The Saline County journal. [volume] (Salina, Kan.) 1871-1893, 1876-10-19
Gold IL America-Its First Discovery by the
Prehistoric Indians

In q recent speech delivered in the
House of Representatives.. r. B. Vance,
r.ember of Congress from North Caro-
lima, said that the first discovery of gold
in the United States was made in Neck
lenburg, in that State, in 1920. A cor
respondent of North Carolina newspa-
per corrects this statement, saying that
the first gold was found in Cabarrus in
1899, and refers to Wheeler's "History
of North Carolina" for evidence.
Old chroniclers give an account OF
province called Cofachiqui, which was
visited by DeSoto's gold-hunting expe-
dition in 153S.40, and which was en-
braced in what afterward became the
States of Florida, Georgia, Alabama, and
Mississippi, and, according to Logan, in
his history of Clipper Carolina" bad its
center On the western limits of South
Carolina. Its capital and chief town
stood upon the tongue of land between
tho Broad River OF Georgia and the Sa-
vannah, just opposite the modern dis
trict Of Abbcville. The Spaniards en-
tered this capital after two months
march, and found the country ruled by
beautiful Indian queen, Adalla, who
entertained the Spanish governor and
army with much ceremony. Here they
found hatchets formed from an alloy of
gold and copper. By this their cupidity
was greatly excited, and they concluded
that they had found country abound
ing in the long coveted precious depos-
its OF gold. And so indeed they had,
says Logan (whom we quote freely, but
it was neither their good fortune nor
their desert to find out the precise spot
where gold could be obtained. In less
than fifteen miles southeast of the town,
on the opposite or Carolina side Of the
river, lay one of the most extraordinary
gold deposits IN the world. The Chero-
KEGS were well acquainted with the
Dorm mine. This is shown by the nu-
merous relics of their handiwork scat
tered around it, and there can be little
doubt that the massive nuggets OF It's
outcropping gold supplied them abund-
antly with the finer mental Of the alloy
that so attracted the eyes Of the Spain
iards. 1t is no less known, to few
who have inquired into the traditions of
the aborigins, that the gold and copper,
found in their possession, in the form OF
solid masses or curious trinkets, by the
first white man who visited the country,
were obtained from these sources.
The Indian method of smelling these
metals was one of the most remarkable
devices of savage ingenuity in practical
efficiency tho famous blowpipc OF Dr.
Hare was scarcely superior. Logan
tells Us that, having followed out Hat
stone in the form of basin, they filled
it with charcoal, and upon this laid the
nuggets of metal. A number OF Indians
now seated themselves in a circle around
the basin, each one having in his hand
a long reed pierced through its entire
length and armed at one end with a
clay tube or pipe. Everything being
ready, fire was applied to the charcoal,
and the whole mass instantly blown in
10 powerful heat through the reeds,
the clay extremetics Of which were IN
serted in the basin, while the Indians
blew through them upon the charcol
with all their might, and with protract-
ed expiration. No ordinary lump of
gold or copper could long maintain IFS
solidity in such q crucibc. With this
process the Indians could easily produce
any variety of ornaments from those
metals, using them either alone or in
alloy. This method was known 10 have
been in use among the Indians who
lived upon the gold-producing lands of
North Carolina, and the process must
have been known to tho Cherokees.
These chronicles and traditions go to
confirm what Lawson says, that the In
dams, from time immemorial, were &C.
quainted with valuable mines Of gold
'and silver in Upper Carolina.-Colum-
bia rs. CD Register.