Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1883-11-03
GEORGIA GOLD.
London Capitalists About Investing
in the NagOochee Fields-A
Machine Secured for Sep
arating
Gold From QuarIE that is I'm
pregaated With SulPhurets-
An Imp0rtsnt Scientific
Discovery.
sn.cial 10 lhn onmmerclnl GareLte.

COLUMBUS, o., October 30-On the
Bee>line yesterday | encountered Mr.,
NJ. G. Wilcox, Of Mt. Airy, Ga. MIR,
Wilcox is an 0hioan, his parents and
relatives still residing on the Western
Reserve. He enlisted in the regular
army at the outbreak OF the war, but
was afterwards transferred to the vol
unteers in an official capacity. The
war over, he joined a Yale Scientific
Expedition, and began an exploration
of the hills of North and South Caro-
| lima and Georgia. Bradley, the leader
Of this party, was shot and killed in
North Carolina several years ago, be
ing mistaken, | believe, for a revenue
officer after moonshiners. For ten
years Mr.. Wilcox has been devoting
his entire attention to the gold fields
of Georgia. He was returning from
New York, where, as Secretary of a
mining corporation, the papers were
completed by which party OF London
capitalists will place some 100000 at
the disposal OF his corporation for
mining operations. | asked him to
locate and describe the field Of opera
tions. Said he,
1.-THE gold field is in Lumpkin and
White counties. 1t is about two
hundred and fifty miles in length and
twenty five miles in width. Nagoo-
chez is the head center OF our opera
tions. 1t is twenty-five miles across
the country from Mount Airy. The
gold presents itself 10 all phases In
some localities there is fine gold, in
other localities the beautiful flower
gold, in others coarse gold and in still
others we find nuggets. The tract
was originally held by Indians. .Itis
probably the I'll Dorado in whose
quest the great De Soto died. The
United States government drove of
the Indians and turned the land
over to the State. Then the State got
up lottery and the land was par
celed out to individuals. Previous to
this there had been placer mining to a
considerable extent. But the West.
ern gold fever and the change of own
ership took all the old miners away
and mining almost entirely ceased.
Many of the new proprietors never
went to look at their lands. Others
we're poor people who came and took
possession Of their small
tracts. They could 90 out any
fine day and pan out 50 to s., aud il
was like a big fortune to them. Hence
when capitalists talked of de-
veloping their field by regular quarz
mining they held the lands at such a
price that it would not have been
profitable. In the southern part Of
the gold territory there are now three
or lour companies mining with by
draulic power. | have spent seven
years in porfecting a combination Of
twelve hundred acres in the northern
portion of the field. Our territory
extends fifty miles. 1t is all ready for
hydraulic mining when our capital
comes on from London"
Are the present companies pay,
IngI
Yes, all OF them. And they are in
the poorest part OF the held-that Is,
1t has been most worked. The old
government mint was in Lumpkin
county. where their operations are
confined. We call ours the new field,
although oil course, It Is all old.
/, 10 the streams yield up gold as in
california!
" hereyer there Is sand to wash
goid can De iound IN Quantities to pay
the worker we'll. We earn better
wages al mat than at anything else IN
the county lg
are theie any dithoaliiesf
p not 10 me ordinary quartz beds.
but Wnen We reach the Eater>line
We stnke problem that will make 4
ne lortune OF the man who solves 1t. /.
below TIE water line tie gold is mixed {
.nseparably Eith salPhares Assay I
IS can take i 10 small quantities IN .
i I, iae9ra'ofies ana separate i, but
nc problem Of separation 10 large
llaSiiiies AZ a cost that vii pay has
's.jsa s1lshtlss ior = century;