Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1867-08-01
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YORK DISTRICT.
Correspondence Of the Charleston Courier

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Correspondence Of the Charleston Courier.
s' YORK DISTRICT.
YoRKv11LE, s. c., July IL.
have been spending several days in this delight
full village, receiving the hospitaliies of old friends
enjoying the pure water, mountain breeze, and
the many luxuries which this region affords during
the summer months.
A few days ago accompanied o gentleman OF
this place to the Mining section Of this District
had read and studied the various reports Of the
Geological Surveys of the State frequently visited
and rambled among the hills of York, and became
intimately acquainted with the people, and familiar
with the topography of this part Of the State, BET
declare to YOU that I never dreamed that such
immense beds of gold were so sdensely deposited
beneath the soil. Every stone you crush contains
more or less of the precious metal, and the rock
ribbed sides of every h from its base to the sum-
nit forms network rich with aurferous depos-
its. Wevisited the McCafrey mine, twelve miles
above .Yorkvile. The tract contains 279 acres OF
land, with veins of ore running in every direction
The principal lead has just been opened, and ore
selected from one ofthe pits yielded about " 70
each bushel e. -
We had no means of assaying so that we could
test fairly the exact per cent it would yield, but
feel satisfied that there gold in abundance in that
locality. 1t seems that this plaeezhas been over
looked and neglected, while contiguous mines have
been carefully tested and examined. The gold is
deposited in stratum of quartz running from five
to thirty feet below the surface, and from eight
inches to three feet wide enveloped in bed OF
hard red clay. The geological formation, as well
as the surface indications, exhibit rich field tor
the miner at no distant day. The relative connec-
ton with the leading auriferolls ducts from the
neighborng hills, sconverging in one direction and
diverging in. another, shows distinctly that just
here there must be an immense deposit OF gold.-
The Bolyn mine is South of this. The most pro-
ductive veins lead.of up the hill in the direction
of the McCafrey lot; dry ravine running down
TO within few yards Of beautiful, bold spring,
whose crystal water rpples along over beds OF the
precious metal A mile to the West we find the
Beach Branch Mine, owned, I believe, by Mr..
William Nesbit, of Georgia. Several pits have @
been. opered, shafts sunk, and very satisfactory
evidence obtained in reference to the value and
quantity Of gold found here. I picked up in one
Of the side sections of this mine, some beautiful
specimens of copper 49,
The celebrated Martin mine lies to the South.
It was opened in 1927. Since that time, 1t has
been continually worked, and perhaps no spot OF
earth has been moro fruitful source Of anxiety and
disappointment on the one hand, and glorious re-
alization of high hopes on the other. For months
the miner realized only few cents day tor his
toll and wearisome labor. In 1856, an immense
nugget of gold was discovered-the miners dubbed
it with the milliAuous title of the Bee Gum" A
piece of quartz about the size Of mans head,
contained 4, 400 pennyweights, or little more than
81, 600 in pure gold This created intense excite.
ment throughout the gold region, and "a thorough
hunt was instituted for its fellow, but to this dayit
never has been found. The lot contains thirty
acres, and every foot of it has been turned over
and over, time after time and again, until it Is well
exhausted. There are only two old mountaineers
at work now, and they are only washing the debris
which has accumulated below thepond.- They use
the old fashioned "Long lon," and with this
primitive apparatus they have the varied success
of the gambling miner A few days ago they wash
ed out fourteen pennyweights the day we visited
them they only collected one-haR pennyweight.
was greatly disappointed in this mine. Itnev-
er was more than surface deposit, running up
West from the branch, a narrow backbone be-
tween two ravines encountering near the summit
of the hin a stratum of rotten slate, and few
yards higher still, bed of pure iron ore, with no
trace of gold. The consequence has been that the
Martin mine is exhausted, and will never pay to
work it again. Cropping out few hundred yards
above this bed of iron ore is large rich vein run
ming off in Westernly direction, which, in my
opinion, is more valuable than the Martin mine
ever was. A few miles to the South we visit the
Wylie mine which has recently been purchased by
New York Company for $4,000. They intend,
learn, having their machinery in operation in Au-
gust.
In the same neighborhood are the Smith mines,
which was bought few days ago by Company
of Bostonians for $4,000. Both of these mines
arc said to be rich, and with improved machinery
will undoubtedly yield handsome income.
learn that the same meteorological formations in
North Carolina are now producing large amounts
Of gold The Pennsylvania and North Caroina
Gold Mining Company of Tamaqua, five miles
North of Charlotte the Phoenix Mining Company
of New York, six miles from Concord the Blake
lev Mining Company, New York, fourteen miles
from Concord; the Howie and Harkness, are all il
successful operation. A single ten stamp mil
will crush ten,tons of ore in twenty-four hours
They compute the dirt at sos per ton, making
L Il J..