Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1867-10-09
Gold Mines of EdgefeId.

MIR. EDITOR: FOSSlnly lew passing re-
.aarks on the Geld Mines Of Sleepy Creek,
culied from my field notes, may interest some
of your readers.
The different mines Of this vicinity arc SO
similar and 80 closely connected as t. locality,
that it will be most convenient to describe
them under the head of the Sleepy Creek
Mines, thai. to separate them according to the
various proprietors.
The chief mining operations have been car
ried on at the Gold Spring Mine, and atterly
also at the Immediately adj oining mine Of Col.
John Quattlebaum. There consequently mure
NAV be learned Of the peculiar occurrence than
would be observed at other points.
At first the distribution of the veins is ex
ceedingly perplexing for they arc seen strk
ing and dipping in every possible direction,
sometimes perfectly horizontal, then curving
like saddle, then again Yertical-here swell
ling to diameter Of several feet, there again
thinning out to mere thread-nOw cutting
straight across the slate country rock, or now
again conforming to the strike or direction of
the latter. An examination of the large
workable veins alone, leave Us therefore with
out any satisfactory conclusions as to the true
mode of occurrence, and we must turn to the
minor veins for an explanation. These are
the models. We may inspect them without
fear of the obscuring effects of greater bulk,
and the solution is then an easy one.
The country rock (tbe rock traversed) Of
these veins is an nrgillaceouS slate-some.
times so little altered as still to merit the
term of true sha'e. This rock is exceed
ingly fssile. Crevices have consequently
formed in all directions, curving and ramify-
ing through the slate in every conceivable
manner Some of these tissures, more imme.
distely. dependent upon the same powerful
forces, to which the Alleghanies and all their
parallel ridges owe their origin, were extended
downwards to sufficient depth to become
channels fer these solutions which contained
the materials now filling the space of the
crevices. The lateral clefts conducted off
portions of these solutions so that, in reality
notwithstanding the apparently anomalous
character. of these veins, their gin is the
same az that of all persistent veins.
The so!Itiops referred to brought up silica
and copper. The gold is probably due to the
country rock. These mines show in 4 very
clear manner that the latter metal can not be
infused by the chlori!ic soap,stone dykes,
which so abound for while tie selvages of
these, or rather the slate along their selvages
may be proftably worked for gold, the mass
itself contains not trace. But this is dis
cusson no. likely to interest many Of your
readers.
The majority of veins visible at the surface
have a northwesterly strike but those Of q
northeasterly or east and west strike are more
likely TO be permanent in depth, although it
is quite possible that the most important and
reliable of the latter are covered up and do
not show at the surface. With view to de-
termiping this important question, Col. Qnat-
tlebaum is now driving siunnel inte the base
of the hill. Should the present one not be
favored with satisfactory results, another,
driven 9: right angles to l.. would scarcely
fail to be conclusive.
Ties: veins will undoubtedly "a! some future
period become more remunerative FOR copper
than for gold but in the meantine-a period
by no means con6ned-they will be atle to
furnish valuable supply OF the latter metal.
This is indeed literally diffused through the
vein stone, and some of the choice samples
yielded paintings equal to the very best which
[ have as yet seen in our State. The vein'
s:onc of some of the veins average about
$l0O per bushel, Of others $O.75. Others
again yield legs average, but tstill may furnish
much valuable ore. The gold is exceedingly
fine. Indeed there is but oEe mine, with
which am acquainted, which has purer
gold (the Brewer mine in Chesterfield J and
that only exceeds this BY 40lO0 Of a cent
the pennyweight. Two assays made at the
Dshlonega mint, gave 6neness of $50 and
SSs. or value of lO0x99-lOO cents, and
9l.0lK59 100 cents per pennyweight respec-
lively. Regular work has barely been COM
menced as yet. but judging from that ghich
we now see, it is sober and reasonable eK-
pectation to anticipate the hsppiest results.
Yours, respectfully,
OSCAR M. LIEBER,
State Geologist.