The Houma courier. (Houma, La.) 1878-1939, 1896-06-27
WOMEN WASH FOE GOLD.
North Carolina DANES Bear Their Part
in the Mining Operations.


North Carolina DANES Bear Their Part
in the Mining Operations.
Among the inhabitants of the SOUTH
ern mountains, among those strange
leftover people whose customs have
little changed from what they were 200
years ago, women bear a large share
of the burdens of existence and they
don't call themselves new women.
In the South mountains of North Car
DINA, lying to the south of the old town
of Morganton, the poorer residents OBJ
tain a small amount of ready money
by panning gold in the ~'branches,"
as the little streams are called. It was
told that by far the greater part of this
work was done by women, and 1 vas
invited to make q journey through the
mountains with one of these women to
act as guide and preceptor.
AS we stood the next morning before
a log hut the door opened and a woman
stod before us. She was introduced by
my friend as "Tine" Hank. About 30
years old, rather small, slight, dressed
in a coarse gown of nondescript color
and material, her eyes were Of the most
beautiful brown, while her glossy black
hair was done into q simple knot at the
back of her head. Her feet were bare
and as brown as the soil which formed
the floor Of the cabin.
'sTine'' had been forewarned Of our
coming and was ready to start at once
with her gold pan under her arm. In
a commanding tone she called to q man
who sat by the fireplace, telling him to
get a shovel and follow. We took our
way down q crooked trail which ran
alongside one of the branches" If ii
had been a pleasure to seethe grace and
beauty of this woman in repose, it was
a marvel to observe her gliding along
the forest path, with every muscle in
play, every motion adjusted to the
needs of the moment, now stepping
deity from one stone to another, now
grasping the small limbo of a tree to aid
her in a steep part of the path.
When we reached q place where heaps
of gravel and sand showed that panning
had been done, 'Tine' assured us she
could obtain a "%color." Taking the
shovel from the mountaineer, she drove
it into the bed of the shallow stream
pushing it down by placing her naked
foot OIL, the edge of the blade. Having
carefully chosen q painful of gravel, she
crouched down and commenced the op-
Grafton Of banning I have seen this
delicate task performed many times
but never before with such rapidity and
d~exterity. In an incredibly short time
she gave the final twist OF the iron pan
and exhibited il to us with the small
remaining amount of gravel collected
its lower edge, while the tin yellow
scales, the "colors,' were arranged il
a sort Of line in the upper part.
Then she jumped to the opposite sid'
Of the branch, digging with her hands
ut some loosened pieces of quartz in thu
opposite bank. She returned, carrying
three or four pieces in her hands. On,
of the fragments she held out triumph
antly, saying: eth carry right smar
gold" while her bright eyes shone will
pleasure.
Placing her trophies on a fat stone
she proceeded to beat the quartz to
fine powder. Scraping the crushed ma
terial into the pan she proceeded to
small pool in the stream and went t,
work as deity as before.
A pretty picture it was and a move
one, this delicate featured, barefootet
woman, bending over the edge Of tn,
stream, which rushed along among til,
gray rocks, taking its path down tn
slopeof the mountain under the big pin
trees. When the pan was presented 70
inspection there, indeed, was "righ
smart gold" Instead of a few flakes
yellow streak showed on the black sur
face of the p~an-"almost a penny
weight" as the mountaineers informe,
us. This being placed in a sharpene'
quill brought along for the purpose
we left the branch" and started 70
other profitable workings.
During the day we encountered sey
eral women, usually in small parties
engaged either in banning or in beat
ing up the loose vein of rock after tn
primitive method which Tine had EN-
p1oyed. They told us they average
about 81 a day when they worked hard
ard there was, Of course, always tn
chance Of striking a pocket" whici
might give them $50 or $50 in a lump
They were able to turn their winning
at once into cash by selling the gold t
the local stoFekeepes,-N. Z. Herald.
-Lamartine's best poetry was writ
ten when he was no mora than 20 year
Of age.