Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1884-04-27
REYNOLDS LOT No. 10.
Interest in a Once Noted Georgian Re
Vived by a Law Suit.

A curious story, says a Gainesville,
Ga. special, has just been brought out
BY the trial of a case in the White county
Superior Court concerning what was
known as land lot No. 10. Benjamin Rey-
nolds, more than fifty years ago, was a
typical Young South CaT0linian, VINO lived
in the Abbeville district. He spent $4,000
OF patrimnny in three years. At last he
got 50 low that he had only two negroes
and $500 left. About that time the Dab
lonega gold fever broke out. Reynolds
and his two slaves plunged into the Blue
r dye and rambled in the neighbOrhOOd Of
White county, until one day, when they
got into a ravine, he Reynolds said:
Let's stop here. One place is as good as
another
The three men dug hole and struck a
vein which has since become famous at
REYNOLDS Vein. They took out the metal
in considerable quantities. Things went
along very nicely until one day one OF
Reynolds negroes gave him some impu-
dence He struck him; the blow was 100
severe, and the negro died. Reynolds was
tried and acquitted. When the panic of
1885 came along Reynolds counted his
gold. which had been coined at DahlOnega
and his pile amounted to just $50, 600. A
number of rich men in Abbevile failed,
and Reynolds took his cash and went
down to the Sheriff's sale. He bought 20
able-hOdied negroes and marched them on
foot into NaeoOchee Valley and then COM
menced work in earnest. With these men
he pressed his business, forgetting the
f0llips of his youth. and became thor
Oughly engrossed in the search Of yellow
dust.
In a few years Reynolds had taken out
$780, 900. and, after living many years an
hunOred and respected citizen, died, leav-
ing an estate of $250,000. Along with the
property that the old man had owned and
worked was the famous lot No. 10, in
which there was much gold. He told his
children never to be miners, but never to
sell lot No. 10, as it was rich, exceedingly
rich. He said that some day improved
machinery for working gold would be in
vented, and then they could put the lot in
as stock in some company, For fifty
years the lot has remained untouched. In
the division of the estate this lot fell to
the old mans son, II. p. Reynolds, now of
Floyd county, who has owned it since,
When the we'll known Goldsmith tax at
tachments of 1875 were issued, the old
No. 10 lot came in and was sold.
Mr.. Reynolds began proceedings to re-
cover the property, and on Tuesday last
the case went to trial in the White
County Superior Court. The mine was
not being worked at the time the sale was
made, and consequently the property
brought only a small amount. 1t is said
that the money was rendered to the pur-
chasers BY Reynolds within the time pre-
scribed by law, but was refused. Great
interest was shown in the case, not only
on account of the amount involved, but
by reason of questions Of law to be de-
cided. On Wednesday night the jury re-
turned a verdict setting aside the tax
sale, and restoring the property to young
Reynolds. This young man is 30 years
of aye, possesses snug fortune, and
spends most of his time fishing and hunt
ing. He owns one of the finest bodies of
land in FlOyd county.