Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1881-09-29
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 81, 900, 900, and the work will be done
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
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. 20
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 a grave that our rivers now
resurrect them and literally roll over
golden sands. Large nuggets are found
on the rock bed of the rivers, and in the
little dips and hollows that the waters
have made. The next two months will
show results that will make the cry of
gold-seekers not ttWestward, ho!" but
"Georgia, hot" The dredging boats
cost from $4,000 to $4,000 each, and
the company is having them built as
rapidly as possible to put on all the gold
bearing rivers. Over twenty miles of
the river above mentioned has been
leased from persons living on their
banks at 10 per cent. of the yield.
These twenty miles will be an enormous
mine, as the river beds can be worked
twelve or fourteen feet deep. The
dredging boat now in course of construc-
ton is calculated to take about 81, 900
worth of bullion a day from the river.
bed. ',.t tt..st y f.H eE .s
Far up on the mountain sides, where
these Pactolian streams burst from their
golden couehes, only few years ago
grew the tangled brush and stunted oak 4
but now the spirit of progress has seized
our ease-loving Southern farmers, and
those same mountains are crowned with
luscious vineyards that will yield per-
haps as much as the auriferous streams
b their owners. One thousand acres on
Taylor's Ridge, near Rome, is now be-
ing planted as a vineyard, and the own
er said he made last year over 81 900
an acre off ground on these mountains
where nothing but the grapevine will
grow. This, he SAYS, pays him better
than cotton fields or orange groves. SO
Bacchus sits on the mountain summit,
handing his inebriating cup to Midas at
his feet, and the golden monarch
plunges into the rollicking mountain
stream, floating down on its waves,
while the country looks and grasps for
his treasures Cor. ~ Y. Sun.