The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1877-1885, 1885-04-29
North Carolina Cold Mining.

Before the war of the rebellion North
Carolina was one OF the largest gold pro-
ducng states Of the Union. We are
glad to learn that this great industry,
which has been nearly dormant since the
war, bids In the near future again TO place
North Carolina in the front rank OF the
gold producing States. Our attention
has recently been called to some of the
successful companies now beng worked.
Among them we would mention the
Hoover Hill, Ruddisll, 'wharie Gold
Mining Company, Morris Mountain and
others. These companies are chiefly
owned and controlled ty English and
| Scotch capitalists. They are worked on
| business principles by men OF practical,
scientific knowledge and experience. A
correspondent who has recently been
travelling through the State writes us
concerning the Russell Gold Mining Com
pany, limited, located iD Montgomery
county, and owned by English capitalists,
with its principal office IN London. Gold
was first discovered on this property 10
| $40, and from that time up to the break
ing out of the rebellion was worked with
very little interruption, chiefly by the
old Chill mill pro, ess. Mint returns and
other authentic data show over two mil
| lion dollars to have been produced during
| that period. The property contains be-
tween $50 and 400 acres, and has per-
feet network Of gold bearing quartz
veins. Notwithstanding the large
amount Of gold taken from the property,
it has hardly been scratched The prln-
cipal lodes which have been worked are
| three in number, to wit: Big lode, Rig
gan Hill and Laurel HILL Big Lode
/ seems to be the master lode. 1t has an
| open cut averaging seventy five feet IN
| width, one hundred feet deep and about
two hundred feet long. Most of the two
| million dollars mentioned above was mined
| from this lode The company have Sc
| cured the services, a. general manager
| and mining engineer, OF n. ii. Mallory,
| Esq, an DID, practical and scientific
| MINER who has carried on successful
| mining enterprises in Mexico California,
and Montana Mr. Mallory first visited
and examined the property IN September
| 1884, on behalf of London syndicate
! At that time be made most thorough
and exhaustive investigation OF the
property. La his report he claims 1t to
! be the most valuable gold mine in the
world. He Is now putting the property
in thorough order for practical mining;
{ has commenced running tunnel at the
base of the big hill, some one hundred
and fifty feet below its crest. intending to
cross cut the vein some fifty feet below
the present depth in the big cut. Some
forty feet of the tunnel has already been
| excavated, the ore taken ont being high
| grade. In many instances free gold can
be seen sticking to the quartz | saw
many samples pulverlzed and panned,
which never failed to show the quartz &c
be rich in free gold, as well as III sui
phurets. | also saw numerous assays
indicating an average value of over S25
per ton.
While | was at the prop erty the man
ager put in blast on the extreme west
side of the big cut towards the hanging
wall (Which has not yet been reached) }.
1t exposed a streak of very rich ore from
one to two feet 10 width; free gold could
be seen all over the quartz | saw three
assays made from quartz taken from this
rich streak. They gave the following re
suits, viz: $l75, $40 and S4l5 per ton.
Old residents, familiar with the property
say the heart of the mine is on the ex-
treme west side of the big cut near the
hanging well, and that they have seer
ore mined and mllled from this part OF
the big cut by the old Chrri mill process,
that yielded 500 per bucketful, equlva
lent from 81 500 to s., 600 per ton. Mr..
Mallory says he expects to reach through
the tunnel he is now running this part OF
the big lode, In about forty feet. Rlggan
Hill and Laurel Hill, the other two devel
oped lodes Of this property, contain the
same description of ore as Big Lode,
equally as rich; In fact, the richest ore
yet found on the property was taken from
Riggan Hill. A new company could be
formed out of each enc of these lodes,
| there being no end to the ore and nc
doubt of lis great value. My impression
is. from the assays | saw made and spien
did results from the pannlng OF the ore
from all parts of the tunnel, as we'll as
from the big cut, Riggan Hill and Laure
Hill, that this property under Its present
management will develop into the Com
stock" of the South, equalled only by
the celebrated COmstock OF Nevada. lts
natural advantages are wonderful. The
Uwharie river is less than mile distant
Timber and wood are in the greatest abun
dance. Wood delivered at the mill cost:
: anly one dollar per cord; labor seventy
five cents to one dollar and twenty five
cents per day; skilled labor one and a hal
} to two dollars. The climate is delightful
and healthy. Work can be prosecuted
the entire year The company will hav,
twenty stamps running by April l5, anC
intend increasing that to one hundred a.
rapidly as possible. This property wa
only purchased by its present owners las
October. 1t is close corporation. Al
the stock is owned and cont oiled in Lon
don. and, from what can learn. yer.
high valuation is placed on the property
and there is no stock on the market 70
sale.