Birmingham state herald. (Birmingham, Ala.) 1895-1897, 1897-01-21

should not exceed so cents per ton. The
system of mining practiced Is that of
the open cut or quarry, with breast
about sixty feet high, and thickness
of fifty feet of pay ore OF course with
lowgrade ore, the crushing capacity on
such an extensive ore body should be
very much greater than the present plant
in order to pay dividends. There is no
doubt though but that the results at the
Idaho mine will have a very strong in
fluence on the future of the gold Mining
industry in the state of Alabama. In the
same district another property known as
the "Hollingsworth Watts" has been
worked to some extent, but whether the
results from the operations of a Hunt
ington mill, which the management
erected during the summer, have been
satisfactory l am unable to state. The
property itself has not been sufficiently
prospected to establish its value, or ena-
BILE a conservative engineer to estimate
on the quantity of ore in sight.
The gold at this location is found dis
seminated through mica-gneiss country
rock, and although several bodies of
quartz are found on the property, and in
close proximity to the gold-bearng
schists, yet such quartz is generally bar
rem. Consequently the occurrence of
gold in the country rock gives rise to
much speculation as to it's deposition.
Considera BILE shallow prospecting work
has been done in Clay county during the
past year, the results of which should
not be published until further develop
ments determine whether such prospects
possess any substantial value. In other
sections of the Alabama gold region, with
| the exception of the Pinetucky district,
active operations have only been carried
on spasmodically during 1896.
At Pinetucky the lesseeS have been
working to put the mine in shape to en-
able them to take out the ore and treat
it at minimum cost. The average value
of the ore is sufficient to warrant carry
ing on mining and milling, but the great
bugbear that has to be overcome, and
which really has been responsible for
failure in the past, is the cost of mining,
and the fact that more than once the
management by neglect permitted sew
eral hundred tons of barren slate to be
mined, such having been mistaken for
ore by the miners. From the present
prospect Pinetucky promises 10 become
a bullion producer in 1897.
At Silver Hill, in Tallapoosa county,
operations have been carried on during
such portion of the year as the water
supply permitted.
The manag ement responsible for the
erection of the stamp mill on this proper
ty made fatal mistake in locating it ON
O branch the quantity of water in
which during dry seasons, such as last
year, was not sufficient for milling pur-
poses. The consequence is that while the
ore is of such grade as will permit min
ing and milling alta profit, yet operations
cause of the lack of water.
In the Arbaccoche district the year be-
gan with great activity being evinced
by the Chattanooga company, which
purchased a portion of Section in 1895.
But later, after erecting a plant for hy
draulic mining, and operating the same
for a short period, work was abandoned.
and during the later portion of the year
the property has remained idle and the
camp itself relapsed into the condition
of ouietude which has been IT'S normal
condition for past several years, except
during short periods, when some lndivid-
ual or company. would start up works,
take out a little rich ore and then as sud-
derby shut down.
These notes give a very fair summary
of the active mining. operations during
the past year. Mr.. Joshua Franklin, who
has had charge of the Idaho mines. read
a paper before the AIaba ma Industrial
and Scientific society at its last meeting.
in which he gave pretty full details OF
the working of his Huntington mill, and
! think shows very concluSively that the
low-grade ore in that section may be
worked with profit. " SO ..sr
When the results of Mr. Franklin's
work become generally known. and es-.
pecialy If Mr. Ivey's experience with
the Hollingsworth Watts property should
be equally promising. the effect upon the
gold mining industry of Alabama cannot
fail to be q favorable one. This indus
try has during the past few years suf-
fered much at the hands of the boom
err" since a very considerable proportion
of the enterprises in this section have
been conceived and carried out for the
sole purpose of selling out to some syn
dicate of capitalists. i know of no rea-
son why the mining and milling of our
low-grede ores should not with suita-
Bile methods and processes. lie attended
with profit.
EUGENE A SMITH.