The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1895-02-22
VAST RICHES BURIED.
Earthquake That Covered the Rich
est of Gold Mines.
Birmingham CAla.) Letter in the Chicago
Times.


Birmingham CAla) Letter in the Chicago
Times.
Nesting amid the hills Of Claiborne
county. Alabama, is a beautiful cove Upon
either side the pine-clad mountains tower
above the little glen where years ago a
camp of hardy gold miners held high car
nival
As the traveller approaches the now de-
serted fields he climbs up steep hill sides.
and mountain brooks dash madly over the
great powders hundreds of feet down into
narrow gorge. The scenery is wild and
rugged, but when the summit is reached a
peaceful valley or cove can be seen. circu-
lar in shape and less than half a mile in
diameter. In the center is a cabin. and
when the sun arises at dawn from behind
the hills and its beams give their morn
ing greeting to the pines an old man. bent
with the weight Of many toilsome years,
can be seen with pick thrown over Shout
ders, leaving the workout holes which
once held golden treasures.
All day long he works and the hills are
SCARED and scanned where he has dug and
tunneled in vain. AS the sun disappears
in the west, leaving upon the skies d
promise of his return, the old man wends
there that saw him one winter evening
when I had lost my way, and leaving
the road which led to Admission had wan
dered into this small cove that few men
ever find.
As 1 entered to ask for lodging I was
amazed and somewhat Mortified to see in
one corner of the bare room a place cut
in the puncheon logs for a mound, at the
head of which was a marble slab with the
single word Sallie engraved upon It.
The story as ! learned it from the lips
of the old man affected me deeply. Before
the war gold was discovered in Georgia
and Alabama, attracting thousands of
people to that section. The old man,
in company with his daughter, left his
home in North Carolina to seek his for
tune in the new El Dorado. Auraria, as
John c. Calhoun named the mining city
which sprang up in the wilds Of Lumpl1in
county, had become a hustling, thriving
mining camp, and the old man, then IN
the prime of life, laid out claim that
PANIED out richly for time, but it was
a pocket and soon ran to sulphurets.
The supply of free gold was about ex,
hausted, and the miners began to leave,
some for the newer, richer fields of Cali
fornia, others prospecting down the Appa-
lachian chain into Alabama Among the
latter was the old man ana his daughter
with them went young man, the fathers
partner at Auraria.
Day after day they wandered over the
mountains coming in in their wagons at
night, but found but little pay dirt a
few of the creeks PANIED out well for
time, but were soon exhausted, and they
finally reached the little cove. No one
had ever been there before, and it was
an enchanting spot Then there was q
mountain stream which flowed through
the valley, and here was discovered a con-
siderable deposit Of coarse gold. It took
but few days to make them compare
lively rich. Then they journeyed over
land to Savannah, 300 miles across the
state Of Georgia. There the partner and
the daughter were married, and once
more the three returned TO the cove. in
tending to spend a few months, and then,
in some large city. live in ease and lux
ury for the rest OF their days. The day