New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1880-08-22

the work IL carried on in the dayhght now D"'
II you insist on descending"
She scampered back to the path and resumed her
search for blackberries. We wound through trees
and scrubby underground, crossing large rusty
looking pipe, which leaked little.
sThat is the pipe in which the water is conveyed
10 the Mines our companion said. "This com
pany pays water rent to Colonel Hand OF about
SO day for the privilege of tapping his pipes ana
using a certain volume Of the water which he con-
veys to his own works across the hills Come TINS
way and we will see the beginning of the mining"
| We stood at the head of deep, washed-out-look-
ing gorge. and at feet jet Of water sprang from
the opening in the pipe and fell upon the rocky soi
| below, washing muddy stream into long narrow
| wooden trough which wound out of sight On the
| other side of the ravine another spout of water
| sprang FORTH and made another slender, vehement
| little waterfall. Below US in the hollow, man
| stood at the end of what looked like an enormous
garden hose. whose spout he directed first In one
| way and then in another, man waters
lawn or a pavement only his rubber tube was
enormous and the jet of water washed ont each
point of earth it was directed upon, and 1.-The man
could not turn it with his hands alone, but moved
| Ii Ivy means of rough wooden wheel and crank.
| little further man stood with smaller rubber
tube, and fastened the owhowing mud in its
race through the long wooden troughs toward the
factory.
WASHING OUT THE GOLD.
We climbed down rather steep incline and saw
a bdrn-like, wooden building at the back of which
| the muddy stream entered through the trough
| We walked around to the front and entered
| The superintendent. or foreman. stood near the
| door and made us welcome Around the two sides
| of the bull ding and at the entrance was wooden
| PLATFORM upon which we stood. In front OF us
across square opening in the floor. were iron
tubes working up and down, ard in front of them.
| toward u.s. two large wooden boxes like troughs in
a stable. In these boxes were the mud and ore;
water from the tubes washing it out and 1t
| passed toward us over large squares of wood or
metal which had sIlvery look. The superinten-
! dent explained that these squares or plates were
| covered, by the use of an electric battery, Win
| quicksilver; as the mud washed over them the
ouicksilyer attracted and retained the particles of
| gold and that might escape. ne showed US
that in the open space beneath. in the wooden
trough through which the muddy stream rushed
| ont after passing the sheets of quicksilver,
there were pockets. followed places. INTO when
the stray particles of gold fell by reason of their
| weight while the water carried of the worthless
mud.
But | don't think that looks like gold a Bit
our pretty maid said complaininsIy. How do you
get the gold away from the quicksilver. then y
ave clean up on Saturday, the superintcn-
dent said, and then burn the quicksilver and
the gold remains"
Allow much ?" she asked
From two hundred and fifty TO three hundred
pennyweights a week, on an average he said.
A hundred pennyweights will equal about
ninety dollars worth of gold the Dominic said
leading Us "A little 10 the great iron tn bes,
which his sister said like organ only that
| ,Lo dary and worked n and down. Be
| hind them stood two burly negroes their trousers
| rolled M their bare feet and ankles in the moist
| ore throwing il. or feeding il, as we said INTO the
| troughs Heaps of the muddy ore lay 10 the right
and left 1t was all dismal enough and the whir of
wheels and leather bands above reminded one OF
a factory We drew back, and after asking few
| more questions. went ont.
This mine employs six men by day, two by night.
and a superintendent; with wages at from 80 cent?
10 81 day. the superintendent being 81 or S3 a
day; with So n day for water power, and the addi-
tiona expenses of wood and tear and original
cost Ct the land thought we figured cut that a
gold mine was not all that fancy painted it
| Wherever you see a certain black sand. the
miners told me- there is gold; whether in sufficient
quantities to pay for working or not. Is different
! onesiion Nobody is excited-at least none of the
natives so far rs saw-by the evidences OF gold on
their lands. We uod upon these golden sands
with supreme Indifference. The independent char
acter of those horn upon this soil is startling. a
hand i'll mine works just so long rs he feels IN
clined. AMI no longer. If lac is offended he leaves
| Instantly What is 80 cents day 70 hint If
there is a piece of bacon and peek Of meal at
home he is content: If there is not, work can be
| had elsewhere : ana if Winner is coming on and
| times are hard. he can always leave tn Old woman
an the chidrun to shift for themselves, and tramp
away to Gainesville or Atlanta, and pick up liy-
| ing in some fashion.
| HARD STRIFE WITH IGNORANCE
| III country where the churches are closed for
months together because siXtyrour out OF seventy
panes of glass are gone the floor is broaen, and the
Winter weather cold; where year after year a
single Methodist preacher is left alone to struggle
with the powers of darkness and to preach 10 the
country people whom he can assemble at of the
| four churches in his charge, one Sunday here
| and next Sunday fourteen miles away: in region
where il is raEe TO find a white man or woman who
| can read and where the Ten Commandments and
| the Lords Prayer are not known, save by q vey
| few il is not strange that immortality and wee
| flourish.
! One or two Northern people who have come to
this country to look after their interests in mining
property CT for the sake of the climate "a superb
| one y have taken enough interest in the people
| about them TO assist recently in Sunday school
work and in fostering reading club the'Dominie,
| who has been sent to this region this year has
buckled to his hard work like man, and is teach
ing old and lyoung TO read and spell that he may
east out the power of ignorance and let in g!im-
merng of light upon the souls he undergocs
| hardships to save; and beyond all the saddcnins
| LESSONS OF human nature, and the WEAKNESS OF
labor the eye OF the visitors to this old mining town
meets with one large rcwari-the glory OF sunsets
that flush and fade over the blue dimpling noun
1 h. nth nd Vnr1urp n the everlasting
| hills Sweet airs. cool from mountain submits.
| mass M by and" At least you have thisr l cry,
turning from the glowing west. and looking at our
| rrnnohor. and then [ nv franticallY ACROSS the