Weekly national intelligencer., 1848-05-06

Pau"oJ
pole.
VI the uncounted gold mines which are found in this re-
gon the most fruitful the present times lies about twenty
nSe mics rom here, in norhery direction, and the pro-
perry OF mr. Lorenzo Dow Smith. And the which
mas ever attended Lorenzo is worth recording In CONVEX
auon na mad with him in this place. where he stay
ns' 'hat should like embody his history in
paragraph Of my notebook and he replied to me as follows
was born IN Vermont came into this Southern country
twenty years ago clock pedar where drove good
~ M useu g spend my summers among the mountains
he hcfokee country, partly for the purpose of keeping
away from the lever, and partly with view of living over
again the days OF my which were the
green mountains made some money and when the gold
fever commenced took it and went to speeuatino in 9d
lots though spent many years without finding lots Of cod
associated with bear hunters and explored every and
stream OF this great mountain land away to the north and
nave seen more glorious scenery than other live Pm
forty years old, unmarried love good liquor and 90 in for
having fun Bout four years ago came into nv thinking
mug that there must be plenty of gold in the bed Of Coosa
creek which runs into Coosa river traded for lot there
and went to work. found deposte gave up work and
went to leasing small sections, which worked by
good many men, and give decent living. have had
all sorts Of luck in my daygood luck and bad luck When
prosperous always hope to be prosperous STILL and
when have bad uck always wish for luck it'll only
come never allow myself to be disappointed The longer
live the more anxious am to do good to nv fellow
men, I've passed she blossom Of my e and don't expect
70 i've many years longer hav mt lived ought have
ved but hope I'LL be well with when come to take nv
hnal sleep But enough. Pm going out to nv mine on
visit Tomorrow, and IT you'll go with me- III show YOU some
real Vermont trout and mountain peaks which would shame
the Came's hump Of old Yankee and.' a
did not accept Lorenzos tempting invitation but made
up my mind that he original Some Of the scenery to
which he alluded shall visit in due time
In former times before ntimated the miners Of this re-
gon mostly foreigners and an abandoned race but the
principal deposes and veins worked by native eor
gians who very respectable class Of people, Among
them are many young men, who labor hard intelligent
The dangers Of mining in this region rather uncommon
owing principally to the lgh'ness of the coil Many of the
accidents which occur however, the result carelessness
and the most melancholy have heard of is follows
man named Hunt together with his son and another man
named Smith, were digging for gold the side Of neigh
boring hill At the end Of tunnel which was some thrtv
eet long they excavated large hail. which they had
neglected TO support IN the usual They apprehened
DANGER but told by neghbor that their conduct was
mpudent The elder Hunt thought he would be on the safe
side and on certain afternoon wenno the woods to cut the
necessary timber, while his and Smith continued their Ia
bors on the cave Night and the father having ac
comPshed his task retired to his home. On taking his seat
at the supper table came into his mind that his son and Smith
were somewhat later in coming home than usual He waited
awhile but becoming impatient for the cave and ON
reaching it. 10 his utter establishment and horror he found
that the roof of the had fallen in The alarm was
and the whole village assembled extrcae the unfo
nate miners and by the aid of torches the bodies
ed Inc boy was found In running attitude i oveaken
while endcavonng to and the Smith was found
cngng to single post which had been vanly used to prop
the ceiling Of the
With regard to the employed by the miners have
but one word to say The dpote gold extracted from the
gravel by means of simple machine called rocker which
merely shifts and washes out the metal The vein cold is
brought to light by Of what called pounding mill
which reduces the rock the consistency of sand when he
separated by the Of quicksilver In this particular
department Of their business the Dahonega miners confess
themselves to be comparatively ignorant; and what proves
this to be the case is the fact that of their has fire.
quenly been worked second time with considerable
profit.
But the prominent attraction of Dahlonega have not vet
touched upon-l allude to the Mint establishment The
building Itself, which Is quite large, has commanding ap-
pearanee was erected In 1897 at expense of S70 0O0
and the machinery which contains cost S30 0nn II il bull,
OF brick, bot s,uccoed 10 resemble gives en-.
poymnt TO nine who receive for their services coec
lively the sum OF $4,000. The Superintendent who also
acts Treasurer, is F. CooPEn son by the way Of the
famous actor Of that j the Coiner is d. H. M.soS who
has interesting cabinet Of minerals and the Assayer Ia
j. h. Tom. The Dahlonega Branch Mint and the one To-
Gated at charlottesville North Carolina only ones in
the United States which COIN the gold very SPOT where
it found The New Orleans Branch as well as the mother
Mint in Philadelphia chiefly occupied with foreign ores
O the two first mentioned Dahonega has thus far been the
most successful the coinage in one year having amounted
AT the present me however, the business of this
Mint Is said TO lie the The coinage of the three
branch mns mentioned above uniform with that of the
mother Mint and is all systematically tested there for ip
establishment n
branch OF the Treasury Department of the United States and
under the supervision of the Secretary of the Treasury and
account of the progress and condition the bureau Is
ally given TO Congress.
The smallest amount Of gold received at the Dahlonepa
mint by law has to be worth hundred dollars When the
miner has obtained sufficient amount he takes il 10 the
Mint and delivers to the Superintendent That officer takes
m account Of IL and passes TO the Assayer who fires
Is value when the miner receives the allotted sum of
operation Of coming performed by power of stea
md may be briefly described by the words rolling drawing
cutting, and stamping Some Of the Dahlonega gold is said
10 be pure any in the world, hut commonly slIoyed
with silver One or two specimens shown me- which
were Just one half silver and yet is said that rr ore is no
where found In this section Of country The value Of pure
gold one dollar pennyweight and have learned
came here that every genuine American eagle made BY
law TO contain twentieth Of silver and onetwentieth of
copper. The word bullion, which hear soocn MENTION
ed among commercial misnome for it legitimate
y applied only unwrougn god washed grains or gold
cakes and balls and melted bars and cakes and
the word go applied 10 bar Of god which may be man.
uactured into hundred half eagles thousand dol
lars Togiye scientific Of what have seen in the
Dahlonega Mint would probably please my scientific readers
but, as am not writing for them, they must excuse me-
" What is writ, is writ would il were wouhier ~
And that have been dwelling upon the origin Of oLp
and the method Of its transformation into coin cannot but
thought upon its moral power II hes at the foundation
Of half the misery in the world and yet when udiciously
employed, has power to reloce the heart II gave birth to
the wonderful science of chemistry and though one of tho
most ancient OF metals always attracts the human eye by