The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1869-09-08
NACO0CHEE AHD ITS SURROUND
INGS.
NAcoocHEE VALLEY, GA, August, 1869.
TO THE EDITOR OF THE NEWS.


TO THE EDITOR OF THE NEWS.
The discovery OF gold here in 1928 was an
epoch in the history Of this quiet mountain
people.
Those who owned q few forty acre lois
dreamed Of golden fortunes, many Of which
were never realized. The excitement was
greatly increased by the discovery OF lump
of gold in neighboring State weighing twen-
ty-eight pounds. 1t is not an uncommon oc-
currence here to find pieces weighing from one
to three pounds.
People iocked to this new El Dorado from
all sections Of the country. Even the great
Calhoun did not escape the prevailing epidem-
ic Your correspondent, then small boy,
knew every by-path through the mountains;
to him was assigned the honor OF plotting the
Carolina etstesman to Yonah, the mines, and
other places Of interest. 1t was the year tne
s,abominable" Tariff act was passed, and about
the time Mr.. Calhoun resigned his position
as Vi:e- President under the hero OF New Or
leans.
MT. Calhoun was at Naceochee when the
news was received that South Carolina had
s;nullfed." shall never forget how much he
was excited he would walk the floor for
hours in the deepest meditation. frequently
passing his long fingers nervousy through his
hair, which stood almost erect on his head.
The great mind Of Calhoun penetrated the fu-
tureNhe saw that the political events which
were then Transporting, North and South. would
result either in dissolution OF the Federal
Union, or desolating civil war. Mr. Calhoun
seemed to dread the one as much as the other.
While he regarded many acts Of Congress az
odious, unjust and oppressive to the South,
vet he was not at that time in favor OF dlsso-
linton of the UnioD-he stood firmly upon the
constitution handed down 10 us by our fore
fathers.
The political fever. however, had not taken
so entire possession Of the great Carolina
statesman as that he should escape the gold
mania; he had studied political economy
enough 10 know that gold was the only true
representative of all values, and the great lev
eller of distinctions.
It was the custom Of the miners and specula-
tors who had deposits" or ''veins" for sale to
prepare then for "tsstlng." My father warned
Mr. Calhoun against the sleight OF hand prac-
ticed by many of these Wall street adventur-
ere: but thu man who was woDdrously wise IN
politics and books needed not the advice, and
was child in the clutches OF the rude miners.
To be certain that there was no deception,
Mr. Calhoun would select piece OF ground
untouched by the spade, stand by and see the
small trees removed, then the earth, until the
gravel aud slate were reached, which was
washed before our eyes. II, unluckily, they
did not succeed in finding gold, not few were
unscrupulous enough to have it concealed
about their persons, which was by the sleight OF
hand transferred into the pan. This was what
was called "saltipg," and there were not few
victims TO this mode OF "cornerlng." Mr.
Calhoun paid ten thousand dollars for a mine
not worth as many hundred; he, however, pur-
chased vein of ore which proved to be OF i'm
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,
there have been great improvements 10 work
ing the mines. The old boxes and log trougbs
have given place to the hydraulic process, and
all the latest improvements in machinery have
been introduced.
The Nacoochce Hydraulic Mining Company
was established just before the late var, main
" BY enterprising New EDglanders.
The water is carried in q canal twelve miles
in length, which cost some forty thousand dol
lars. -
4 The canal has its source in the Blue Ridge,
and is carried on the side OF the mountain.
With it's branches which spread out on the
ridges, thousands Of acres OF land can bs iid
gated and washed. Deposits and veins OF
gold extend the entire length OF the canal and
its branches. t-.f....f ;-..,7-t.-. Il -.T.5
The Nacoochee Compsoy own and have un:
der lease 500 acres Of the best mining ground
in Georgia.
water passes through the pipes, washing down
the bills almost as easily as II they were 30
many banks OF snow. Few persons fully COM
y,fehend the power and force OF water. Such
streams as pass through the Nacoochee Canal.
il allowed TO flow down the side OF the loftlest
mountain unobstructed by rocks, would 10
short time level it with the valley. friend OF
mine, who had charge OF one OF the aqueducts,
came near being buried alive. An old tunnel,
which had been dug many years ago, was peue.
trated By water from the canal. which had
been gradually undermining the mountain for
days, Nv friend heard an unusual roaring,
and saw the forest trees near him begin 10
shake and the earth to culver; then followed
loud crash. The trees and ground were swai-
lowed in an immense chasm; he bad just left
the spot that disappeared forever.
When and how the rich deposits and gold
bearing rocks we're formed is mooted ques-
ton between learned geologists who nave
given much attention to this interesting branch
OF science. DR.. M. F. Stephenson, one OF the
most experienced miners in the South, and
gentleman Of more than ordinary intelligence,
in a recent communication upon the subject OF
aggregated gold veins," writes:
s'When the Yonah Mountain and Blue Ridge
for nine hundred miles were elevated the true
veins we're found, which made the placers or
deposits at .Rich2 2rdsons mIne and on the
mountain near Deans Cabin. All OF which
veins are and will be found 10 traverse or cross
LQe StIdCd, pIOfiuk bud' euCy "S40 .Aeeo s-AsSA
the stratifed rocks were hardened, and by
their upheaval we're fssured, and those MS
sures we're flled with silica, gold, iion, &C.,
which, upon coating, formed the hssnre veins,
some OF which have been formed, and those at
Nacoochee will be formed whenever the COM
pany aban6ous the absurd theory OF Pro-
lessor Blake and adopt the only rational
one of recent volcanic action; for 1t is an
axiom that massive gold is never found
in segregated vein nor smooth mug
gets. Why? Because the gold by segre-
eatlop in eiiica becomes ragged and rough,
when that from volanic vein with oxide OF iron
cools of in matrix. which leaves it smooth
as if water worn. These are facts which are
predicted on the immutab!e laws Of chemistry
and God and cannot be successful ~ contra
dicted. The vein which formed by decompo-
sition the Richardson mine-tte McGhee mine
where the company are now finding large mug
gets-was formed when Yonah Mountain was
upheaved. and is cross vein, or wbet -is tech
nically called true or issure vein, and runs
from Richardson's house to the Dean bill on
the McGhee lot. in mort westerly direction;
this is proved by the ravines, which all yield
similar nuggets when they Cross this line OF
vein, and also by the volcanic rock winch ln-
trudes-all proves fssure to exist and when
found, like the Loud mine, will prove to be
worth millions, for fissure veins always i'm
prove in size and quality"
There is more gold IN s'Nacochee and its
SURROUNDINGS than there is in the vaults OF
all the banks in the United States. How much
it will cost to remove il from its present snug
deposits remains to be seen. The expense OF