Savannah courier. (Savannah, Tenn.) 1885-1979, 1889-01-24
GEORGIA GOLD MINES.
interesting Review of the Industry
at Dahlonega.

= secret hIinc-Knucklesvillc Past and
Prescnt-A sheriff Who Concluded Not
to Exercise Ills Official Authority
dispensing Justice.
Dahlonega was and is the center of
The Georgia gold mining industry. Be-
fore the war there was branch mint
here. The building is now used as an
agricultural college. The town, like
Rome, is built on seven hills. Its
people are kind hearted and hospitable,
and are content to enjoy life in very
quiet, hum-drum way. The old plr.cer
fields have long since be en- exha' tsted.
and the mines that are operat ed now
have necessary adjuI act of IRE crush.
ers and stamp mills. Cole mining in
Georgia is just as pr oltAble as it was
In the old days, and the mines all paw
q handsome divide nd, but the work II.
self has been robt ed of all its romantic
plcturesqueness. Occasionally, in
travelling thro agh the gold belt, you
come across an individual miner at
work in so'ne branch or creek bottom
with pick axe, shovel, cradle and pan,
but these arc the exception rather
thsn the rule. heard of one man, in
ihe neighboring county of Hall, who
Tor twenty-five years has successfully
kept secret the location of placer
mine that yields him an average in
come OF ten dollars per day. Hundreds,
'envious of his good fortune, have en-
dcavored to locate the pocket. His
footsteps have been logged repeatedly
but he always manages to elude his
followers. The mine is probably in a
cave through which flows stream OF
water" said one man who has given
the matter some thought. 1.-The en-
trance to the cave is small and Sc.
cureay hidden. Bill takes pains tC
make as small a trail as possible in
going to and from his treasure, and
that's how the boys have never beer
able to come up on him. He always
gives the people who follow him the
slip near big, rough ledge of rocks,
and I'm satisfied that the cave is in
this ledge"
A few miles south OF here, on the
direct road to the thriving, go-ahead
City OF Gainesville, is all that is left
of rich placer Mining settlement
Two dwellings and an old store-house
are the only buildings that remain
lind they are weather-beaten and
faded. Before the war this place
which flourished under the name o.
Knucklesville, was the center around
which revolved great and richly
productive industry. Grierson's Fed
eral cavalry destroyed Knucklesvillt
when that dashing commander raidet
through Northwest Georgia. The
place has never recovered from the
blow, and probably never will.
Unlike its more ambitious sister
Dahlonega, Knucklesville was built OF
one hill, which, according to my late
eminent scientific friend, DR.. Stephen
sssss. Is the cap OF an extinct volcano
The base OF the volcano hill is WASHED
by the muddy waters of Cribbagt
creek, and IL was in the auriferou,
sand composing the bed of the lattel
stream that the dull yellow metal wa.
found in its greatest abundance. Tn,
old volcano in its dying struggles
threw to the surface great piles o
disjointed scoria, and Knucklesville il
naturally rudely paved with igneou,
powders of varying size. An old resi-
dent of the the town solemnly assured
me that there was not rock on tn,
hill small enough for a man to lif
that had not knocked down some othe
man. and as there are several millions
of these natural weapons of offens,
lying about. it is safe to presume tina
Knucklesville in its palmy days mus
have been a very lively place.
AT one time" said my inform
ant, ''there were five thousan,
independent miners at work roun,
about Kuucklesville, which was thei
supply town. They made money fas
and they squandered it recklessly
Every afternoon it was the custom :,
knock oil work at about three O'Clock
and with the days proceeds journey t
Hnucklesville. The miners were al
gamblers and / have seen the grount
covered with little parties of four o
Eve tempting fortune and risking thei
hard-earned dust at old sledge or draw
poker. Rows were of frequent occur
renee and at times assumed the pre-
portions of riot" He took m
through the weather-beaten storehous
and drew a picture of its interior al
ranrement in the old days. In on
corner was the bar, where liquor G
ths vilest description was dealt out {
tbe thirsty patrons. The counter owe
which the fiery stuff was dispense
wss about five feet high, and wa
fnrther protected on its outer edge b
stout iron railing. The bartende
.tood on bench behind. and from thi
santiago point could easily reach tn
small arsenal of firearms that wer
..rged against the wall back OF hin
He had frequent use for them. and on