Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1890-07-10
! sCortindlm IN Western North Carolina.
As.s " y !, i
ny b. GltsfAyUs MEsiMiN GER,
MINING 2sNGINEER, s5ffs Il
From the Highlands STAR
MINING sNGIEEaR.

&6 &6COIuuOHtIi III w cSIeTH gNOIlu Spio-
) Iipp,tYps Gen. r. IL: Clinginan, who
obseryed it III Madison County.
Hsi Ths6aghout Ia dbelt os country,
stretching from Dudlcyyillc, Ala
dbhma. through Georgia and Western
North SGNolIpa, ITO the Virginia line,
and about 100 miles in width at it's
greatest soxtension, corundum is
found, but usually in small quantity,
except in Western North Carolina,
which is$the, richest corundun bear
ing region in the Umitod States.
Taking Highlands, Macon County,
N. c., rs the axis, and describing q
I circle with diameter of forty miles,
we include the heart of the corun-
dun bearing section Of North Care
\ lima.
Ia QalthiS circle lara Situated, tho, Cor
unaum Hill Mine, Oil itllijay Greek,
;rMaecso@h County. which has, been, and
is, the most productive corundum
Symino in tho United Statcs;f the Lau-
Ml Creek Mine, Rabun County, Ga,
ranking pcxt., The Buck and Shoot
sing g'Crcck mines, Gay County, and
several prospects in Macon, Jackson
and Pennsylvania counties, North
CaroliAa, only await capital and in
atellgent development to become
valuable producers.
Alumnia, (alumnium oxidc) is
often found native, and is thus
known as corundum. In Il chcmi-
cally pure State it is transparent and
colorless, but is commonly Tilted by
traces Of the oxide of other metals,
sometimes forming gems, whicn, ac-
i cording to color, are known as sap
phirc, oriental emerald, oriental ruby
or topaz The term oriental being
used to,@distihg,lish these precious
stones from others Of less degree
Of hardness and brillianay.
,HpNext to the diamond, corundum is
the hardest Of all known substances,
especially in its gem form. If sap
phirc be taken rs 100, North Caro-
lima corundum has an abrasive power
Of from 90 to 81.
Ei# Several valuable, corundum gems
have been found in Macon County,
N. G. At corundum Hill was found
one of the finest known specimens
of emerald green sapphire (oricntal
enclall) OF sufficient size to cut
several gems, and being of very
fine, almost emerald green color, AS
this particular gem is one Of the
rarest known specimens, it is valued
at over 81 900. At this same mine,
the largest known crystal of sap
phirc, weighing about 3I2 pounds,
and is both red and blue in color.
at Tho IIogback mine, Pennsylvania
County, on the fcldspar hanging
wall, sapphire in crystals is found.
Deep ruby-rcd corundum occurs at
many places in Macon County, and
near Franklin curious brownish
variety is found, said to show dis
tihct astoria when cut. The search
for gem corundum is very crudcly
carried on in this section, but the
time is near when capital and skill
will be brought to bear in This line,
and favorable results may be con
iidently expected.
Corundum occurs in chromi-
ferrous, scrpcntinc or chrysolitc forma-
tion, and is found not in regular
veins, but irregular deposits, benches
and gashcs. Two varieties are
found, known locally as "sand' and
"block" corundum. The sand VA
ricty consists of small crystals some
what harder than the block variety,
and, owing to its size, more easily
prepared for market; the block CO.
rundum is occasionally found in
masses weighing upwards OF 5000
pounds.
Cormdm is prepared for market
by first crushing in stamps, screen
ing down to uniform sizes, and freed
Of impurities by jigging and tanning.
Tho classified material is then worked
up into wheels similar to The well
known emery wheel.
Corupdnm owes its value to its
hardness, which makes il unqualified
as an abrasive material; corundum
far surpasscs emery for all purposes
where hardness is required. Corun-
dunn could be proiitably used in the
manufacture of metal aluminium, as
it contains a higher per cent Of
aluminium than bauXitc, Qhc mineral
which is now so extensively used in
the extraction Of this mctal) When
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