The Athens post. [volume] (Athens, Tenn.) 1848-1917, 1869-03-12
COKER CREEK GOLD MINES.


Editor Post. am glad to see the frequent
items In your paper and others in reference to
the Coker Creek Gold Mines. spent two
weeks songc tfIpe sincein exploring that sec
ton, and Lamfsatisffedl that the daH is not dis
tant when Coker Creek Gold Mines will be
looked upon, not exactly as new FL Dorado,
but as one of the most interesting and vaIua-
BILE mineral regions of the South. The mines
comprise q belt Of lands situated along the
mountains In Monroe county, about thirty
miles in length and ten miles wide. They take
their name from acreek running through them,
and the creek took its pane fr9p Indian wo-
man called Coker Bett. WHO lived On itsbanks.
Gold was first discovered there about the year
1884; perhaps earlier. For year or two after
the first discovery Of the precious metals hum
dreds Of pensfloeked " frsm all parts ossths
country, and'so great was, the strife fcf choice
'1digNns's THAT United States Soldiers Were
sent there to quell the disturbances. The re-
suit was, that the soldiers turned miners them
selves and appropriated all the richest mines.
Subsequently the Government had the whole
gold belt divided into forty acre lots, and SELL
ing them under the gold excitement realized
All this took place in the EARLY settlement Il
this country, and Of course the mining was
carried on In a very rude and Imperfect man.
ner. From three TO FIVE penfyweights OF gold
has always been considered good days work
for man ut Cocker Creek, with a common
trough, eight feet lens, spadel a pick, and a
pan for his mining iimplementsa And know
Of more than one good, substantial, farmer in
the surrounding counties, with plenty Of this
worlds goods around him, whowpuld BEN
poor man today had 1t not been FOR the money
heanatic Ut Coker Creek years ago. '.FI W..
Thegreat. difficulty at Cooker Creek IA water
Two creeks run through the gold belt, and
while there Is not foot of land IN the whole
belt'thatdOes not contain more Wr fes+ gold,
the richest deposits are on the hills, and the
water will have to be elevated to reach them
before mining can be carried on profitably.
| When was there saw boy and man haul
ing dirtone mile with an Iox team ito water.
Two men washed the dirt which they hauled
in "long tom, y or eight feottrouSfi. and they
told me that they made a heavyweight Of gold
day to the hand. Many Of our people laugh
at the idea of their being valuable gold mines
at Coker Creek, tbut they bre tnnacquainted
with that gold region. There is a little spot OF
ground on Hot-water Branch, comprising some
ten or fifteen acres, where, I'm very few years
after the discovery of gold, more than half u
million Of the precious metals was ex tracted.
Many years ugea company WIS formed at Ah.
ems, which sent an agent to Europe to sell
their lands, and he contracted large number
Of the gold lotsto an English company, in Lon.
don, at high prices But nj, that time foreign.
er could not hold lands in Tennessee, and the
whole enterprise fell through. This company
sent barFe{ !of dirt and "a barrel of quartz
rock from Cocker Creek to London. and the ac.
tual value of Coker Greek property was tho
roughly tested. l omitted to state that the
whole gold region is intcrspersed with quartz
rock, which runs in veins, and all of this con.
tains more or less gold. have seen u quartz
rock there no larger than your fist that con-
tanedthree or four dollars worth Of gold; but
such specimens are rare. Another fact no,
generally known-a heavyweight of gold from
the Coker Greek mines is worth three or foul
cents more than the same weight Of gold from
other parts Of the United States.
But have already spun this article to nj
: undue length, and will close by saying that
am not interested in the Cocker Creek Cole
Mines, ndhave no lands to sell there: but
, believe that the day is not distant when capt
t tai and scientific mining will make this one Q
gioils ofthe Union And further, that gath
: cred many interesting facts and circumstance
while there connected with this hitherto blu
little known region. which may lay befor
your readers should this communication no
be deemed out of place. MORE ANON.