Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1883-11-05
GEORGIA GOLD.
London Capitalists About Investing in
the NacOOchee Fields-An Important
Scientific Discovery.
Columbus tO.) Letter to Cincinnati CONNER
cidk-G GQsette. Oct. 80.


Columbus tO.) Letter to Cincinnati CONNER
cidt-GGsette, oct. so.
On the Bee Line yesterday encounter
ed Mr.. NJ. G. Wilcox, of Mount Airy, Ga.
Mr.. Wilcox is an Ohioan, 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 volunteers
in an official capacity. The war over, he
Joined Yale Scientific expedition and
began an exploration of the hills of North
and South Carolina and Georgia
Bradley, the leader of this party,
was shot and killed in North Carolina
several years ago, being mistaken. be-
lleYe, for revenue officer after moon
sinners. For ten years MIR. Wilcox has
been devoting his entire attention to the
gold fields of Georgia. He was returning
from New York, where, as Secretary of
mining corporation, the papers were COM
pleted by which party of London capi-
tallsts will place some 100000 at the dis
poSal of his corporation for mining opera
tions. | asked him to locate and describe
the field of operations. Said he:
The gold field is in Lumpkin and White
counties. 1t is about 250 miles in length
and % miles in width. NacOochee Is the
head centre of our operations. 1t is %
miles across the country from Mt. Airy.
The gold presents itself in all places. In
some localities there is fine gold, in others
the beautiful flower gold, in others coarse
gold and in still others we find nuggets.
The tract was originally held by Indians.
1t is probably the El Dorado, in whose
quest the great DeSotO died. The United
States Government drove off the Indians,
and turned the lands over to the State.
Then the State got up a lottery, and the
land was parcelled out to individuals.
Previcus to this there had been placer
mining to a considerable extent. But the
Western gold fever and the change in
ownership took all the old miners
away, and mining almost en-
tirely ceased. Many of the
new prOprietors never went to look at
their lands. Others were poor people who
came and took possession of their small
tracts. They could 90 out any fine day
and pan out So to So, and it was like big
fortune to them. Hence when capitalists
talked of developing their field by regular
quartz mining they held the lands at such
price that it would not have been prof.
table. In the southern part of the gold
territory there are now three or four COM
panies mining with hydraulic power. l
have spent years in perfecting a combi-
nation OF l,2O0 acres in the northern pOr-
ton of the field. Our territory extends 60
miles. 1t Is all ready for hydraulic min
ing when our capital comes on from Lon
dom"
Are the present companies paving?v
eyes, all of them. And they are in the
poorest part Of the field-that is, it has
been most worked. The old government
mint was in Lumpkin county, where their
operations are confined. We call ours
the new field, although, of course, it is all
old"
''DO the streams yield up gold as in
California;
wherever there is sand to wash gold
can be found in quantities to pay the
worker well. We earn better wages at
that than at anything else in the county,"
"Are there any difficulties" ?"
Not in the ordinary quartz beds. But
when we reach the Water-line we strike a
problem that will make the fortune of the
man who solves it. Below the water-line
the gold is mixed inseparably with sui.
phurets. Assayists can take it in small
quantities in their laboratories and sepa-
rate it, but the problem of separation in
large quantities at a cost that will pay
has baff1ed scientists for a century"
SIS there no prospect of solution?''
eyes, there is. A hundred men i'll diff
ferent parts of the country are working
at it. a young man in Cleveland has a
machine nearly perfected, which | have
just come from inspecting. / am to go
back next month for its final test. 1t was
built by Leffel & Co., at Springfield, and
Mr.. BoOkwalter gave the inventor valu-
able assistance. The primary tests of
the machine have been satisfactory. If
it is a success, there is scarcely any end
to the gold that can be assayed from the
Georgia field. Below the water line is the
richest quartz of all. 1t will yield from
S100 tO $500 nor ton