The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1902-04-08

For years he successfully operated what
IS now known as the international
/ Emory and Corundum Company at
Corundum Hill, Macon county, N. c. Mr..
| Lucas made a fortune out of the mining
| OF corundum. In the mining of corundum
he found many valuable gems, and of
1 various kinds. In fact the works of
Lucas made Macon county famous as the
| Gem county of the United States. On
Buck Creek. in Clay county, is found the
! finest corundum known in the world. You
! find tons of it from 80 per cent to 80 per
cent pure. corundum. Hon. j. Emory
! Byron, Of No. 236 Chestnut street Phila-
delphia, Pa, owns a property there rich
! in corundum, and Hon. r. L. Herbert, of
Hayesville, n. c., also ownes valuable
property. Again there is a corporation
operating near Tallula Falls, Ca, that
owns some ten thousand or more acres of
land on which corundum is found, and the
larger portion of these lands and the
richer portion as ] am informed, lay in
Clay county, n. c.
Again we find the National Abrasive
Company, with S. A. Jones manager,
which mines for corundum in Jackson
county, N. c.. Mr.. Jones' address is
Waynesville, N. c.
AS to Mica.--We have all heard of the
famous mica mines in Yancey, Mitchell
and Macon counties. Some years ago the
late and beloved Charles Bowers and his
brother came into Macon county and began
to mine for mica. 1t was not long before
they made Macon county the rival of
! Yancey and Mitchell counties.
At that time there was, as / am inform
/ ed, tariff on mica which made it profit
able to work the mica, but in subsequent
years the tariff was reduced or stricken
out, and the mining in mica went dead.
AS / am informed the principal mica mine
in Macon is the Lyle Knob Mica Company
Mine, the late j. M. Lyle being the
protector. 1t is now owned by G.. A.
MUNICH Of Detroit, Mich.
We find that the rare gems are being
mined in Macon county; there We find
1 the ruby and rhodolte mined for by the
Gem Mining Syndicate, in charge of Prof.
W. E. Hidden, of Newark N. J., the dis
i coverer of the Hiddenite.
Gold is found in almost every county
in Western North Carolina.
Prof John c. Cumstock, in his work on
mineralogy, published in 1S4S, says:
1.-The gold mines of the United States
are confined to the State of North Caro-
| lima"
1t may be naturally asked why North
Carolina has not kept in the lead in the
mining of this precious metal There
are sundry reasons why it has not. At
the time Prof Constock wrote the east
ern part of North Carolina or that part
east of the Blue Ridge was only known
to the world, for he only mentions mines
found east of the Ridge. He does not
mention that mica, tale and marble was
found in North Carolina. In 1S49 the
great gold discoveries were made in Cali
forna, and when these discoveries were
made known to the world people from
every quarter of the globe focked to
/ those gold fields Again the lands, or
most of them west of the Blue Ridge
/ were owned by the State of North Caro-
lima, and private individuals without any
mining privileges offered by the State
as to its lands, as we find offered by the
! United States government. In 1858 the
lands west of Macon county were opened
up to entry. Our people being an agricul-
tural people, paid no attention to mining,
but sought homes for agricultural pur-
poses. In 1861 the great and unfortunate
conflict between the States came on. The
result of this conflict threw into the back
ground for years every enterprise in the
South. Capital and people steered clear
of us, and went west to grow up with the
country. Not only our mining enter
priseS, but our agricultural interests suf-
| fered We could get no railroads We
| could get no capital to develop our hidden
riches. Now we are beginning to open
! the eyes of the world, We are mining our
minerals, and among them gold. Here
tofore there were only holes scratched
| in the ground. Now we are beginning to
place machinery and prepare ourselves to
I compete with the west. We have opera
| ting successfully in Cherokee county the
| Irwandale Gold Mine and the Parkdale
| Gold Mines. In Macon county we have
! the Nantahala Mining and Milling Com
! pany (Limited). The two former are
! placer mines. the one in Macon county is
| vein mine. it being a Fissus vein.
! The Irwirdale and ParFdale mines have
| been operated by Mr. E. S. Estlin, man
! ager. From these mines have been taken
| magnificent nuggets, some weighing as
much as eighteen penny weights. There
Is one other ard the most famous gold
mine in these parts. that is what is
! known as the No. Gold Mine. This is a
! vein mine. situate within one and half
miles of Murphy. This vein is remark
! ably rich vein. refer any one who
wishes to see specimens from this mine
70 the Smithsonian Institute, Washington.
For certain reasons this mine is not now
III operation.
! In connection with mining | should
| have mentioned the superior water ad
vantages we have. AS a rule We need no
machinery for placer or other mining.
that is to get power. Our natural water
| fall gives us the power. The Irwindale
and Parkdale are both worked by water
brought down by bitches.
What we most lack is money money
invested by people who are willing to go
after the mineral. Too often those who
come do not spend any money, they want
ten dollars in sight for one invested. This
is not mining; it is rot business.
One other great trouble in our gold
mining has been that there has been only
scratching" on the surface; no sinking
of shafts no machinery. Only the Long
Tom has been used; yet with this crude
and ancient contrivances, those who
worked at it made good pay. believe
that when capitalists will put their money