The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1872-06-20
For tie anderson Lntelhgenccr.
Minerals of Upper South Carolina.
Gold and its associated rocks-Talcose, Clay and
Micd-slate.

Probably have already too frequently writ
ten upon this subject, that is, for some of our
readers, but in order to create inquiry in this
direction, it is the only means which can prop
erly be brought to bear upon the subject, and
which might, in the course of time, prove ben
efcial Our gold veins are indeed of striking
character; some we find comparatively ex-
hausted at a slight depth, others confined to
peculiar rock, and which generally disappear
when the miner passes beyond them; others
again acquire depth, and if economically man
aged they can be worked to advantage That
this metal formerly could not advantageously
be worked was owing entirely to the processes
in use. The processes now in vogue are capa-
BILE of saving the most minute particle of
metal
In order to prove that our gold veins, depos-'
its, etc., are indeed equal to any which have
been discovered under the same circumstances,
l would refer to those many learned mea who
have spent years in investigating the laws and
peculiar features of yeins (Vein Geognosy,)
and in whom we can safely put our confidence.
From my observations in the upper portion
of the State, have noticed las is the case ia
other rich countries, Australia and South Amer
ica,) that the gold is found chiefly in and
around and under the roots of old trees, see
Professor Gaetschmann in his Auf und Inter
suchung ron Lagerstastten-th valuable vol
ume contains the following: Large quantities
of native silver were formerly found under the
roots of trees, and even among the roots of
grasses in the SOIL" In the Pampa dc Naras
(Guyalgayoe) and lfmpampa, filaments of sill
yer, also Jumps. were found adherng to the
roots of grasses wherever the soil was removed
over an area of half square mile, (georg'r)
de Humboldt PdW, (zust, vol. iv. Also at Huet-
tenberg, in Bohemia, silver was found between
the roots of trees where the explorations COM
mcnced, The same thing was experienced at
the Glasshuette, in the Saxon Erzgr6eryc-
Bruuechmann JMgnalia, vol. j. In Australia,
gold was found in the stumps of old trees,
the same author tells us, (although this is
scarcely an instance to which we can now re-
fcr,) that the tin mines in the island of Banca
were discovered in the year ITO by burning
off the stumps to prepare the ground for a rice
field
There is no doubt but what time did exist
when some of our mines were proftably work
ed The Reed mine of North Carolina, which,
l believe, was discovered about the year 1899,
and which has been rendered famous, both in
Europe and America, on account of it's having
been the first gold mine ever worked in the
United States, and as well on account of the
nugget, 2S lbs in weight, which was found here,
and another lump of the astonishing weight
of 80 lbs. ayoirdrpois, and which was not gen.
erally known There is no doubt to the truth
of the account. 1 give the statement as fol.
lows: At the time when the mine was first
discovered, great excitement prevailed, and old
John Reid, Esq, a Hessian, (once in the SER
vice of the British ), was in the habit OF placing