The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1893-01-23
THE SOUTH'S GOLD MINES.
a sAvANNAHIAN's VISIT TO TIE
GOLD REGION OF CAROLINA.

Past, Present and Future of Gold
Mining in the South-An Industry
That Will Add Wealth to the South
ern States When Fully Developed.
Few people have any idea of the quantity
OF gold that exists in the western part Of
Georgia, South Carolina aud North Caro-
lima. The majority of these mines were
known forty and fifty years ago but have
been abandoned. In almost every instance
very Insignificant amount of ore taken
from them has been used.
short time ago Mr. C, B. Warrsnd of
this city visited one Of the most interesting
and valuable Of these gold bearing quartz
districts at the foot OF the Blue Ridge
mountains, on the banks Of Broad river. in
York county. South Carolina, near Smiths
ford, and he gives an interest ting account of
bis visit.
Forty-five years ago and up to tho war,
ne says, the mines there were worked
regularly with slave labor. A shaft was
sunk on the veins, which vary from three
TO five feet in thickness and which are
almost perpendicular. The quartz ore was
roasted on the spot to make 1t more frIable
and was then carted often for miles to some
WINCH PDHGTt WQbEo was run through
primitive stamp mill.
PAID WELL IN SLAVE DAYS
With slave labor these mines paid WE'LL
although less than oDe-hslf of the gold was
recovered, probably - per cent of the
the free gold being lost; the pyrites or gold
sulphurets were entirely thrown away, being
considered worthless Still with cheap
labor it paid and thousands OF dollars Of
gold were sent to the United States mints
annually.
Since the war a number of spasmodic
efforts have been made to work the mines,
which invariably ended in failure AS
rule the capital employed was entirely too
small and labor-saving devices were either
beyond the means of the operators or were
unknown at the time.
Lately this state of affairs has changed
and the brilliant success ma ie ~ the Hale
mine in kershaw county, South Carolina,
IN working up daily hundreds Of tons of ore
containing only 81 80 of gold at a cost Of 40
cents per ton and recovering 95 per cent. of
the gold by the coronation process seems to
have demonstrated that with proper skill
and modern mechanical appliances and
sufficient capital many low grade gold ores,
can be profitably mined. Such substan.
tial proof as surplus OK $50,000 accumu-
lated in one year by the Hale mine ID cer>
tainly very convincing argument
TIM SOUTH CAROLINA MINES.
The mines near Smithsford are about four
miles from Hickory Grove on the Chicago,
Cincinnati and Charleston railroad. With
in radius of less than two miles, Mr.. War
rand says he has seen nineteen veins Of
quartz which without exception contains
more OF less gold, generally in paying guam.
titles, besides free gold. All of these ore3
contain considerable quantity Of gold sui
phurets or pyrites. The veins run parallel
from northeast e. southwest, varying from
two feet to thirty feet in thickness aud are
| almost perpendicular. They consist Of quartz
| OF varying shades. even an almost pure
white quartz was found to contain 81 20 Of
gold per ton while some specimens contain
as much as 81 So per ton.
THE WAY THEY WERE WORKED.
Usually only one shaft has been sunk at
some convenient spot, while the veins can
be traced on the surface for long distance.
often for miles. The depth of these shafts
has never exceeded $50 feet. The bottom
| OF none of these veins has ever been reached.
Invariably it was found that the deeper the
shaft the better the quality of the ore.
Probably the best OF these mines, as we'll
as the smallest and most compact, is the 40
acre tract known as the Smith mine. 1t has
| hye distinct veins running through
the entire length of the prop
erty 440 yards and far beyond
on the lands adjoining. Oply two
| OF these veins have been mined. The
| Jeffrey vein had a shaft sunk 100 feet and
| drainage tunnel. The Smith vein had two
| shafts and a tunnel, all of which have, to a
| great extent, ceved in from twenty-five
| years OF disuse. but when the Smith vein
was in good order it was exposed for $50
! feet and to a depth of 1876 feet and with an
average width of feet
BIG PILE OF METAL.
To form some idea of the quantity Of
| gold which is probably locked up in one of
these veins Mr.. Warrand calculated that
| space l5Oxl25x3 feet contained $500 cubic
feet, and as it takes about thirteen Gu; 10
feet of ore to weigh one ton, the space ex-
posed contained 4, 800 tons.
The mine produced 81 of free gold when
last worked in 1867. The pyrites thrown
away could not be less than two thirds of
the free gold or 81 sc or total contents of
Sll 90 OF gold per ton. Hence total OF
| over sou, 600 is locked up in this small space
The length exposed was less than one tenth
OF the whole vein. The depth can probably
| be doubled, tripled aud even Quadrupled
| Mr.. Warrand estimated
| 1t is quite within the range of possi-
| bility, even Of probability, Mr.. Warrand
thinks, that this one vein alone has g., 000,-
| GOO of gold treasured away.
All five OF these veins were carefully ex-
amined in 1867 by experts, and all showed
| gold in paying quantities. At that time
$50 OF free gold was considered the lowest
| practicable limit, and no consideration was
taken of the pyrites. WHOM constitute from
to per cent. of the ore, aud which con-
tain from 81 200 to $500 Of gold per ton,
made at the present time quite available
through the chlorine process.
RICH MINE IN ITS DAY.
About one and one half miles from the
Smith miDa ia fhn MAGNOLIA nj inc xyhfob ie
much larger tract, containing ninety-six
| acres. This mine has ten distinct veins
varying In thickness from two to thirty
feet. The largest vein Is the Magnolia
which is exposed to a hight of $50 feet and
ia thirty feet wide. The poorest of this
quartz still assays 80 SO of gold per ton.
One hundred samples taken proEliscuously
from 100 different places assayed 81 81 Of
gold per ton.
Other smaller veins on this property have
bad shafts sunk, besides numerous surface
diggings. Some OF the ores have assayed
as high as Sl52 of gold per ton.
THE SMALLER MINES.
Two smaller mines-the Tucker mine and
the Rabbit mine on the Smith estate have
two veins each. The Tucker mine seems to
be an extension Of the Magnolia, and is Of
the same nature. The Rabbit mine has
only been partially investigated. What
little has been exposed showed a vein of
eighteen inches in width, the ore assaying
from So TO S24 per ton.
Between the Smith and the Magnolia