... 106 

Rowan County, N.C., gold in.............. 110 

Rudisill, A. R., work of ........ ...... 33-34,46,51 

Rutile, occurrence of. . . ........ . ............ 62,64 
134 INDEX. 

S. Page. 

Sands, age of. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31 

occurrence of. ... :...................... 24 

Schisto&e granite. See Gn3iss. 

Schists,Igneou&, descriptions of. ........... 14-17 

See also Amphibole; Quartz-sericite 

schist; Gneiss. 

Schists, sedimentary, description of ... . .... 17-19 

See also Quartz schist; Quartz-sericite 

schist; Quartz-biotite·· schist; 

Sericite schist; Limestone. 

Schlegelmilch mine, developments ·at. 101,103,111 

· geology at .............. , ... , .... ·....... 102 

location of.............................. 101 

minerals in. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 62-65 

ores of. ....... ... .... . ..... · ........ . .. 102-103 

vein of, section of, figure showing... . . . . 102 

Secondary enrichment, description of ... 45,65-67 

Sedimentary rocks, age of. .. , ...... ,. .. ... . 31 

descriptions of. ............ : . .......... 23-24 

metamorphism of... . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14 

See al;o Monroe beds; Sand; Clay; Alluvium. · · 

Sericite, description. of. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 63 

occurrence of. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 62 

Sericite schist, description of. .. ........... . 18-19 

Silver, occurrence of. ......... .. .. .. .... 68,89,112 

Sloan, Earle, analyses by..... . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19 

on age of rocks. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31 

on diabase ........ :..-. ................... 31 

on sand ....... ·················.········ 24 

Small & Johnson, development by ....... 108, Ill 

South Carolina, geologic work in........... 10 

Sphalerite, occurrence of ........ ~ ... .. . .... · 62,64 

Spodumene, gems in. · .... ·.·..... . .. ..... . ... 118 

occurrence of. ....... .................. 38,118 

value of................................ 55 

Standard mines, description of............. 126 

geology at. . . . . . . . . . . • . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 126 

Stanley County, N.C., gold in............. 110 

Stockton, Commodore, development by. 87,90,94 

Stockton wine. $ee Colossus mine. 

Stratigraphy, cb.~t racter of ................. 26-27 

Strike, direction of......................... 28 

Stringer leads, occurrence of.... . . . . . . . . . . . 123 

l;)tructure, character of .................. 26, 27-29 

relations of, to drainage ................ 13-14 

Sullivan, G. C., analysis by ...... ~......... 116 

Swedish Iron Mining Co., development by.. 114 

T. 

Tanyard pit, gold pliwer in ................ 74,90 

Tellurium, occurrence of. ................. , . 64 

Terry place, vein on. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 109 

Tetradymite, occurrence-of.,.............. 63 

Tetrahedrite, occurrence of ....... :........ 63 

Thickety Mountain, rocks o! . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18. 

Thies, Adolf, management o;' ........... 75-76,77 

on lead..... . ........................... 113 

Thies, E. A., management of............... 77 

Thompson mine, developments at ........ 103, 110 

geology at ............................ 103-104 

history of. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 103 

location of.............................. 103 

ores of. ....... : ........................ 61, 104 

rocks in ........................ ,....... 18 

Tin, demand for.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32-34, 56 

Tin, deposits of ................ . 

deposits of, age of.._.:.·.· .... . 

economic importance of. 

future production of .. . 

location of. ......... . . 

size of ......... , .... . 

value of. ........... . 

extraction of. .......... . 

cost of. ............ . 

marketing of, cost of.. 

mines of, descriptions 

mining of, cost of. .... . 

history of. ...... . 

57 

46-54 

56-57 

32-34 

methods of ..... . 52 

occurrence of. . . . . . . 34 

ores of .... . ........ , .................... 41-42 

placers of.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44-45 

price of................................. 55 

production of ........................... 5:!, 56 

costs oL , .. , ..... , . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 56-57 

secondary enrichment of .............. . 

Tin and.goid; depos{ts of, in Southern Appa~ 

45 

lachians ............ . ........... 9-118 

report on, scope of.. . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . 9-10 

Tin-bearing rocks, distribution of. ......... 34-35 

distribution of, map showing .... ·...... 35 

view of .. ~ ... ~ ........... . ~ . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42 

See also Pegmatite. 

Tin belt, geology of. .............. . ... ..... 34-45 

location of. : ............................ 34 

Titanium, occurrence of.:.................. 89 

Topography, account of ..... : .............. 10-14 

zones of. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-11 

Tourmaline veins, gold in ............ 40,69-70,73 

occurrence of. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40, 62 

u. · 

UnionCounty,S. C., gold mines in.... ... .. . 110 

v. 

Veins, description of. .................. .. 123-125 

Victoria, gold mines of. . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . .. . . 124 

Virginia, tin deposits of.................. . . 44 

Volcanic rocks, age of. .............. :...... 31 

deposition and alteration of............ 14 

occurrence of. .. ·... . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . .. . . 23 

w. 

Wallis, G. R .. prospect on land of.......... 108 

Wallis mine, diabase at.................... 71 

Warren County, Ga., gold in............... 110 

Weed, W. H., on secondary enrichment.... 66 

Well, artesian, location of.... . ............. 28 

West mine, description of. ......... ·.·...... 104 

Whitaker Mountain, rocks of .. : ... .... .... 18 

Wilkes County, Ga., gold in ......... : ...... 110 

Wilson mines, descri-ption of ......... . ... 107-108 

See also Big Wilson; Little Wilson. 

Wolf Creek, iron near .................. , 114-115 

Wolf Creek mine·. See Ross & Carroll mine. 

Wolframite, occurrence of.................. 39 

Y. 

Yahoola Creek, rocks at .......... , . . . . . . . 120, 122 

York County, amphibolite in .............. 14,15 

gold mines in .......................... . 

monazite in ........................... . 

z. 

Zinc, occurrence of. : ..............• : ...... .