The news & observer., 1897-04-18
GOLD IN NORTH CAROLINA.
24,OOOOO0 Produced in the State-Spe-
cial Report by Geological Survey.

The Geological Survey report ON gold
deposits in North Carolina Is now ready
/ for distribution and copies can be obtain
ed from the State Geologist by forward
| ing . cents for the payment OF postage
| The report is accompanied by a geOioS-
, ical map of the State which shows the re-
gions in which gold has been found In any
considera BILE quantity, the location or phe
more important mines, and the character
of the rocks in all the gold producing
district. The new discoveries in Gram
vile county are located on this map but
not described in the report as the latter
had been printed before the discoveries
were made.
The total amount of gold produced in
the State to date is estimated to be
Sd 100000, mostly in Franklin, Nash,
Montgomery, Moore, Davidson, Rowan,
Stanley, Cabarrus, MecklenburS, Union,
Burke, Mcdowell, Rutherford, Hender-
son, Jackson and Macon counties.
At what time gold mining was first
undertaken in North Carolina, says Prof.
Holmes in this report, cannot be ascer-
tanned, but several traditions, which carry
a large proba biEty of truth, would seem
10 indicate that the auriferous character
of the section was known before the Re-
volut:onary war. One of the localities in
this State, which it is believed was work
ed before that struggle began, was the
Oliver mine in CASTOR county.
Information has recently been received
of the successful operation of the Parker
mine in Cherokee county, n. c., by the
Cherokee Indians long before the coming
of the white pioneers into that section.
They obtained only nugget god and their
art was entirely inadequate to the Win
ming of the fine dust gold.
The first authentic find was on the
Reed plantation, IN Cabarrus county,
where II pound nugget was found in
1899 Its value was not suspected at
first, but when it was ascerta.ned to be
gold, a systematic search was undertak-
en-, and large number of nuggets were
unearthed.
Success at this mine stimulated search
elsewhere; nugget gold was found at the
Dunn mine in Mecklenburg county soon
afterwards, and curious stories are still
current OF the common uses to which
these nuggets were put by the local gun
smiths.
1C-o SOiI vi a NASOAOuo oSale
was carried on along the entire Appala-
chan slope, from Virginia to Alabama.
The placers or Exc deposits were first
worked, then the gosSan outcrOps of the
veins, where slight skill with few and
cheap appliances were adequate to the
work. The exhaustion of these easily
worked stores was effected about the time
of the discovery of gold in California and
there was alarge exodus of miners to that
territory. The mining work had not re-
covered from the retarding influences of
this exodus when the civil war came and
put an end to all work. At the close
of the war but one gold mine in North
Carolina was in operation. Since then
there have been sspasmodic revivals and
depresssons in gold mining throughout
the State, and at the present time every
thing points to healthy growth Of the
industry.
The greatest drawback in the develop
ment of this industry in the State at the
present time is the lack of large metallurg-
ical plants, located at central points like
Salisbury and Charlotte, where the ores
from the hundreds of neighbor.ng mines
could be successfully treated.