The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1891-06-29

oe 80 anu was walk ng through piece
=. plne WOODS with Sun reporter and two
theory. ILLS
That is the only way that can account
Ior the fact" be said, ''that we find placer
gold In layer of gravel almost anvwhara
we Dug on these hfllsides. III warrant von,II
you try for it. ''''-o
:, suppose we test it right here" suggested
the newspaper man.
Agreed, !" replied the superintendent and
.ie 9irected miner with pick and shovel
70 dig hole where the party had stonned
Inc location was nearly 100 feet higher than
muddy creek and about a quarter of a mila
distant fro n 1t.
Inc miner soraped away the pine needles
ana vegetable mold and dug through three
or Tour inches Of soft soil until he struck a
layer or coarse earth or gravel. such as
oprouse had said would be fouud, He filled
pan with this, and it was carried to the
mouse to be washed out. On the way. lust
t 40, !oSe' another painful was taken from
Tue middle OF the mountain road,
Reaching the superintendent house ono
Oh the miners panned both samples under a
stream OF water running from q trough.
Inc dirt from the middle Of the road showed
Two or three "colors.n That dug under the
pines In the woods was really rich. 1t con-
teined tiny nugget weighing two or three
grains and several smaller bits or colors. A
man might net bigger returns than at any
k!no Oh skilled labor by simply shoveling
art from under those pine trees on the
mountain side and washing it in an old nan
at water spout.
The richest deposit Of gold in the Muddy
creek Valley is undoubtedly in strange
swamp in its very center. This swami is
sort of pit, into which the mineral wealth
OF the basin would naturally settle. No
man has ever yet been able to explore IL
1t is not large in area, but it is a treacher-
Gus, dangerous spot. The writer, in SKIRT
ing Its border with no sign of danger.
suddenly found his foothold disappear
lug. In an instant he was half to his
Knees In peculiar, vari-colored quick
sand that required lively gymnastics to
escape from. A man named Smalley and
three others. who owned this swamp several
years ago, took $40 900 in gold from its edge
In less than thirty DAYS. The miro aud
quicksands prevented their doing more.
though the deposit grew richer every foot
they advanced. Que of the first things
done by the present owners was to dig
canal, at considerable expense, to drain
the swamp. 1t was almost completed
when the banks suddenly caved in upon
the mon at work, and 1t was with the
greatest difficulty that thew succeeded In
escaping with their lives. Since then such
strong superstition regarding the spot has
seized the native miners that not one of
them can be induced to work there for any
wages. The swamp has been drained par
italy by the canal, and within O year this
work will be completed SO that the search
for gold can be prosecuted without danger.
Graveyard Hollow is another spot be-
lieved to be underlaid with rich deposit
ia a n n al nd -
in the woods, With high mounds of earth
and tumble-down headstones marking the
graves. Dates ranging from 1887 to 1870
were found on these stones.
1t is the gems found in the valley which
most excite the wonder of biologists and
other scientific men. They never kill a
turkey or q chicken in the valley
now without looking In its crop for
a possible ruby or diamond. Several
this way. The bright, hard crystals to be
found in the sand have great attraction for
the fastidious fowls, which would line their
stomachs with full assortment of jewels,
instead of common ravel If they could find
them. 1t is only three or four years since ii
was known that there were gems of any
value in the valley. Pretty baubles had
often been found in the sand and earth, but
it was not supposed they were worth any
thing. The first known diamond to be dis
covered was a monster, and its fate was
such as would make lapidary tear bis hair
incorporation.
A beautiful, clear, white stone was picked
up by native miner, who showed it TO his
friends after finishing his days work. It
was brilliant crystal. even in its rough
state, and as large as walnut. The men
all admired 1t, and it was noticed that it
still sparkled after dark. IL was suggested
that only a diamond would show such
brilliancy at night, and the stone was
examined with renewed interest. Various
tests to prove its real nature were sug yested.
Finally. one individual who assumed to
know all about it, said that q diamond was
the hardest substance In the world, ana that
If the crystal was really a gem 1t would
resist unharmed all attempts to break
it. He advised testing the stone with the
blow of hammer on an anvil. IL il was
worth anything 1t would not break. The
finder consented and the test was applied.
When the sledge struck the beautiful stone,
of course, it few into more than dozen
pieces It was decided that the crystal was
not diamond, but some Of the fragments
were so brilliant that they were preserved.
A visiting geologist, whose name the writer
could not learn, got hold Of one or two of
the chips some time afterwards and
promptly pronounced them parts of dia-
mond of great purity. The original stone
would have been a gem Of almost priceless
value.
There are eighteen known existing dia-
monds from Muddy Creek Valley, all of
them found within a year. The largest,
already mentioned, weighing five aud one
half carats, is owned by Col. Henry G.
Deming Of Harrisburg, general manager of
the Marion Bullion ctmpapy. He values 10
at 81, 200 and he has collection of miscel-
laneous gems from the valley worth several
thousand dollars, Garnets are the most
common stone found Of any value. There
is a wealth of these. Almost peck Of them
tumbled out Of one Of the hydraulics one
day. They are found loose and in stone In
one spot there is mass OF garnet rock in
which they are studded as thick as plums in
a pudding. These, however. are OF no value
except as curiosities.
Another interesting spot Is the vicinity OF
Rattiesnake Den, mass of great rocks
where q nest of eighteen or twenty rattle
snakes was broken up three or four years
ago. Within a radius Of 100 feet Prof.
Alfred Free found seven extremely rare
minerals, besides great variety OF more
common matter. Almost side by side Is
rock hard as flint and tale soft as soapstone,
which can be cut with knife. There Is
also a fine building stone Of the quality of
granite, but streaked with the oldest color,
like the stripes of leopard. 1t Ia called
leopardite.
HOW MICA is FOUND.
The deposit of mica Is found near a steep
mountain top. 1t is reached only after q
hard scramble TO hight OF {, 200 feet. Only
a anall norton of the deposit has been uu-