New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1880-06-05
GOLD MINING IN GEORGIA.

yvrsr THE STAMPEDE TO CALIFoRNIA-PREs- |
Esr DEVELOPMENT OF THE wINEa
The recent discovery of gol in the Naeoo-
kbee Valley, Georgia, has served 10 call public
attention once more to the Oldest go'd field IN
the United States. Mr.. Scion Robinson, in
comprehensive letter, relates the interesting
history of the first discovery OF gold on the
Indian lands in Georgia, the intrusion OF the
rold-hunting whites, and the subsequent min
ing operations. The list of mines and mills
ut present IN operation, shows how large q
mining interest has been redevelOped in Geor-
eia during the last fifteen years.
THE DAHLONEGA GOLD FIELD.
A GEORGIA SLAVE PICKS UP NUGGET, AND THIS
LEADS TO rHe DISCOVERY or GOLD FIELDS
WHICH WERE KNOWN TO THE INDIANs-PAsT
AND PRESENT OF THE MINEs--sUCoEssFUL USE
or THE HYDRAULIC METHOD OF MINING.
fysox AN OCCASIONAL CORRESPONDENT OF THE TRTsUNEl
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. May 1.-THE TRIBUNE has
lately published accounts of rich findings OF gold IN
the Nacoochee Valley. White County, Georgia.
How many of The TRIBUNE readers of the present
day are aware that that is the locality OF the hrst
discovery of gold in the United States, at least IN
any appreciable quantity sufficient to tempt men
to become gold-mnersI In October, 1928, a negro
slave owned. IN Rutherford County, North Carolina
discovered in the sands of Bear Creek, IN White
Countv. Georgia some grains of gold, but 30 1ine
that no attention was given TO them until the same
negro having slipped away from hisregular Work ior
nm hour found in the NaoOOchee River SANDS anugget
worth several thousand dollars The started gold
hunting Juror An old tradition existed among the
frontier settlers Of the Cherokee Country, which
covered about One-thrd of Georgia and part OF the
adjoining mountain district of Western North caro-
lima that there was gold there, and that the Indians
knew where. for they had sometimes used IL Ior
bullets but were prohibited -, Indian laws and q
death penalty from discovering tho uuch oV'o'o"
metal to the white men.
The United States Government was fairly
forced to remove the Indians OF National
expense for the benefit Of Georgia, which
seized upon the whole Cherokee Country and d.
yded it ND by lottery in 1888, among all the free
white male population Of the State 1.-THE mineral
lands in forty-acre lots, and farming lands III
16O-acre lots. AS it was impossible to tell at that
time what part of the territory contained gold IL
was an arbitrary division upon guess work. Many
of the tracts sold as gold lots By men who drew
prizes in that lottery, and which are even NO"
sometimes sold to strangers in other States, never
showed color. On the other hand gold IS often
found upon farming lands ia several counties where
IA was not at first supposed it would be found
Upon the lots mos AZ and 91l where the hrst dis
coyeries of gold were made in 1923. It has been
found probably every year since the trst as IL has
also upon several other lots in the Nacoochee VAL
lev, and often in just such accidental finds as the
last one published.
White County has been one of the noted mining
reUjons of Georgia for more than fifty years. The
work has been done mostly upon limited scale by
citizens of small means and only with the rudest
kind of machinery. Lately, work has been prose-
cuted in better order by men who understand the
business of mining and reducing quartz rock In
GOOD stamp mills. Q The noted Louderviile mines
and mills are in the southwesterly portion OF Whte
County Many of the mineral cabinets OF this and
other countries have specimens from these mines,
which acquired an early reputation from the curious
appearance OF the nuggets, which looked as though
coarse grains of white quartz had been set In the
melted gold and there fastened when the mass
cooled, often making very beautiful as wen as
curious appearance. Once at least counterfeit mug
gets of this appearance were made by pouring
melted brass upon granulated quartz and these
were sold to persons in DahlOnega as true Louder
vile nuggets by negroes at time when 1t was
penal offence TO buy gold OF slaves
GOLD FOUND on THE CHEsTATEE RIVER.
The next great find of gold after the NacOochee
Valley discovery, was on the Chestaee River, at q
place that soon became famous as Leathers toTd,"
about fifteen miles northwest of Gainesville Ga.
town now on the Piedmont Airline Railroad, fifty
Chestatee was the of the historical -" intru-
sion into the Cherokee Country in 1S29'3Oto pre-
vent which United States troops were sent there
They prevented it just as the troops did the 'Dtru
aon into the Black Hills three or four years shce
that Is. they drew attention 10 the subject, and
brought in ten god-hunters for every one they Kept
out.
II very soon became known that gold was lying
around loose over all the district now known as the
Dahlorega gold field that nuggets could be picked
No from the surface on many hills, and both coarse
and fine gold obtained from the sands OF every
stream, Many finds were reported of nuggets In
pockets of quartz lodges just like those lately found
in Nacoochee Valley. The newspapers were billed
with gold stories and accounts OF fights between
the troops and miners. while trying to keep the
miners back Another " intrusion wes made from
Tennessee and North Carolina and then war COM
mepced between the invaders. branch OF the
Ftowah River, about ten miles from the " Leathers
Pordn skifmish line. 10 still known as battie
Creek 10 consequence Of the severe nights De-
tween the Tennessee and Georgia intfuders, whom
the troops failed to keep out of the Territory This
pht and that ct Leater's Ford, between the troops
and iptrulers were the subjects of sensational re-
ports In the newspapers Of that time and served the
urpose we'll of creating gold fever. Miners camps
ware established at "KnuckleSville," now called
Auraria and at Dahlonega, which have probably
never been eQualled in California or Colorado.
This was the beginning 1920 of Georgia G*id
mining or rather gold finding, and from this all Of
the present immense mining interest of the United
States has grown mp. The success of many poor
men gave great impetus to ROld-hunting' from
one end of the Blue Ridge to the other. Tie public
generally, knows more about gold.minin9 in Norti
Carolina than in Georgia. branch nint was es
tablished at Charlottesville, N. O., and another
Dahlouega, at vast expense but without q cen
of uroft to the United States Treasury.