The Atlanta constitution. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1885-19??, 1888-10-23

panacea in such cases-in his cabin, but some
was procured from nelghbors, several mics
| distant, and the man swallowed 1t coplousiy,
and when last heard from was considered out
of danger.
In one cabin, where several children were
born and reared to maturity, the old dame said
she 'want afeared of snakes" They came
about the house and often crept in through the
chinks, and she had killed fright smart OF
em' on her hearth, but none Of her folks had
ever been bitten This cabin was a fair sam
pie Of most of them. The logs are piled to-
gether dollhouse fashion, and there is no filing
of clay OF other material between them. The
floor is of 'puncheons" Driven logs with the
fiat sides uppermost and hewn to a smooth
surface.) The roof is tight, but ventilation on
all sides secures plenty OF fresh air and allows
the smoke to escape. Fortunately the winters
are neither long nor severe and those raised
in these primitive shelters seem to like them
One mddle-aged woman who has near rela-
tives living in a neighboring town that have
long urged her to come to them, gave as a rea-
son for not going: II don't like their air
Ours up here is better. I'd choke to death if
l went"
This mountain region is one Of those found
in many parts of transmontane and Piedmont,
North Carolina called "frostless belts" This
does not mean that the temperature never gets
below the freezing point, but that from the be-
ginning of the budding season until very late
in the fall, biighting fro;ts are unknown; con-
sequently peaches and grapes never fail to
of all these mountains and foothills, which are
covered with a rich vegetable mould in which
vegetation OF every kind fourishes luxuriantly,
will be as famous for their orchards and Vine
yards as in southern California What q coun-
try this would be for stock farming. The vari-
ETY. of nutritious heritage IS astonishing, and
the mild winters make shelter unnecessary
Animals feed at large all the year round and
keep in fine condition. When it rains heavily
the dense forests are sufficient protection.
Springs are abundant and the water is pure.
On HALO mountain are several natural
ponds fed by subterranean springs and at fire.
quent intervals creeks start from sources high
up the mountains and flow into Long Mill
creek rapid and somewhat tortuous stream
that runs through the centre of the valley in
northerly direction, carrying with it quantities
of sand and clay from the gulches in which
gold minders are at work.
The geology of this locality has been studied
and described to some extent by several emf
nent scientists and the state Of North Carroll
ma recently published their reports in volume
of some size, edited by Professor Hanna, the
well known aSsayer of the United States mint
at Charlotte.
Major Atkinson, to whom am indebted for
look into the valuable work, says that as far
as it goes it is an admirable treatise on tho min
eral wealth of this region, which was known to
be very great as early as 1880. There are three
conditions in which gold is found here, first, in
the placers; second, in groups OF narrow verti-
cal veins of uniform dip; third, in horizontal
layers Of quartz gravel, or in the gneissold
schist on which they rest. The precious metal
is diffused through the strata of clay that lie
between the grass roots and the gravel beds in
the form of nuggets, scales and dust. In the
veins it is in rocks from which it must be sep
arated by amalgamation after they have been
crushed in the stamp mill Wherever found
it is free from sulphurets or other combinations
that require reduction process.
Another valuable mineral found here is
steatite, pure white soapstone. At the head
~
valley, ledge Of this can be seen which is
nearly sixty feet long and more than twenty
| wide. For many years the natives have cut
slabs from it to use for grave stones. It's fine
grain its softness, its strength, its durability,
and its resistance to fire, make this desirable
stone for builders. There is great body of it
in the Valley river valley in the extreme
southwestern corner of this state, that haslong
been used for memorial purposes, but / cannot
learn of any other use to which it has been
put. In another part of the same gulch there
are many very large powders of what seems
to be serpentine. They reof beautiful vivid
| green color, are crystalline and freshly broken
surfaces have metallic, sparkling appearance.
No outcropping ledge or dyke of this stone has
been found, and where these powders came
from zone knows. But the most remarkable
discovery of the gold seekers of this vicinity
was made by some men engaged in hydraulic
mining. Some Fifty or more feet below the sur
/ face, between tie clays and gravel beds, they
found a stratum of pure muck in which were
trunks of massive trees quantities of foliage,
of acorns and hickory nuts, all in q good state
of preservation, and when this mass had been
washed away they found below it stones on
which fires had once burned and brands charred
at one end but not +he other, looking as though
they had fallen off from the centre of bon
fire and then been extinguished In the same
place were several bowls of soapstone, rudeiy
chiseled into shape, that may have been used
as cooking utensils. Other relics of human
work were found, including many quartz ar
row heads. When were these things buried?
What caused the tremendous landslide that
uprooted these forests, carried them down to
the gravel beds. covered them with thousands
of tons of muck, with tens of thousands of
tons Of clay, and left below these heaped masses
upon the gravel layers that cover the bed rock
these handiworks of a prehistoric race? Here
is an inviting field for scientists