The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-09-26
SARATOGAS GOLD MINES.
EXCITEMENT OVER REPORTS OF
THE D~IsCoVERY OF RICH ORE.
Farmer Morriss ola Dream May Ne Coming
True-Resuits or Prospects ut 'Tho Crater,
-EI-SudEo Hiiton's Researchea-The Law
asa the Right to Mine fer Precious Metals.

-Ex-SudEo Hiiton's Researches-The Law
asa the Right TO Mine for Precious Metals.
SARATOGA, Sept. ~25.-Saratoga county has
the gold fever in a violent form. A search Of
the coat pockets.of the most sodate and conscrv-
alive citizen would probably discover broken
bits OF stone, specimens from various portions
OF tho county where boulders ard ridges Of
quartz break up the farm lands. Already there
are several Incorporated companies. besides
many individuals, engaged in the hunt for gold.
They have secured leases OF about every farm
In tho northern towns Of the county and claims
for the discovery Of precious metals are being
filed daily with the Secretary Of State.
The centre of all operations In the gold indus
try is the Robert Morris farm, nine milos up q
tortuous road from Saratoga Springs in the
foothills of the Adirondack. The Morris farm
ts almost a Saratoga county landmark. 1t
occupies an elevated ridge, from which the val
ley of the Hudson may be seen, as well as Sara
toga lake and the tall buildings OF the summer
capital. Morris has resided tnere for nearly
a half century, and his ancestors before him
lodged the ribs Of rock protruding from tho
earth on the fifty acres he possesses as they
ploughod bits of ground from which sparse
crops Of vegetables and garden truck were
obtained. The principal part Of the Morris
income, however. was and is obtained from
lumber, logs, hop poles and barrel hoop ma
terial. Tho homestead perches upon the
highest ridge in the vicinity. 1t Is q char
acterfstic farmhouse, moro picturesque than
substantial, has never made the acquaint-
ance OF paint and would stand repairs both
internally and externally. Morris is known
for miles around as an amateur geologist.
He has two sons and lives up there In the wilds
with them and his wife the year around.
II hev allus knowed. " said Morris. tibet thar
was gold In these here rock. and hev allus said
so. too. l kin show you over yender on the
mounting a big bowl in the rock, like a morter,
where the Injuns themselves ulster pound the
quartz for the yallow metal. l hev allus con-
rendered tibet the red fellers knew more'n a
leetle about the valuable things in these hero
mountings. and you kin bet they was onto tho
TACK tibet gold cud be gotten out o. the rock"
Morris filed claims for gold as far back as
1870. but never had the money to go ahead
with any mining enterprise. He managed to
secure assays twenty years ago. and his speci-
mems yielded both gold and silver, though In
limited quantities. for he could not obtain rock
from any distance beneath tho surface. There
Is on the Delaney farm, about half a mile north
OF the Morris place. a natural formation which
the natives describe as the Crater. It ia a
hole that makes a precipitous descent into the
rocky earth, and the formation is of a peculiar
grayish quartz which is easily broken into
pieces. Ten or twelve years ago the crater
was prospected In a small way, and II was dis.
covered that after n descent OF several feet 1t
shot of at an angle of IS degrees into a cavern.
Gus chamber. Water impeded the work of the
prospectors and they abandoned the hole, filling
1t with loose stones.
Morris believes that this place was once the
scene Of volcanic eruptions. for the rock in the
road near there looks like a stream OF cooled
Ia y n studded With orlipnrr -
bles. South Of the crater is a ridge OF rock
protruding from the ground and bordered by
pine trees. This is called Hogs Back and runs
for two miles. 1t has the appearance Of an
f f%tssdhS up F tSrop aSbh tbe a soif EeFbp esp and
able resemblance to the spinal formation of the
razor back hog, and the resemblance is en-.
Four years ago two or three holes were opened
in this vicinity. Water in,erfered again and
past. however. Frederick Tarrant, a retired sara.
toga business man who has organized the Sarato-
ga Springs Gold Mining Company, has been pre-.
pairing &c. prospect the region on a scientific plan.
On Aug. % the Tarrant Company began opera
sGns a. ho 3 ieass Of T Te b, 500 R. fee; I east da..S OF n, the
drilling and blasting with powder and has Sc.
cured rock that assays more than $50 to the ton.
II has reached q depth OF about twenty. I've feet.
The laborers are now In blue quartz with metal.
bearing veins running through it. An expert
ago and was very favorably impressed with the
results and the indications. In mining the
WDrkfuen nave struck one wall rock and are
working for the other. as the best finds OF gold
are said to lie in n vein between two walls.
The expert advises the company to continue
going deeper until it strikes a richer vein. The
company will probably continue blasting dur.
ing the winter and will bring more powerful ex.
gIlosives into play as soon as water is struck.
The company has leased and covered with
claims more than 1000 acres OF am land in
t a. i ;D ana IL indication warrant will PIPER,
ness men are interested in the project, and the
concern is capitalized at $40, 600.
The Miller farm d. aNtrppnalr xarant;1o a..
mineral way. There is an undeveloped black
lead mine, a promising iron territory. and in
lead pyrites have been found in generous ouan.
titles. Assays made from rock taken from the
Crater show good results in silver and fair
Henry Hilton of New York has a force of men
regularly employed on his mine north Of his
known as Miller's Rocks, a wild ard dcsoiate
place. The utmost secrecy is maintained by
experimental by Col. Albert Hilion. It is said
that the early assays showed gold amounting to
The territory is guarded. and tho Hiltons will
not talk concerning what they have found,
though they are blasting. and drilling every
day, Specimens secured from this place show
R RosRiipIs iSad ies EYE WIN eNiG rop a quart formation.
Ex.sheriff William w. worden is at tho
head OF another syndicate that has secured
OF Greenfield between the Tarrant mine and
the Hilton mine; Police COMMISSIONS David
DdNlusoH ma lleu ClulmS ON his backward
property north of the village. and many farm.
ers and owners Of farms have covered odd
pieces of territory with claims preliminary TO !
disposinR OF them TO syndicates or working
them themselves. Farms or tracts of land
that might have been purchased for ri an
acre a few weeks ago cannot now be bought
from their owners. who believe that the rock |
which they have, been matchmaking for
years Is about to yield them a fortune al last.
There has been some discussion since the
gold craze took possession of the community
the right, to mine precious metals as
affected by the, old laws. The greater part of
the lands on which claims have been filed for.
merly belonged to the old Kayadcrosscras
Patent, granted in l,7os in the maine Of Queen
Anne by, Lore, Cornbury, Governor OF the col
ony of New York, to sampson Brighton and
his associates. This 10 the basis OF all land
titles In the northern half OF Saratoga county.
The original pstentees Of the Kayaderosseras
served to themselves 'all minerals. gold, sill.
yer, lead, and precious stones that might he
found beneath It's soil. Rip Van Dam was the
patcn,"e following those to whom the origi.
Greenfield country in which claims for gold
discoveries are now being made. There are
now living In Saratoga Springs descendants
and heirs at, law OF Van Dam. and II is limited