The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1877-1885, 1881-02-24
North Carolina Gold Mining.

well qualified to speak on the subject
tells the New York Sun something
about our mines in years gone by =
Il am gratited to learn that some oi
them are now doing well In Southern
mines and | am confident that there
are many localities In North Carolina
that can be worked with proht.
Gen. B. F. Butler was the pioneer OF
the Northern gold operators In North
Carolina. He selected as his agents
three officers of the United States
Army, one of whom as a West Pointer
ranked high, the second had been a
Ouarternaster, while the third, AFTER
much experience in onion raising III
Rhode Island, had gotten into the Com
missary Department. No one OF the
three had ever seen a gold mine or the
slightest knowledge of mining HE
late DIR. Aver Of Cherry PectoraI no
toriety, had invented a plan which was
TO conquer refractory ores and make
them yield up their gold. Gen. Butler
thought there was something In 1t. AS
soon as the war closed, his agents were
set to work. They selected a spot IN
Brackettown, Mcdowell county, n. T.,
and purchased twenty-five acres OF land,
which, like all other acres within many
miles, contained more or less gold. Ou
the principle that those who were 10
take out of the ground great riches
should live accordingly, they built three
houses, forty feet square, taohlonably
constructed, by way of showing the
world that the operation III which they
were engaged was net-to use lom
Benton's phrase-"a mere church
mouse affair" Ia this way a con-lder-
able portion ofthe $50, 900 intrusted to
them Was expended.
The Butler-Ayer plan required that
the ore, after having been heated,
should be tumbled into u medlcated
bath that would act with such powerful
emetic effect on the ores as to cause
them to throw of all their gold. After
the ores had been thus treated they
were to be ground up. The operators
found, however, that the quartz, was
greatly an oyermatch for their machine,
cutting their iron plates SO rapidly that
set was worn out in three hours Use.
What was to be done? Funds were
running low, and Gen. Butler was be
coming impatient to see some OF the
yellow metal from his own mine. Nee
essity is the mother OF invention.
Some Of the orc was puiverlzed, and
was carried down through a wooden
pipe, from a head thirty feet high, to
the bottom OF a wooden gum partly
filed with mercury. 1t was confidently
expected that the wet sand, rising
through the mercury, would rather
than bring up extra weight while
climbing, let its gold go. Unfortunate
ly, however, y hydrostatic pressure OF
thirty feet Of water forced the restless
mercury through the pore, ofthe wood
en- gum.
They had been lamenting this failure
for several days. when, happening to
pass that way, | suggested that a com
mon pot or kettle would at least be i'm
pervious to the mercury. Wondering
that this idea had not occurred t. them,
they at once availed themselves of the
hint. But they encountered second
difficulty, which proved fatal to the ex-
pertinent. The force Of the water, de
scendin. from such a height, caused
sand, gold, and mercury to guah put of
the pot together.
Gen Butler meanwhile Wa. becoming
more and moro ciamorcus for gold. In
their distress they thought Of all old
CHILEAN mill, the wreck OF which was
lying near by. y Mr. Smith, twenty
five years before, had operated with
this mill. Its cast-iron bed and heavy
wheels had lain there a quarter of a
century. attracting no more attention
than the Jumps of quartz lying around
It. The three superintends, By this
time thoroughly Disguised with new
tangled inventions, determined to re-
turn to time-hcnored principles. I'm
fortunately the iron bed in which the
wheels were to run appeared to be bro
ken in several places. \ Confederate
officer in the neighborhood, a good
chemist, was called in. He prepared a
cement with which he so far mended
the broken places as to enable them to
make use of the mill temporarily. 1t
was set running, and, greatly to the de
light of the superintendent, real gold
WAS obtained. Of course this was
prom oily sent North. The damaged
condition of the machine, however,
500 brought them to a stand still again.
The three superintendent were any
thing but willing to give up their new
houses and their salaries. What to
do?
There dwelt in that region a man
known as Jim Owens, of the class for
merly called free negroes. Like most
Of his kind in that region, he had long
been accustomed to mining operations,
and usually obtained his chewing tobac-
ca and clothes in that way. To HIM, in
their distress, the superintendents APP
Piled. A day or two later jim, with
nine assistants, reported himself, aud
at once began the operation known in
that region as ground ~sluicing." Ten
long-legged darkies were seen for several
days tossing the dirt into a ditch along
which a small stream ram. They had
several pennyweights eff gold al the
close IF the day. This re enforcement
encouraged the superintendent, but
the locality was unfavorable for ground
slulclng. and twenty-five cents worth of
gold would not pay the days hire of an
a~b!e-bodlcd laborer. The superinten-
dents surrendered Internationally and
left the premises.
ten. Butler, however, was too good
a soldier to lose a battle so long Us there
renamed a chance to VIII. To his
great satisfaction, II Stevens nux''
doomed up about this time. 4 rare
mineral called c~ryolitc was brought in
quantities from Greenland, and manu-
featured neal Pittsburgh 10 obtain the
soda it contained. The res:iuuun had
heretofore been thrown away, and lay
ON the ground in large piles. This ma
tcrlal, thus running to waste. WAS sud-
denly discovered to be the most wonder
full fux for gold ever known. Its eff
cacy seemed marvellous. 1t was in