The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1869-09-08
NAC0oCHEE AED ITS SURROUND
INGS. ~ .
NACoooHEE VALLEY, GA, August, 1869.
TO TIE EDITOR OF THE SEWs

NAooooHEE VALLEY, GA, August, 1869.
TO TIE EDITOR OF THE NEWS.
The discovery Of gold here IN 1928 was al
epoch in the history OF this quiet mountain
people. li e.iNE,
Those who owned few forty acre loi
dreamed Of golden fortunes, many Of vhicl
were never realized. The excitement Wa
greatly increased by the discovery. of luml
OF gold in neighboring State Weighing TWEEN
ty-eight pounds. It is not on uncommon oc
currence here to find pieces weighing from one
People focked to this new Ell Dorado from
all actions Of the country. Even the Rrea
CALHOUN did not escape the prevailing opiden
knew every by-path through the mountains
TO him was assigned the honor or plotting tht
Carolina statesman to Yonah, the mines, ant
other places Of interest It was the year tht
..abominable" Tariff act was passed; and abou
the time Mr. Calhoun resigned bis position
as Vire-President under the hero OF New Or,
leans. s.a-
Mr.. Calhoun was at Naceochee when the
'::nullfied." i shall never forget how much he
was excited He would walk the floor fol
hours in the deepest meditation, frequently
passing his long fingers nervousIy through his
hair, which stood almost erect on his head.
The great mind Of Calhoun penetrated .ths f1-
ture@he saw that the political events which
were then transpiring, North and South. would
result either in dissolution OF the Federal
seemed to dread the one as much as tha other.
While he regarded many acts. OF Congress az
odious, unjust and, oppressive to the South,
yet he #ae not a. 7that time III favor Of a disco.
luton Of the Union-he stood firmly upon the
constitution handed down TO US BY our fore
The political fever. however, had no. taken
30 entire possession Of the great Carolina
mania; he had studied political h. economy
enough 10 know that gold was the only. true
representative Of all values, and the great lev
eller of distlnctione. ,.s.l
1t was tho custom OF the miners and ispecula-
tors who had 'depositsn or ,..Ielns" for. sale To
prepare then for StestinH. ~ M Y faahercwafned
Mr.. Calhoun agoinst the sleight Of hand prao-
ticed by many of these Walletreet adventur-
politics and books Needed not ths advice, and 4,
was a,child inthe clutchee OF the rude miners
: 10 be certain that there was no deception,
MIR. Calhoun would select piece OF ground
untopehed by the spade, stand by and see the
gravel and slate were reached, which was
washed before our eyes. IF, unluckily, they
did not succeed in finding gold, not a Few we're
interruptions enough to have it concealed
about their persons, which was by the seight OF
hand transferred into the pan. This was what
was called sailing and there were not q few
victims to this mode OF .'cornering." AIR.
Calhoun paid ten thousand dollars for q mine
chased vein Of ore which proved to be of inn.
mense value. The gold was imbedded in a
strata OF rocks. and there could be no decep-
ton practiced in such mines. Since that day,
ing the mines. The old boxes and log trougbs
have given place to the hydraulic process, and
all thelatest improvements in machinery have
been introduced.
was established just before the late Sar. main.
~ by enterprising New Englandess.
IN length; which cost some forty Thousand dol
The canal has ills sonrcs in he blue R,tas da
and is carried on the side Of The mountain.
With it's ihrsnches which spread out on 'tbs
ridges, thousands Of acres ofylAnd can be irri
gated and washed. Deposits md veins. of.
Aola extend % the entire length df the canaf
The Nieoochee Company own. and have nm.
der lease 8. 90 acres Of the best mining ground
in Georgia.
Il is surprising to see with what force the
water passes through the pipes, washing down
the hills almost as easily as II they were so
many banks OF SNOW. Few persons fully oom-
prehend the power and force Of water. Such
Il allowed TO fiow down the side OF the Hottest
mountain unobstructed by rocks, would in q
short time level it with the valley. friend OF
mine, who had charge Of one OF the agueducts,
came near being buried alive. An old tunnel.
which had been dug many years ago, was pene.
trated by water from The canal, which had
been gradually undermining the mountain for,
days. My friend heard an unusual roaring,
and saw the forest tress near him begin To-
loud eresh. Tho trees and ground were swal.
lowed in aD immense chasm; he bad just left
the spot that disappeared forever.
When and how the rich deposits and gold
ton between learned geologists who have
given much attention TO this interesting branch
o. science. DR.. ii. F. Stephenson, one of the
most experienced miners in the South, and
gentleman OF more than ordinary intelligence,
aggregated gold veins," writes:
"When the Yonah Mountain and Blue Ridge
for nine hundred miles were elevated the true
veins were found, which made the placers or
deposits ut Richlrdson's mine aud on the
near Deans Cabin. All OF which
veins are and will be found 10 traverse or GROSS
the ttrata, proving that they were made after
the stratified rocks were hardened, and by
their upheayal we're fissured, and those fs-
which, upon coating, formed the fdssure veins,
some OF which have been formeds md those Mt
be formed whenever the COM
pany abandons the absurd theory cof Pro,
lessor Blake and adopt the only rational
one OF recent volcanic action; for It is an
axiom that massive gold is never found
in pc aggregated VEIN nor. smooth mug.
gets, Why? Because the Rold by segre-
cation. in silica becomes: ragged and rough,
when that from volanic yeip with oxidsof,Iron
cools off IN . matrlx. which leaves it smooth
as II water worn. These arc facts which dre
predicted on the immutable laws OF chemistry
and God. and cannot be .successfu ~ contra
dioted. The vein which fofned BY decompo-
elton the Richardson. mine -the McGhee mine
where the company are now finding largo nup.
kets-was formed when Yonah Mountain was
nlcsliy called true % or ssprs vein and .gGn Tuns
rom Riehardson's house to the 96an hill on
this is proved by the rayinesi which a1l. Yield
similar puggets when they CROSS this line Of
vein. and also by the volcanic rock which in.
trudes-all proves . assure to exist, and when
found, like the Loud mine, will provo TO I5e
worth millioDs, for aesurs veins always im-
proYe in size and qnality,p aasrs fcfi5 S1.tIl'a
There is more. gold in '.Nacoohee and It's
than. there, is in the vanlts Of
AL the banks in the United States. How, much
1t sill cost to remove IL from its present snug
depoHits remains to be seen.?h The expensei OF
mining, since the Introduction OF improved
machinery. 10 greatly reduced; with the use Of
canals md pipe5 ono man can do i ho work OF a