The Sweetwater enterprise. (Sweetwater, Tenn.) 1869-187?, 1871-08-10
Communicated,
CoKER CREEk Coin MINIS, !
August 9TH, 1871.

COKER CREEK GoLD MINES,
August 9Th, 1871.
Editor OF the Enterprises:
S~IR;-Believing II line from this point
at this tune would be read with much in
terest BY your many readers, 1 viii write
this, and promise to keep You well post
ed each week duringthe Summer. Gen.
j. G, Vaughn, Of your town, is among
us, and is giving new life to this region,
The ring Of the shovel and pick can be
heard nee more, 1t brings back olden
times to memory-when hundreds of
hands were mining here. We have
plenty of gold here, and mines that will
pay. All that is lacking is the strong
arm Of willing men to work the sur
face and deposit mines. Then we need
men Of capital to open up the veins, of
which two or have been discovered.
| saw yesterday some fine specimens
that Gen. Vaughn and others had found
in or near one OF the veins. Capital is
needed. There are several quartz leads
that would pay if mills were brought
here to crush and pound the rock. Mr..
Queen, from Colorado and Nevada mines,
is here, and is well pleased with the
veins, and will go to work. Also, Mr..
Cooper, from the Western mines, is here
prospecting, and proposes to commence
work soon on one Of more of the quartz
leads. He proposes to bring ont
machinery to crush the quartz. He
leaves to-day to secure some leases, and
l would urge all those who have lands in
this section to be liberal, and give to
any miner or company at least a-half i'll
terost in any rich mine that they may
open, and from what l know of the land
owners, they will. Among the land
owners are Col. John b. Upton, Saml
NJ, johnson, Joseph Johnson, Col. j. b.
Cook, Sehorns and Keiths. The heirs
of McDcrmott, Vim. Cook, Joel X.
Brown, Doughorty, S. S. Glenn, A. v.
Brown, Whitmoro, Frank Lee, I. H.
Galloway, james Brown and others.
One great drawback against mining
here since the war, has been the want of
tools, provisions and other supplies for
miners. But that is not the case now,
your worthy townsman, John Renfro,
has established himself at Fry's store,
with a nice supply of provisions, tools
and everything else a miner or farmer
needs, and l see he is selling everything
at railroad prices, freight added.
Excuse the length of this letter for
could find news to write much longer.
[ will give you n snake story, the cor
rectness of which l will vouch for.
Marion Tate and others, killed ffty-twc
Rattlesnakes around one den afow miles
from here and stopped upnotelli lghow
many more. Some thirty old skins were
laying around the mouth OF tho den
One more item. On yesterday on one
Of the spurs Of the Unikoy mountain
(Unika in Indian, means white man,
one Of the young Tates shot at a very
large Bear, two were together, they whip
ped his dog and made their escape. Or
this mountain tie hunter aud sports
man cal find Il field for much sport, ant
the finest mountain water and air to b.
found. So instead of going to some
Springs and spending your money, &c
up a company and bring out your pro
visions and some tools, aud hunt game
and gold. l understand you have al
interest in some good property here
and hope that you will put your should
er to the wheel and do all you can de
velop the rich mineral wealth imbeddet
in the land that you own in this sec
ton. Yours, &c,
East TENNESSEE.