The Mt. Sterling advocate. (Mt. Sterling, Ky.) 1890-current, 1895-05-14
GOLD
FOUND in THE south.
Record Breaking Nuggets Found
in Cabarrus County.
North Carolina.
Good Mineral Country, But No
Bonanzas Are Likely to Be
Discovered.

A report of George #. Becker, Of
the Geological Survey, who has been
investigating the gold-producing dis
tricts of the Southern Appalachian
region, has been completed,
Mr.. Becker was sent out on this
work last August, and spent the three
following months in prosecuting IT..
The greater part of the time he was in
the Carolinas, and in Georgia, where
the gold region is best defined. These
districts have been producing gold
for very nearly a full century. Gold
has also been found in nearly all the
other Southern States, but not in very
considerable quantaties. The entire
South has produced about $45,000,OOO
of gold since 1899, $43,000,000 of
which came from Georgia and the
Carolinas. OF the $43,000,000 South
Carolina produced about $4,OOO,OOO,
Georgia $l6,0OO,OO0 and North Caro-
lima 500, 100000.
Cabarrus county, in the sou Invest
ern part of North Carolina, is the
richest part of all and is famous for
the nuggets that have been found
there. In the early part of the CEN
fury the largest nugget on record in
the United States was discovered
there. Just month ago one weigh
ing eight pounds was picked ur.
The formation in which the gold is
found is so peculiar that Mr. Becker
has found it best to disregard the old
expression of vein or ledge and adopt
the new one of "stringer belt" Most
of the stringers of gold-bearing quartz
are extremely thin. AS rule they
run through a slate formation which
has been split apart by thousands of
tiny longitudinal cracks, in which the
gold bearing veins run. He has
counted as many as twenty of these
tiny stringers, each bearing gold, in a
breadth of one inch. The widest of
these stringers is not more than four
inches. AS rule, too, the stringers
are short, but are usually connected at
the ends by almost imperCeptible
transverse or partially transverse
cracks. A long reef of slate, filled
with these stringers, constitutes what
Mr.. Becker calls the stringer belt.
The methods of mining in this
formation are somewhat like those
formerly used in the hydraulic mining
of California. The slate is as a rule
decomposed, and can be washed down
by the impact of stream of water.
Thisis directed only against the slate
reef, and the debris is carried through
sluices, whore the free gold is caught.
The very fine gold usually escapes.
The heavy pieces of rock are saved
and are milled in the usual way
: and are finally treated by wet chic.
ridation process that has been found
. we'll adapted for the ores.
One popularity of the work is thai
the ore from above the wafer line
which has been more or less oxidized
: seldom yields greater quantity thar
one fourth of its gold, while that from
the lower levels, where there has beel
Q no oxidation, often Yields more
}. than one-half. The explanation il
: that the rlssts or oxides formed covel
I Ethe particles of gold with a film
which prevents it from analgamatins
- with the mercury.
Ore, assaying So ton will pay fo
general mining, while that worth a
little as 81 ion will pay by tn,
ehloridation process in vogue. Th'
n usual run of ore in the mines that ar,
S worked is about 70 per ton.
t There is comparatively little pan OF
q ordinary placer mining.. This little
|. is done by negroes, who earn at tn,
: best about seventy-fve cents day
: This is enough to pay them for tn,
: work under the new scale of labor il
s the South, but would, of course be nj
k inducement to any one to go there.
e1 Mr.. Decker says that he consider
a the country good mineral dne ant
/; the prospects for Investment excellent
Y There are not likely to be any greal
q fortunes made or bonanzas discover
I. ed, but mining investments will pa,
J. from 10 to 15 per cent. if made witt
lcare and prudence.