Birmingham state herald., 1897-03-06
GEOLOGICAL SURVEY
cLBBURNE COUNTY GOLD PROS
 PECTS.
Operations in Trickem valley-The Hicks-wise. Thornton and Gold
 Ridge Properties.
For the State Herald.

For the State Herald. ts
 The mining craze or boom which is at present so conspicuous throughout DOT lions of the south has invaded Alabama, and from the manner in which the new ly arrived opera tors are commencing work I am of the opinion that the devel- opment of some of the properties which have been idle for some years will be attended with such results as will at all events remove all doubt in the fu- ture as to their value
 I recently visited Trickem Valley Tn Cleburne county which Is situated to the east of the Arbacoochee mining dls- trict. In 1893 work was being done Tn the valley at the Hicxs-Wise prospect and some years caller the Anna Howe anu Anna Howe extension were being actiVe- ly operated on scale of sufficient mag nitude to warrant the opinion that new era had dawned. But these opera tions were suspended, after an elaborate pros peotus had been issued, stock certih- cates sold, a Huntington milling plant with Frue Vanner concentrating table erected, and an incline shaft sunk to below the water level.
 Since 1893 Cincinnati syndicate oper- ated in the valley under the superintend- ence of Col. Sam Fehr, and quite exten-
 
 ton of an Arastra plant was the result This work though was suspended in 1895 and since then the resounding noises Of the miner pounding the head of drill, or the explosion of blasts have been un- heard in the neighborhood.
 But today the scenes have been shifted. and once more activity has taken the place of idleneSs.
 A Wisconsin syndicate purchased the
 HICKS-WISE PROPERTY, early in February. and I found at the time of my regent visit force of men had already commenced work, under the superintendence of Capt. Briggs, former ly of the Briggs mine in Colorado. He is having the old working shaft cleaned out, and retimbered in a systematic man. ner. and proposes to sink fifty feet deeper than the present bottom of the shaft, which was about TOT feet in 1893. A steam hoisting plant and pumping ma- chinery will be put in place at once, in fact a portion of the machinery is on the ground, and the foundation for the engine being prepared. Because of the decom- posed condition of the foundation this foundation is being built in cribs in order to make it perfectly solid.
 This property is, so far as was known In 1893, when mining was being done, and l examined the underground workings, an immense body of low grade ore. The structure of the body is very similar to many others in Alabama, and is described best by the name given such by Dr. Becker, of the United States geological schistose formation for a thickness of about thirty feet, is interca1culated by innumerable stringers of quartz, which, however, do not carry any greater value than the associated strata of decomposed schists. Above water level this ore may be termed "saprolitic," or decomposed ''rock in place.
 THE THORNTON
 is another prospect located on a ridge parallel to that in which the Hicks-W Wise Is situated and about one-quarter of a mile easterly. The ore body on this MT. s. B. Bennett, the owner, has a force of men employed to develop 1t to depth of at l4ast fifty feet, by an incline shaft, sunk on the dip of the ore body.
 In many respects this occurrence is much similar to the Hicks Wise, but as it has not yet been cross cut it's entire thickness I am unable to say whether in that characteristic it is equal to that ore body. Neither can the average grade of the ore be yet given in justice to the has not yet been carried sufficiently deep.
 THE VERDUN PROSPECT. is located on another parall.l ridge to the westward from the Hicks-Wise, dis tant about one mile. The ore body at iillS IOcdllOH IS enllfely inherent rom the decompoSed saprolitic ores and is re- garded by many as an extension of the Anna Howe. But the work on this pros pect has only been recently commenced, and future developments are necessary to enable anyone to determine any ma terial facts. A force of men has been employed to open up this ore body, and thoroughly prospect 1t to determine its average extent, grade and probabilities of permanency.
 THE GOLD RIDGE PROPERTY. which was prospected to a limited extent some years since, and from which it is claimed large number of quite rich nuggets were taken from placer material has recently become the subject of atten- tion. This is one of the most extensive tracts of mineral land, under one own ership in the state, consisting of some 1,600 acres, which were located in such shape as to include as much as possible of the ore body along its line of strike, in the event that continuity was main tained.
 A quantity of the ore from the shall low prospect pit was recently shipped to the plant of the Royal Gold Mining company, near Tallapoosa, Ga., for treat ment to test its value, and the character of the ore, as to whether it was entirely free milling. In appearance the material is ferringinous quarzite, and where it has been exposed shows a thickness of some twenty feet. But to my knowledge its average value has never been ascer- tained, neither do I know whether the sample shipped to the Royal works is an average one taken from section through the entire thickness. or was selected from portions of the body.
 I am not informed what the owners of this property propose to do but in the past no effort has been made to thorough ly develop, or even prospect the property
 WILLIAM M. BREWER