The weekly Union times. [volume] (Union C.H., South Carolina) 1871-1894, 1893-03-24
0old-Minning in the South.
By G. b. wARRAND.

Gold-Minning in the South.
By c. b. wARRAND.
Many years before the discovery of tho
California gold fields gold mining in the
western part Of Georgia and North and
South Carolina had been an established
industry. With slave labor gold-mining
in the South paid well, but since the war
number of spasmodic efforts which
have been made TO operate the miues as
rue r suited in failures.
In the carly days of mining q shaft
was sunk at some convenient spot on
vein, the orc was roasted nearby, and was
then carted, often for miles, to water.
power. Five dollars per ton of recover
able 6 Id was the minimum limit at
which these mines paid. The pyrites or
gold bearing sulphurets were considered
worthless and were allowed to go to
waste. AS rule the quantity of ore
taken out OF a mine was Insignificant, and
vast amount of gold still exists which
can today be protitably recovered. Gold
mining property can be bought very
cheap-aimost at nominal figure.
8 me time ago visited one of the
most interesting and valuable Of the
gold-bcaring quartz districts, lying at
tho foot of the Blue Ridge mountains on
the banks Of Broad river, near Smiths
Ford, in York county, South Carolina.
Within radius OF less than two miles
l have been nineteen veins Of quartz
which. without exception, contain mere
or less gold, generally in paying quanti-
tics. The veins. .all run para'lc lei from the
northeast to the sou Invest, varying from
two to Thirty feet in thickness. have
followed one of these veins by the dri
rock and groupings for five miles. The
drift rock indicated d by pit marks that it
had contained at ono time gold pyrites.
These veins are almost perpcndicu'ar; /;
the bottom of none has ever been reached,
and it is curr, ntly reported that tho
deeper the shaft was sunk the better the
Quaity Of the orc became.
Probably the best Of these mines, as
well as the smallest and most comp set, is
the 40 acre tract known as the old Smith
mine. 1t has five distinct veins running
through the whole length Of the property,
Al yards. and far beyond on adjoining
lands. The veins will v.ry from three
to five feet in thickness, though only two
OF them have ever been miRcd. The JEFF
frey vein had shaft sunk 100 feet and
had a drainage tunnel. The Smith vein
had two shafts of $50 feet and tunnel
All Of tn sc have cavcd in to great ex-
tent. When the Smith v.iu was in good
order it exposed the vein to depth of
15o feet and a length Of 1875 fcet,, with
an average width OF three feet. To form
some idea Of the quantity Of gold locked
in one of these veins, calculated that
space of $50 by 126 by three feet con-
tains 5l.750 cubic feet, and rs it takes
about thirteen cubic feet of quartz ore to
weigh one ton, the space exposed con-
tain d 4562 tons. The Emine, with slave
labor, produced $500 Of free gold per
ton tho pyritcs or..gold-bearing sulphur.
cts thrown away could not be less than
two Thirds of the free gold, or "a. sc per
ton, or total contents of $i1 66 of gold
per ton. Hence total of over $50, 900
OF gold Is locked up in this small space.
The length exposed was less than one
ztenth of the whole vein. and tho depth
CAD hnblx be tripled or even quad
rupIl oAsite' withfne the range of
9 81 -. ~ Ven Of probability, that this
e0I14 scIlI1xIone has 1900, 900 of gold
Treasured asay. and this 40-scre tract
has five such veins, apparently all alike.
About One and ODe.half miles from the
Smith mine is the Magnolia mine, which
Is on much larger tract, containing
ninety-six acres. This mine has ten dis.
tinct veins. varying in thickness from two
to thirty feet. The largest, the Magnolia
vein, Is thirty feet wide and exposed to
height of 150 feet; another vein is ton
feet wide. One hundred samples taken
promiscuously from rs many differ, mt
places on this vein asssyed 81 81 Of gold
per ton. Some of the smaller veins as
sayed as high as t152 of gold per ton.
Close to these mines are still two more
smaller mines, the RABBIT and the Tucker.
Each has two veins of two feet thickness,
A splendid water-power, could be easily
obtained about half way between the
Smith mine and the Magnolia mine:
The climate In the Southern gold min.
ing district is excellent, neither too cold
nor too warm, and perfectly healthy.
Labor.is abundant aud cheap; an able
bodied men can easily be hired for sew
enty five cents or one dollar per day.
Fuel Is also cheap and abupdant, cord.
wood can be had for 81 so per cord de.
livercd. The time is near at hand when
ell these mines will be worked. Gold
minipg South never will be in tho nature
Of bonanza, but with the help of mod.
ern methods and machinery it will be.
come q safe aud remunerative industry.
A Costly Stock Farm.