The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1897-02-17
GOLD MINING.
The Underground World, or Life Be-
low the Surface,

Fear ridden, ignorant man seems to have
been dominated by the idea that nature was
the realm of de mons, lying In walt To immo-
late humanity. There was great spirit 10
worst nigh be dreaded, should curious In
quiry lead the dweller on the surface TO ask
the secrets of the everlasting rocks. In such
primitive days mining was not dreamed OF.
The metals were as remote from use as though
they had their abode In some other planet.
When intelligence dawned the observer
found mercy, and not hate. In all phenomena.
and 1t needed but little effort to make man g
miner, following by foresight and energy the
veins OF treasurers that had been found In
caverns.
Mining is nearly as old as the hills, for
the first Instance, there were no mountains.
vast sphere circled in space. an intensely
heated molten ball, surrounded by hot at
degrees the outer part OF this molten mass
gave out the heat Into space, and portions of
It's matter became solid as they cooled. AS
the cooling proceeded, these solid masses
crust. The vapor In the atmosphere was next
condensed. and formed the great ocean, COW
ering the whole globe. From time TO time
the mighty ocean would break through weak
places In the crust, and flow in on the seeth-
ing mass below. Great volumes OF steam
would then be formed, which would rend the
solid barriers above IT, and force through the
openings thus made floods OF melted rock 10
flow over the earth, and, in course of time,
cooled down Into new mineral deposit.
Then came upheavals. and the grind ng.
bursting process that we call earthquakes.
Several such phenomena gave TO the earth its
mountain chains. They same forces operate
to-day rs they did yesterday, but, happily for
us, the fields for their display have lessened,
as the audience in the great theatre has i'm
proved.
Hence the hills are not eternal. The found
Btions OF life were laid, possibly, before the
Little Mountain OF Abbeville raised It's beek
ling crest to heaven.
The heavier and more precious metals grav-
itate toward the center, and might thus have
been forever hidden from humanity, but for
the bursting force and heat, which are among
the factors of nature.
Whenever gold is found In its matrix of
quartz, IL seems to be suggested that In the
earlier commissions the treasures on the globe
were projected from central fires, through
masses OF matter less dense; and was arrested
In the swiftly. crystalized quartz by that
electric thrill which at times sends 1t tremor
through the universe.
MAN WAS MEANT TO BE MINER.
Mining In general would be subject too
wide for our space, as we'll as our knowledge.
In confining ourselves 10 gold, only brief and
cursory glances are possible on the few facts
known concerning mining.
Nature placed 10 reach OF man, gold In pay
ing quantities when the minineral resources
In the vicinity of the mountains Of Abbeville
made at mining there have resulted in fall
ure, merely on the account OF II being out
crop mining. Thereby the mineral resources
have besn condemned.
In all the history of mining about the Little
Mountain there has never been mining
pump used, and the extent Of excavation
was 10 water, never dreaming OF a trunk, from
deposits of nature are found below water, and
no other mining operation will penetrate
them.