The age-herald., 1897-11-14

portions of the state, is especially rich in mineral resources, including gold and copper, mica, kaolin and iron pyrites. It has been. though, sadly neglected by the builders of railroads, and in con- sequence we have today region in this state in triangular shape, with its base along the Alabama-Geo state line, nearly sixty miles in length. and its maximum width about the same. the greater portion of which is absolutely remote from all railroad facilities.
 This section of the state embraces DOT lions of. the counties of Cleburne, Coesa and Tallapoosa, and all of the countiss of Clay, Randolph and Chambers, and forms the watershed Of both Talla- poosa rivers and a portion of the eastern watershed if the Coosa. It is one of the best watered sections of the entire state, erosion having been so active in the ridges and mountains that innum- erable water courses and small branches have bsen the result. These are fed from the springs located at the bases and on the sides of the several mountain ranges. The average altitude is about 1.2e0 fest above sea level while the sum- mits of some of the peaks reach from 2.200 to 2.4e0 feet above tide water.
 The timber supply in this section con- sists of vast forests of pine. hickory, spanish. red, post and whits oak; poplar. maple, dogwood. sweet and black gum. persimmon, chestnut, chinquapin, and iron wood. Except in isolated instances, these forests have been cut into but lit tie for furnishing logs for sawmill plants; the largest clearings having been made by the farmers in order to cultivate the land.
 The condition of the section so far as water and timber supplies are concern ed, which are of such vital importance in every branch of mining, is therefore most excellent.
 The history of this region dates back fo about 1880, when gold having been d1scoyered in the state of Georgia, pros pectors followed the geological formation across the line into Cleburne county and commenced placer mining by using the long tom, sluice box and rocker which had been designed by the placer miners in North Carolina and Georgia In this article do not propose to refer at great length to either the history as made be tween that date and the present time, or to the evolution dn gold saving devices during the same period, but to give a newsy sketch of the operations at pres
 
 the state.
 So far as comparing the condition either as to operations or prospects for gold mines in Alabama with that in the Rocky Mountain region, any such com parison would demonstrate the ignorance of the person proposing it.
 The operations being conducted at present in Cleburne, Clay, Tallapoosa and Randolph counties show conclusive ly that Alabama possesses good pros poets, which if systematically developed and conservatfvely managed should be- come paying Investments
 The mint returns I feel satisfied will show at the end of the present year that a larger quantity of gold has been pro- duced in Alabama than during the same period of time since the days of placer mining.
 The locations where systematic work has been done recently, in manner such as will prove the value of the proper ties, are at. the Franklin Gold Idaho) mine in Clay county; Hog Mountain, in Tallapoosa county; Hiclxs-Wise and Ech- ols. in Cleburne county, and Pinetucky, iq Randolph county. Of these the Franklin and the Pinetuclxy have been the only two actual producers of bullion except we consider the placer gold taken from Arbacoochee. At the other 1oca- yet been erected by the present owners of the properties, tn work having been confined to determining the extent of the ore, except at one point in Clay county, where MT. Hussey has been working to test a property in the interests of MT. Crosby and ex-Governor Jones, of Mont gomery. A temporary plant, consisting of a ten-stamp mill, has been erected by him on an ore body composed Of white sugary quartz, which he has prospected quite extensively to determine it's ex- tent and permanency, and is now test inp h dptprmine it's grade,
 During the past summer several new finds have been made in Cleburne and Randolph counties in localities where previously no prospecting work whatever had been performed.
 The discoveries in CIeburne county are located about ten miles south from Hefiin, a town on the line of the South- ern railway. These have been found fin the same formation as prospects which have been developed both to the southwest In this state ana 10 the norln- east in Georgia.
 Some of these occurrences prospected should be considered as belonging to the northeast extension of the Franklin mine in Clay county and the Echols mine in Cleburne.
 Tbe last named mine has recently been sold, the deed being placed in. escrow to be delivered on receipt of $1O.000, $20,- 900 already having been paid. Untor- tunately the sale had hardly been con summated, and the first payment made before the property became the subject of litigation, a local firm of attorneys having claimed to have found some mh- nor heirs in whose behalf a suit was commenced. There is some talk Of com promising, but such had not been ac- cornpl.shed at a recent date. MT. Echols the discoverer of this property has per formed quite extensive prospecting work by which the continuity of the ore body has been determined, crossing one 50 acre tract.
 The prospects referred to as securing in the same formation as the Echols is being developed by sinking shaft reaching down about S5 feet. Samples taken from this shaft show that there are several strata of paying material from the top down, and that ore yielded good value by banning, also that at the bottom there was pay ore showing that the orebody had not been entirely cross- cut, The material separating these strata may be considered as barren, but If milling operations are carried on, ft will probably be found to be more economical to treat the entire thickness <,P tha n, a teria1 than to attempt to Sepa-