The Lancaster ledger. [volume] (Lancaster, S.C.) 1852-1905, 1852-11-24
From Herriofs Mayazine.
THE GOLD MINES OF LANCASTER.
b Y TIL E IToR.

section of this State is comprised in high
ridge, running principally through the dis
tricts Of Lancaster and Chesterfield. A
long this ridge there are from six to eight
distinct settlements, where pits have been
dug and found to contain a considerable
quantity of ore, from which the genuine
metal Is in daily process of extraction by
machinery. Woodward's, Belk's Funder-
burke's, Brewers and Blackmon's Mines
are in daily operation. Haile's Gold Mine
Is on more extensive scale than either.
This prolific tract, the metallic productive
virtues of which were discovered some
twenty or thirty years since, was formerly
owned by Mr.. Thomas Welch, and pur
chased of him by Benjamin Halle, ESQ.,,
an enterprising citizen of Camden, S. c.
a resurvey Of the land was effected after
wards by the late Lovick Young, of Ker-
shaw District. The centre of operations
is something over 20 miles from Lancaster
Court House. In qualification Of long
INDUCED curiosity, l visited this truly novel
and interesting spot, in company with sew
eral friends, one of whom had previously
enjoyed this privilege. We descended by
means Of long ladders, into the dark and
deep excavations Which opened wide their
gaping mouths as if to engulph us in the
almost bottomless abyss beneath. Reach
ing the bottom, after some little difficulty,
we found water which was not unpleasant
to the taste, but of a yellowish earthly COL
our, which rendered it less attractive to
the sight Some fifty or sixty feet below
the surface, we encountered an opening.
surmounted by ceiling of solid rock, suf-
ticiently large to allow our bodies to pass
through the side Of the hill, after a little
climbing on all-fours, into the bottom of
the adjoining pit. Here we found our
selves still further below the surface, and
gazing with undisguised rapture upon the
wild and sublime prospect overhead, the
ridges and cavities of the hills forming
themselves into varied and fantastic shapes
above us, and the rocks projecting over
the sides in awful majesty, as if about to
cave in and fall upon our diminish cram
iums. The upward ascent was now some
what steep and tiresome until we encoun-.
tered rude fight Of steps in the rocky
sides of the hill, which facilitated our on
ward progress. The scene of operations
is quite busy one. Icould not learn the
number OF hands employed. or that of the
mills worked in this establishment saw.
in the portion of it we visited, five or six
mills and considerable number of white
men and negroes, engaged in the different
departments. The pits are very near to-
gether; we saw about twenty of them,
which was only small portion of the
whole number. The mills are worked both
by animal and water power, the former re.
curing only couple of mules each, at
tended by single hand. The ore is COL
lected by the miners from the various pits
and placed iii the machinery, by means of
which, it is ground down into the consis.
tence of earth of a brownish clay hue, in
which quicksilver has been previously de-
posited-this earth, appearing in receiver
outside of the machinery, is found to con-
tain very minute particles of white shi-
ming substance, which derives its colour
from the quicksilver adhering to it. These
small specimens are then picked or wash
ed out. The process of washing the gold
is very simple. The moist earth from the
mill is collected and thrown into a wash
ing machine which is moved back ards
and forwards until the heavier particles
are separated from the mass, and COM
pletely cleansed, after which they are tax.
en- ont. saw several small pieces of the
metal ground and washed out in this man.
ner. Several Of the wheels attached to
the machinery are made Of the rough
granite rock Of the country
After undergoing all the different pro-
cesses requisite, the gold is collected and
transferred to the Mint at Charlotte, North
Corolina, where it is subjected to the var
ious preliminary arrangements used in
coming Having arrived at this stage, it
passes into the hands Of various officers
and artificers---is first received by the
Warden or Chief, from whose hands it
next passes into the possession of the mas
ter worker, who causes it TO be melted,
and delivers il to the moneyers, The comp
troller, assay master, and auditor then per-
form their respective parts in regulating
and registering the assizs and weight
from whose inspection the bullion becomes