The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1896-06-07
GOLD IN THE SOUTH.
Only q Few of the Many Veins Have
Been Opened.

Letter in Springfield Republican.
In the search for valuable minefais-that
Is, auriferous and argentiferous ores-the
Seep s,1 OF , at uSe1lo toI IN 4 ms country mas IA
Northwest, while a section of the country
much nearer at home and possibly as rich In
mineral resources has been passed by al
most unnoticed, and remains to-day prac-
tically undevelOped. That the Appalachian
range of mountains from Virgtaia on the
north TO the extreme end OF the range in
the State of Alabama on the south is min
eral-bearing has been fully determined by
the most expert biologists and mineralo-
glsts OF the country In addition to gold
and silver there IS to be found tin, zinc.
lead, corundum, monazite and other vaiu-
able minerals, while diamonds and other
precious gems are Included in the wealth of
natures storehouse along the slopes of this
picturesque mountain range. This is no fairy
tale. and as relates to auriferous ores and
deposits we. have only to say that what has
been done at Dahlonega, Ca, may with
proper management be repeated on a more
extensive scale in other sections along the
range. 1t is related of a resident of Chiffon
county, Alabama, with a decided aversion to
manual labor, that when he wanted a little
money he would take an old pan and go
over to MUD creek and In a short time wash
out gold enough to satisfy his immediate
wants. I have seen specimens of gold-bear-
ing rock taken from a drift on the banks
Of the Waxahatchie, in Shelby county, of the
same State.
The question is sometimes asked, why, If
the South has such valuable mineral re-
sources, have they not been more thorough
~ developed? The question Is a pertinent
one, and there are various reasons for this
lack of development. but the most prominent
one is the fact that prior to the late war
the South was a sealed book, controlled al
most exclusively by wealthy men who were
Shareholders. and the raising and selling or
cotton, tobacco. corn and other products
of the soil afforded magnificent revenues,
with which they were we'll satisfied. These
men looked upon the intrusion of outside
Yankees" as detrimental to the best inter-
ests of Southern institutions.
The war closed the sources of Southern
resources temporarily, and the end of hos
tilities found the once opulent Southern
gentleman very poor in this worlds goods,
and his broad plantations were divided and
subdfvided between numerous small owners.
For years after the 'unpleasantness" there
existed a very strained feeling between the
two sections of the country, which would
not admit of Northern capital and industry
developing Southern resources to any great
extent. Fortunately this feeling is rapidly
dying out, and the true Southerner, with
now stands ready TO welcome any industry
or enterprise that will be for the best In
terests Of the South. and is willing and
eager to assist in the development
In the few Southern workings Of aurif-
erous ores. with but few exceptions, only
primitive methods of extracting the metal
have been in use and 1T remains for men of
energy and perseverance,, backed I'D with a
little capital and possessed of modern ap-
pliances for extracting the auriferous de-
post from both rock and placer, to aston
ish the country with a showing of the wealth
of the Appalachians.