Southern standard. (McMinnville, Tenn.) 1879-current, 1881-09-24
Golden Sands in Georgia.

The wonderful discovery of gold in
The beds of the rivers in Northern Geor-
gia is creating much excitement. Our
State Geologist says two companies are
now formed for mining in the beds of
these rivers. One company was organ
lied in Boston, with Livenus Hull as
President, F. A. Cushman, of Lebanon,
N. H., as Secretary, and M. G. Cush-
man, of Boston, Treasurer. The capital
is $4, 900, and the work will be done
by the boats of the International Vacuum
Dredging Boat Company. These boats
are now operating on the Pacific slope.
The mud from the bottoms of the rivers
is forced, by atmospheric pressure,
through pipes resting on the bed of the
river, on to the deck. About five tons
of mud and sand from the river beds
can be delivered on the deck in ten
minutes. The process is rapid, and o
large quantity of mud can be thus mined
in one day. The beds Of the Chestatee
and Chattahoochee Rivers are so rich in
gold that the very sands on the shore
yield the precious metal.
Many. small mountain streams cross
large veins of gold, and these streams,
flowing into the Chestatee and the Chat
tahooche, have washed this precious
freight from their sources for hundreds
of miles. The first boat is being built
near Dahlonega, and will begin work
the middle of September. Few Geor-
gians have dreamed of the enormous
riches buried in the gold fields of the
northern part of our State, and that in
so shallow q grave that our rivers now
resurrect them and literally roll over
golden sands. Large nuggets are founC
on the rock bed of the rivers, and in the
little dips and hollows that the waters
have made. The next two months vii
show results that will make the cry o.
gold-seekers not "Westward, ho!" bu
"Georgia, ho!' The dredging boat
cost from $4,000 to $4,000 each, ant
the company is having them built a
rapidly as possible to put on all the gold
bearing rivers. Over twenty miles o
, the river above mentioned has beel
leased from persons living on thei
banks ut 10 per cent. of the yield
These twenty miles will be an enormou
: mine, rs the river beds can be worke,
twelve or fourteen feet deep. TIL
dredging boat now in course of construC
, ton is calculated to take about 81, 90
! worth of bullion a day from the river
! bed.
Far up on the mountain sides, wher
these Pactolian streams burst from thei
golden couches, only a few years ag
4 grew the tangled brush and stunted OAK
but now the spirit of progress has seize
our ease-loving Southern farmers, an
d those same mountains are crowned wit
, luscious vineyards that will yield pei
) haps as much as the auriferous stream
e to their owners. One thousand acres o
: Taylor's Ridge, near Rome, is now bC
ing planted as vineyard, and the OWL
er said he made last year over S1,0
an acre off ground on these mountain
where nothing but the grapevine wi
: grow. This, ne SAYS, pays him bette
a than cotton fields or orange groves.
d Bacchus sits on the mountain SUNNI
e handing his inebriating cup to Midas |
u his feet, and the golden monarC
II plungeS into the rollicking mountai
stream, floating down on its wave
while the country looks and grasps IL
d his treasures Cor. ". T. SIN.
n <-sS