Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1876-06-21
4 visit 10 the Gold Region.

On Monday laat, in company with several other
gentlemen We made n trip To Worcester, in order
to learn about the gold cxcilcnent that has pre-
vailed TO quite an extent In that vicinity. for
some time past The operations are being prose-
cuted on what is known as Minister Brook,
under the direction and supervision Of Mr. !. l.
Hall, an experienced old miner, who IL the gem
tleman that discovered and opened the Lisbon
\. ". mines sc present, the efforts are con-
fined To surface mining, that Il, washing surface
dirt and M attempt at quartz mining has been
made as yet Undoubtedly there are quartz
lodges back in the mountains, for all gold exists
primarily in quartz, and II found in any other
state such as dust or minute particles, has been
washed irom H. native ledge by the forces Of
denudation or hy the constant friction Of run
ming water
Il Is supposed that the whole bed of tie stream
above alluded To, and both banks Tor some dis.
lance from the water contain deposits Of gold
which have been washed down the brook aud
settled in the black sand which !. the principal
feature Of the soil in this immediate vicinity
Considerable time has been expended, first and
last by different parties in Worcester In prospect
ing aud banning out the precious metal bui
the present interest was The result of the nvcsti.
cations VI Mr. L. J.. Hall, whose name We mem
toned above This gentleman spent the ma Jon
part of last SUMMER in prospecting through Nj.
region-sometmcs In company with men whom
| he employed 20 assist him, aud sometimes alone
The results were highly satisfactory, MI Hal
having accumulated some six or eight hundred
dollars worth Of gold, which, during the winter
] d. 4 t.,t Ia. L.
| q Co., at Peabody station, ON the Montpelier 4
| Wells River railroad.
The neutrality-suspicious. of the present enterprise
were Mr. H. J.. Peabody Mr.. Frank Wooster and
Mr. Hall These gentleman formed a partner
ship under the title II the Worcester Gold Mimi.
Company They leased nine farms, one Of whcl
they bought, and one Of which they leased fo
eighteen months. and the remainder they lease,
for ten years This land extends on both sides o.
The brook for about four miles back 10 The noun
tiins The three partners sold out half u the
interests TO J L. Darling, Of Groton, II. T. FOL
som, Of l.yndonyile, Superintendent Of the Pas
sumpsio railroad, and W II Stowell. Of Mont
nelier. These gentlemen formed a stock com
pany, under the laws Of Vermont, aud under th,
name Of the Placer Gold Mining Company, (pipcc
being Spanish for su,Jdccj Of Worcester Vermont
The real estate Of the old Worcester Compan,
was transferred 10 the new Placer Company, an'
operations commenced, and the necessary nipple
menis and utensils procured
The riaie-troughs were put in last fall, an'
also a hume. from which sluices conduct IN
water to the troughs A trench was dug abon
half mile in length, to turn the course Of IN
brook and expose the bottom To the search II IN
miners.
ON the day Of our visit the rains desccndc
and the floods came" and operations were su'
pended, except Tor about two hours in the morn
ing For the purpose, however, Of exhibiting tn
wealth Of the deposit, some dirt was removed fror
under one end Of one Of the riiie-troughs, perlaI
two or three quarts in all, which Mr.. Hall imm'
diately washed, and which "puuiei out to III
extent Of about 1--WE dollars A shovel full of dir
taken at random from the bottom Of the brool
showed several small pieces perhaps worth tNeI
ty.fye cents very large percentage Of tn
gold in the black sand Is invisible 10 the make
eye, and can only be preserved by the use Of me
curry, which forms an amalgam with the gold. n
mercury has been used az yet, but when operi
tons begin in earnest, a. they will directly, c'
teusye use Of mercury will be made
On our return from Worcester the members
the company met at the Pavilion hotel to organii
the company and elect officers The company WI
= formed with a capital stock Of twenty-five thol
sand dollars, divided into one thousand shares
! twenty-five dollars each.
The officers elected were as follows Presdcn
J D. r. Darling, Groton Secretary and Treasure
E C. X Chadwick, Peabody Station. Directors,
H. Darling, Groton f. J.. Hall Worcester II.
Folsom, lyndonyille Francis Wooster, Mars
field; W. 4. Stowell, Montpelier; L. L. Peabod
Peabody station; Iioratio rempleton, Worcest'
Mr.. T. l.. Hall was appointed Superintendent, al
work ordered to be prosecuted Immediately.
/. In addition to this company, another enterpri
il on foot under the superintendent Of Mr.. l.
, Nicholas, OF Montpelier and Mr.. II. H. Da
OF New York. There is some misunderstanding
q between the two companies, but, without doubt,
i will be amicably settled and a satisfactory und'
standing arryedat