The morning times., 1896-03-15
WHERE WOMEN WASH GOLD.
They OF the Southern Mountains Lay
No Claim az Being New.
NsyS V.rE Herald


Among the inhabitants OF the Southern
mountains, among these strange. left
over people. whose customs have little
changed from what they were eco years
ago, women bear large share Of the
burdens of existence, and they don't call
themselves new women.
In the South Mountains Of North Caro-
lima. lying 10 the south OF the Old town, OF
MorgantoG. the poorer residents obtain
small amount Of ready money By panniag
gold in the branches" as the little
streams are called. / was told that by far
the greater part Of this WORK was done by
the women, and 1 was invited To make
Journey through the mountains with one
OF these women TO act as guide and per
ceptor.
As we stood the next morning before
log hutthe door opened and woman stool
before US. She was introduced by my
friend as Tine Hank. About thirty
years old. rather small and slight, dressed
in A coarse gown of nondscript color aHd
material, her eyes were Of a most beautiful
brown, while her glossy black hair was
done into simple knot at the back OF her
head. Her feet We're hare and as brown as
the soil which formed the floor OF the cabin.
Time" had been Orewarned of our com
ing, and was ready To start al once with
her gold pan under her arm. In con-
manding tone she called 10 a man who sat
by the fireplace, telling him 70 get a
shovel and follow. We took our way down
a crooked trail which ran alongside enc of
the branches" II it had been pleasure
to see the grace and beauty Of this woman
i'll repose il was a marvel 10 observe her
gliding swiftly along the forest path, with
every muscle in play, every motion al
justed TO the needs of the moment, now
stepping deity from one stone to another.
now graSping the small limb of tree TO
aid her in a steep part of the path.
When we reached a place where heaps
of gravel and sand sho wed thatpanning had
been done Tine assured US she could OBJ
tain color" Taking the shovel from the
mountaineer, she drove it INTO the bed of
the shallow stream, pushing IT down by
placing her ma ked foot on the edge OF the
blade Having carefully chosen painful
OF gravel, she croUched down and com
menced the operation OF -'panning." I
have seen this delicate task performed
many times, but never before with such
rapidity and dexterity. In an incredibly
short time she gave the final twist 10 the
iron pan and exhibited il to US with the
small Terna ming amount OF gravel cox
Iected in its lower edge, while the tiny
yellow scales, the ''colors," were arranged
in a sort OF line in the upper part.
Then she jumped TO the opposite side Of
the branch. digging with her hands at some
| loosened pieces of quartz in the opposite
hlf ha rpfn nr
four pieces in her hands One OF the frag-
ments she held out triumphantly, saying,
.It'u carry righ,-smart gold" while her
/ bright eyes shone with pleasure.
| Placing her trophies on a fiat stone. she
proceeded TO beat the quartz 10 a fine
powder Scraping the crushed materia!
into the pan, she proceeded to a small
pool in the stream and went to work as
deftly as before.
! A pretty picture it was. and a novel one,
this delicate-featured, barefooted woman,
bending over the edge OF the stream, which
rushed along among the gray rocks, taking
its path down the slope of the mountain
under the big pine trees. When the pan
was presented for our inspection, there.
indeed, was "right-SmaTt gold Instead
of few flakes. yellow streak showed on
the black surface of the pan" almost a
pennyweight, as the mOuntaineersi informed
us. This being placed in a Sharpened quill,
brought along for the purpose, we left the
branch and started for other profitable
| workings.
During that day we encountered several
women, usually in small parties, engaged
either in panning or in beating up the loose
vein rock after the primitive method which
Tine had employed. They told us they
avera ged about 81 day when they worked
hard, and there was, of course, always the
chance of striking pocket which might
give them SEQ or $50 in lump They
were able to turn their winnings at one,
into cash by selling the gold to the loca
storekeepers