Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1881-11-21

The Yield of the GOId-BeartDg
Counties.
WASHINGTON, November 19-In his report
upon the production of gold and silver in the
United States, Mr.. Burchard, Director of the
United States mint, devotes a chapter to Geor-
gia. He says:
The auriferous area Of Georgia covers some
| thing more than one-tbird of the northern part
of the State. and stretches from South Carolina
| on the east to Alabama on the west; it is. geo.
| logically the extension of the area of North
and South Carolina. But only few points,
| comparatively, of this area have produced gold
| on working scale. The only parts now extern
| sively worked are in Lumpkin, Dawson and
| White counties, the first named being the most
| prolific. The occurrence of the gold is not very
| dissimilar to that of Western North Carolina.
Schists everywhere make up the country
| chloritic, micaceouS, taicoSe, and sometimes,
though rarely, hornblendic. They are usually
| decomposed to great depth, and easily broken
up, and when not decomposed they are soft
| enough to yield to the pick. The country is
extremely broken, and might properly be called
| mountainous; the valleys are usually deep,
/ and traversed by bold streams carrying an
abundance of water; the hills are SO connected
water by cheaply m de ditches and very little
| fiuming is needed.
The gold appears to occur In seams of
| quartz which traverse the strata In great
VARYING in thickness from u inch to inches,
rarely more. There are zones of strata which
are particularly abundant in these seams, with
a width varying from 10 to 400 feet The min
ing is chiefly carried on in these zones, as out
eide of them the seams are so few as to make
/ the ore of too low grade to be of economic i'm
| portance. These belts run across the country
with the strata In a general northeast and
| southwest direction that is, at points long dis
tances apart, and in the general alignment of
the strata bodies OF ore are found OF the same
| general character.
The auriferous territory of this State was
| largely obtained from the Indians by treaty
| some forty-fve years ago, and the mineral por-
| tion was divided for the most part into lots of
40 acres with lines running north and south,
east and west. This method Of division has
| greatly facilitated work In many respects.
Gold was discovered in Georgia at about the
same time as in the CarollnaS-viz, in 1881.
| For twenty years the ravines, and particularly
| the streams, where nature had concentrated
| the gold in the course OF ages, gave opportuhi-
| ties for the most profitable work. The exhaus-
| tion Of this readily worked ground led TO
| attempts to work the veins. The richer parts
| of them allowed profitable work little while
longer. but mining in Georgia was FOR many
| years relatively unprosperous.
Before the late war the necessity for larger
| supplies of water for the treatment of the min
eral bodies had become so evident that ditch
companies were organized for this purpose
The disastrous industrial effect of that strug-
gle was so great that the benefits of these sup
plies were not properly utilized till quite
recently.
During the last five years gold mining has
been placed on f1rmer basis for the posses
sion of bodies of ore whose locality, extent and
richness were easily ascertained, together with
sure supply OF water, removed the subject to
great extent from the region Of probability
and made it more of certainty
The most efficient methods of treatment have
been pretty well settled, VARYING at different
points only as the different circumstances com
pei a change, and usually only in minor par
ticulars.
The skiIlfuI and energetic efforts of few
men prominent in mining matters in this sec
tion have determined the conditions of sue-
cessful work Apparently the efforts of the
future will be directed to the perfecting of the
details, so as to secure such an extraction of
the precious contents as is coslstent with the
least cost.
The ore is of very low grade. could not
learn that any effort has been made to ascer-
tain exactly the average value of the ores, but
from comparison OF all the information at
tainabe am incli6ed to put it at not more
than 81 25 to 81 SO per ton although in every
mine chimneys may be met at any time which
will oftentimes go far higher than this
The Pigeon Roost and the Findiey are the
two great mines Of this Section and at both
the production has been large. The former in
partlcular ls especially well opened, and pro
vided with the best appliances to secure econo-
my and efficiency. 1t is operated by turbine,
so that the cost of motive is extremely small
1t is situated on the Pigeon Roost or Sand
Belt, which is regarded generally as the richest
of this section. The mine is unusually well
opened. The yield in 1879 was S35, ,0OO The
returns for 1880 had not yet been received
me that these figures were3 fully maintained,
The Findley mine is also well opened and pro-
vided with ample mining ground to supply its
large mills, of which it has tWo, provided with
fifty stamps in all. It's production is but little
behind that OF Pigeon Roost but no statement
could be furnished. OF the other smaller com
panies about one-half are in condition for ef-
fective work, notably the Cleveland, the High
tour he and -,
the Bart Others have just commenced work.
and nothing certain can be said respecting
them. A very few are confessed failuI es, but
there is a less proportion Of this class than in
other sections.
In Dawson county a fe W mines are now open-
ing. but tho work Of production at present Is
confined to individual miners, who prosecute
their work at times OF leisure rather than as
an exclusive business, A similar statement
may be made regarding Hall and White coun-
ties.
been the most noted and one of the most pro-
life, but it Is, at present, as reported to me-
out of work and in litigation.
The Lumsden mine has, during the year.
yielded large number of large and interest
ing specimens Other mines are the Sprague
the Lewis, and the Reynolds.
The production of White county is estimated
to be about 900 per year. The production
of Dawson county is given by E. W. Hall, ESQ
of Dahlonega, at $4,000 per year AS he has
unusual facilities for information in such mat
ters, have taken his figures for my guide
The tendency in this State has been to form
too small companies; mill of ten stamps
will pay expenses if it is properly planned and
economically administered, but 1t will rarely
have much above this for profit for the cost
of operating a ten-stamp mill is much greater
propoFtionately than for one provided with
twenty stamps,
The prime necessity here is large establish
ment provided with the requisite facilities for
the treatment OF large bodies of ore.
Mining ground is held at moderate rates and
tne necessary machinery can be obtained at
very moderate figures. lean give one instance
works, buildings, and cost OF opening was less
than $4,000. - 'e'0
The future of Georgia mines seems to me to
De Well assured. and modest profits reasonably
certain. ] think that the production Of 1Ss0
WI. Oe fully maintained In 1881, it not some
what increased, The production of Georgia in
1880 has been varously estimated, and L take
up the matter with some hesitation Not one
third of the companies have alluded to have
made full or approximate returns OF their pro-
duction. 70 far as given it amounts to SIS, $50
m mot e9any & TIE y yd ,nor or the mines
my command, S37, 900: to this must be added
the production Of White and Dawson counties.
viz:
Lumpkin county reported and estima-
White county Cknownl. l................ 10000
White county (estimated) ............. 5000
Dawson county (estimated). ........... 10000
sl21, $50
The first two enumerated items and the last
would naturally seek an outlet in great part at
Gainesville, the nearest railroad and express
point; the express shipments from this point
from July 1st to Decem Der 31st. 1880, were
$4l.775. The express agent thought that one
eighth Of the production Of Lumpkin and Daw-
son counties found its way out by private
hands. This would indicate production for
these counties OF IS, 900 per month
Think the above calculation may not be far
from correct-rather under than in excess of
the entire amount produced.
The gold produced in White county finds an
exit at Mount Airy usually.
THE sABIEEF.
President Arthur's Cabinet is again under
discussion. 1t is only under discussion and
that discussion is by the outsiders alone
Nobody who knows anything about Pre- sident
Arthur's intentions opens his mouth On the
Cabinet question. And it would require hunt
with lantern to find one who does know what
President Arthur is going to do on any subject
and especially about his Cabinet. Ex-senator
Howe, would say, is booked for a Cabinet
place, also Chauncey /. Filley, of Missouri and
ex-senator FreliDghuysen. of New Jersey all of
them stalwartS Lincoln has a chance for
staying, but may go. He is the only member
of the present Cabinet who has any such
chance, and il is to be hoped that it is a very
slight one These are the only nominations
which thinka all advisable to give.publicity
at this time. This is simply because in them