The Massachusetts spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1831-1858, 1832-09-05
From The Norfolk Beacon.

Coin MINES Of NoRrH CAROLINA. A
recent vsl, to the gold mines Of Nash coun-
ty in this State, put me in possession Of tho
following facts:
Porler's nine, in Nash, has been leased
by the sons of the late e:,inahe Kemp
Plummer Esq. These young gentlemen
have SO hands employed, which are divided
into tmee gangs of twelve each, and which
thus give employment to three Rockers.
This is a machine formed something like
the cradles in ordinary use for children,
over the top of which, Il copper plate is
placed perforated with holes and on this
plate the earth in which particles Of gold are
found, is placed. On tins earth a stream of
water is continually falling from gutter
above. Thence the gold is washed out and
preciplated through the holes IN the plate,
to the bottom of the rocker by means of q
continued rocking which is c:rried on hy IL
han provided for that purpose. In the
bottom of this cradle or rocker portion of
quicksilver is deposited which serves to col
lert the PARTICLES of gold together.
! | was informed that in one day, eleven
bands at ono rocker, collected 2H dwts.
| of gold, and which is estimated to he worth
80 cents per dwt. land which, by the bye,
think must be an over estimate Thus
ic"'iEiHS "NVIhlug W lHe ItSoiuS csti-
mate $2l3,30 or 1889 to the hand, per
diem. In II days SO hands collected 2700
I-dwts. worth according to estimate as above
S2430-belng an average of S67,50 to the
hand for the time, or GLIB per diem.
In leasing out the mines, the proprietor,
Porter, reserved tiro acres TO be excavaed
at pleasure. This he permits some INDECENT
relatives of his to work, who are not gifted
with an extraordinary stock Of industry.
Perhaps they are not employed more than
iths of a day. In 4 days, viz: the 5th 9th,
) 9Th, and Sth, of August, 9 hands collected
448 dwts. gold, wanting but of being so
dwts. to the hand, worth at 80 cents S45, or
j, II, 81 per diem to the hand.
A few days since lad ploughing in POI.
ler's field turned up stone OF Relish hue
/ about or . inches square, which attracted
5 his attention. and why he could not tell, as
hundreds Of stones were around him in all
; directions. On taking up this stone he dis
} cerned the appearance of gold, and on
! breaking open, it was found to contain 20
dwts. Of gold, one of which weighed 81
! dwts. The same lad ploughing in the
: same field, on the 9th August turned up
3 piece of gold worth Sc. The earth in Por-
ter's cotton patch has been found to yield 9
to 3 dwts. TO the hand per day, but thus far,
? gold has been found in greater abundance
in the branches. The hills have not been
: sufficiently explored as yet, to know what
, they will yield. The operations are carried
. on in the branches during the warm wealth
J. err, and will he removed to the hills in the
D winter, so as to have the hands less xpos-
ell to the water. There are valuable mines
! in the ighborhood-viz one belonging
e to Mr. James N. Mann, and one to Mr.. Hem
g ry Sims. There are no doubt many othe rs
t not yet explored.
e Mr.. Porter, on whom fortune has TINS far
= assigned the most valuable mine in the
y State, was a shoemaker, and pursued his
i business with great diligence, as his prnc-
pal means of lvng-even after the Phiioso-
piers Stoue was found OIL his land, which
might he said almost literally to turn every
!, thing into gold, he still adhered to his for
" Iner trade. and very philosophically deter
q mined that the sudden influx of wenth
:, should not addle his brain. The old gentle
, man seems to lie man of plain cool sense,
. and as the story is told of him, he still con-
- tinued to shoemake it, until one day, being
h engaged in making pair of right and left
shoes, he made them both on the same last,
- and on finding his mistake, concluded it
=, was time to quit the business. You will
|, think he was right am sure, when inform
y you, that not more than one eighth of one
:, acre (of the two reserved by himself) has
- been explored, and that has produced from
" $4,000 to $1,000 worth of gold.