The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1890-03-13
Gold

Gold.
Quite large meeting was held in the
Council Chamber Monday night to lay
before our people proposition to pur
chase gold mine in the State OF Geor
gia. The property is located in Carol
county, Ga, is miles from the railroad
the nearest station being Carrollton. r.
! A. BAYLOR, ESQ.,, was called to the chair
and Asher Ayres made secretary. Mr.
Porter, of the Annuity Company, ex-
planned the proposed plan. He stated
that he and Mr.. Readon of Kentucky
had "spied OUT the land. That Mr..
George C. Jordan and Mr. Asher Ayres
had visited the property, and had taken
with them Prof. Newton Holmes, of the
Kable School, as an expert.
1t was proposed to ''offer the property
to Staunton if she wanted it." Forty
thousand dollars must be raised quick
to be paid on the property by Saturday
next. Mr.. Porter asked only $4,000 in
paid up stock for himself, and $4,000
for Mr.. Reardon for making the lind
and bringing it as an Offering to the good
people of Staunton.
Prof. Holmes read minute report,
full of interesting details, and answered
a number of questions showing not only
reliability and accuracy as to his re-
port, but a vast fund of information,
which placed Prof. Holmes in the most
favorable light before the intelligent
audience present Prof. Holmes is we'll
up in his profession, and while quite a
young man, is thoroughly conversant
with all the details of his business.
Prof. Holmes found the Zebulon Bon
ner farm, on which the gold is said to be
located. in Carroll county, Ga, on the
western line of Middle Georgia. The
farm contains 1861 acres. 900 of which
is said to be gold bearing. Three hun
dred acres were inspected by Professor
Holmes. Gold was discovered ON this
farm in 1927, and rich ''placer" mining
was carried on in 1910. Rude methods
have always been used in getting at the
gold, yet it has yielded from $40 to ST.
per ton, and some places as high as $25
per ton. The gold appears to be mixed
with the entire surface, and the estima-
ted value of the property at conserva-
tive figures is reported at IS, 0O0, 900, and
possibly $10,OOO.0OO.
The lrice asked for the property is
100000. Fifty thousand will be neces-
sary to develop it, with an estimated
daily profit of $322.5O.
Mr.. Fiske, a gentleman from Massa-
rama. and has had some practical exper-
fence as miner, brought out some in
teresting points, and it was finally de-
cided that Mr.. Fiske should go to Geor-
gia and examine the property practical
ly, and report as to his views in connec-
ton with the elaborate report of Prof
Holmes. Seven gentlemen present made
up purse to pay Mr. Fiskes expenses.
OF the $4,000 asked for, $4,000 only was
listed.
While Virginia has within her limits
and within radius of SO miles of Staun-
ton, boundless stores of untouched
wealth, it seems very questionable pol
icy for our people to go to another State
for enterprises. There is gold in Vir-
einia-in the mines of Spotsylvania,
Louisa, Orange and Cumberland; but
underneath the beautiful hills of our
lovely valley and in the spurs of our
lofty mountains are treasures enough to
occupy the time, talents, brains and eff
forts of our people for years to come,
and vastly more wealth than we have
the means to handle
We sadly feel the want of capital
to- day, and are looking to our friends in
the North to come down and help us.
Let them not find us, when they do
come, ''away down South in Georgia"
digging in the sand hills for gold, when
the world is crying aloud for the noun
tains of iron within easy reach of us and
only needing the application of means
for the employment of labor to bring
into the channels trade and commerce,
streams of wealth that shall make our
landbloom and blossom in royal splendor.
Let us not leave the well-known treas
ures at our doors to go after those we
know not of.