Custer weekly chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, S.D.) 1890-1931, 1895-05-18
GOLD MINES IN THE SOUTH.
Expert Bechcr Of the GeoiosicHi survey
Makes All Interesting Report.

Expert Beckcr of the Geologicai survey
Makes AN Interesting Report.
washington, May 10-The report OF Geo.
r.. Becker Of the geological survey. VINO
mas been investigating the gold producing
districts of the southern Appalachian re-
zion. especially the Carolinas ana "eor-
gsa, has been completed. In " ne says
!haf the entire south has produced ABOUT
as. 900. 900 OF gold since 1893, SiS,V"'VV Oh
which came from Georgia and the caro-
inas. or these South Carolina produced
about 1900, 900, Georgia $l6,VU'VU anu
North Carolina s23. 900, 900. Carabus couh-
w IN the southwestern part of North car
pima, Is the richest part OF all. IN tne
.arly part of the century the largest mug
rot on record In the United States was u.s.
covered there. Just a month ago one
weighing over eighg pounds was found
The formation IN which the gold ~
ound Is so peculiar that Mr.. Becker mas
found IL best TO disregard the old express
sion of vein or ledge and adopt the ne"
,ne Of "stringer belt" Most OF the str'hs-
srs of gold bearing quartz are extreme!
thin. As a rule they run through a sia'e
formation which has been split apart Wy
thousands OF tiny longitudinal cracks, N
which the gold bearing veins run. lie mas
counted as many as twenty OF these uhy
s~tringers, zach beering gold. In a breadth
Of one inch. The widest OF these str.ngers
Is not more than fou inches. As a RUE.
too, the stringers are snort, but are usu-
ally connected at the ends by Utmost Inn
perceptible transverse or partially trahs.
verse cracks. A long reef Of slate filled
with these stringers constitutes What ne
calls the stringer belt.
tn -.L.L2l. - .,k,tnr I'm thiC formation
are somewhat Ike that formerly used N
the hydraulic mining OF California. the
slate is as a rule ~decomposed and can be
washed down by the impact OF a stream OF
water. This is directed only against the
slate reef. and the debris IL carried
through s~luices, where the free gold Is
caught The very fine gold usually es-
capes. The heavy pieces Of rock are saved
and are milled In the usual way, and
finally treated by a wet c~hiorination pro-
cess that has been found well adapted for
the ores. One peculiarly OF the work IL
that the ore from above the water line.
which has been more or less oSodized,
seldom yields a greater quantity than one
fourth OF Its gold. while that from the low
CIR levels, where there has been no oxide,
often yields more thar half. The expla-
nation IL that the rusts or oxides formed
cover the particles OF gold with a film
which prevents II from matchmaking
with the mercury.
Ore ~assaying SO a ton will pay for gem
eral mining. while that worth as little as
Sl.67 a ton will pay by the chlor!nation
process In voeue The usual run OF ores
In the mines liz worth about s. per ton.
There Is comparatively little pan. or or
binary placer mining. This little is done
by negroes. who earn at the best about
T5 cents This is enough to pay for the
work under the low scale of labor In the
south. but would not, OF course, be an In
sestment to anyone TO 40 there.
Mr.. Becker says that he considers the
country a good mineral one and the pros
poets for investment excellent. There are
not likely 20 be any great fortunes made.
nor any b%onanzas discovered, but mining
Investments Will pay from 10 10 IL pei
.ent IL made with care and prudence.