The Ketchum keystone. [volume] (Ketchum, Idaho) 1885-1899, 1894-06-23
GOLD In GEORGIA.
Wonderful Resources OF Undevel-
oped Mining REGIONS.
Tona Of Precious Metal Maid to Bo Eos-
uy Available-Traditions Handed
Down Among the Choro-
keo indiana.

i OSAAAK
ject, spoke Of the possibilities of tht
prediction OF Georgia gold -very high
~. 'The gold in Georgia. said he, iii
in perfectly accessible region, which
makes it twice as valuable as gold
that might be taken out of Californis
or the Black Hills. A mine of enor
nous richness is of little value II II
is in an impenetrable region. The gold
| country of Georgia is in q perfect net
| work of railways, and the metal can be
found very near the surface. thus max.
ing it easily reached by the miner
The water courses that pour down the
hills give the best possible power
labor is cheap and easily procurable,
and it is necessary to transport the
ore but short distance. In Califor.
MIA It was frequently necessary to haul
it fifty or hundred miles. The value
Of gold is controlled to great extent
by the cost of its production, and the
ore in north Georgia, being particular
" decomposed, is worked with great
facility. It looks as II nature had CON
spired to put the enormous amount OF
gold in the hills of Georgia into the
miners hands"
It has been estimated that the gold
belt of Georgia is about one hundred
miles in breadth. The richest sections
in this belt have been found to be in
the counties Of Cherokee, Lumpkin,
White and Dawson.
A prominent Atlanta capitalist re-
Gently told q writer for the Atlanta
Constitution some pretty good stories
about the mines and seems to have
their whole history at his fingers
ends. "There have been traditions
handed down for generations among
the Cherokee Indians. WHO once in
habited the northwest portion Of
Georgia." he began, assuming q ref1ec-
tive mood, Gin regard to the vast quan-
titles of gold stored away in the old
red hills of northern Georgia. There
was an old chief named Cheynagowah,
who could tell wonderful stories about
the richness Of the Cherokee gold.
The present location of the Cherokee
mills was one of the camps of the Span
ish invaders. who, under the leader
ship of De Soto, invaded Georgia on
their way to the Mississippi, and after
ward on their return to Spain related
wonderful stories about the immense
richness of the orc to be found on the
new continent. The historic Etowah
river runs through this country, and
the old chief used to talk great deal
about the superiority of the ore to be
found on the banks of the little creek
that emptied into the Etowah. The
little creek was of such Importance
that it had several different names,
none of which were at all suitable.
They called it the Rio Creek Blanket
Creek. and the natives would FREE
auentlv combine the two, and unite on
Rio Blanket. These names were all
derived from Spanish source. and
the proper appellation was doubtless
Rio Blanquetta.' The Spaniards
struck trail along the Etowah, and,
keeping the -much-named stream in
sight, proceeded through the very
heart of the gold country and passed
over the sites of the famous Frank
lin, Pasco and Strickland mines.
There was an old mine near these
famous ones which was formerly
worked to one hundred feet below the
water level and in its time yielded two
hundred dollars per ton. This mine
was situated on the little Blanket
Creek"
A well-known mining specialist, in
talking of late discoveries recently,
said: ''It seems to be decidedly in the
range of proba bilities that tons of the
precious ore can be taken out Of the
existing mines or newly opened veins,
if the proper machinery is used and
the shafts are sunk deep enough. 1t is
q question of international importance |
where we may replenish the fast-de-
creasing supply of the precious metal
when the mines now being worked
fail. do not think that government
al aid would be misplaced in opening
up these valuable lands, but whether
or not any action is taken by our gov
.rnmcnt the wonderful resources OF
Inc Georgia hills cannot long remain