Daily Los Angeles herald. [microfilm reel] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1876-1884, 1881-11-17
THE GEORGIA GOLD BELT.
A Revival Of Interest in the Mining Region
Around Dahlonega.

A Dahlonega letter in the Allan.
Ia Constitution says: Gold mining
in the Lumpkin region of the Geor-
gia gold belt ia now fixed and
permanent business, as much so as
cotton or iron manufacturing. For
many years mining was followed
simply for what was in sight, and
the rudest processes were used in
the cheapest fashion, and only
that quality of gold that was easy
to save, was gathered, so that a
large per cent. was lost. This has
deem proven by the many repeated
workings of the same ground.
After time the conclusion was
reached that these mines were CIV
ing out, and this impression get
ting out SO universally, prevented
many of speculative turn from
investing, but few miners, as in
all other countries, kept persist
emily on AZ work, striking new
mines, and finding gold in new
character of ore, to them, which
required new machinery and pro-
cesses to work with, and all this
has brought about the present state
of development and caused the
mines now being worked to attract
the notice of capital, and never in
the history of gold mining in
Georgia has there been such inter-
est taken as at the present, and
never better machinery used, or
more substantial improvements
made in any mining country than
on this gold belt.
1t is true that, owing to the na.
ture Of our mines and the simple,
practical manner of working them,
the large ana costly mills of the
west are not needed, but those in
use here are accepted as de ing their
work well and to suit exactly the
mines on which they are built.
The hydraulic process, or plan of
washing down the hills of slate
and quartz and flooding this ma
terial into the mill, for reduction,
through sluices, was at once 80
cheap and effective that it COM
pletely revolutionized gOld.mining
on this belt and brought in the
present era. The quartz and slate
are of a low grade in their yield per
ton, but are so uniform in this
yield, and 80 thoroughly permeate
the whole belt, 1t makes mining
profitable almost to known cer-
tsinty when managed as 1t should
be. One great difficulty here has
been the want of a quantity of wa
ter sufficient to supply the mines
now opened at an altitude that
would permit them to reach the
highesI point with water to
Use for flooding materi-
al to the mill. But one
large canal has been built so far,
and the dry season of this year has
forced new enterprises OF y similar
character to be started, aud soon
all the commanding streams on
this side of the Blue Ridge will be
run to the mines.
The report from the mills now
running In this immediate section
is that they are doing well. The
principal of these, the Barlow and
Hand, Findley Consolidated Com
papy and the Singleton, are good
mines and are we'll managed. Two
new and extensive purchases were
made recently for mining property
near Dahlonegn, on which inn
provements are being made and
mills will soon be erected for
crushing the ore. River mining is
attracting more attention from
practicaI men than heretofore and
new inventions and machinery are
being brought to bear to get up
the gold from the bottom of the
rivers. Several companies are al
ready formed for working in the
Chestatee and Etowab.